I started off this weekend by facing my fears and visiting the Catacombs of Paris. The remains of over six million people are held in these tunnels that used to be part of a mining network. In 1786 city officials began the process of moving bones from the overflowing Parisien cemeteries into the abandoned tunnels. …
Tag Archives: International Studies
Packing for a Semester Abroad
Here are a few items that I have found to be very important (but often overlooked) when traveling abroad. Plug adapters for every country you plan to visit Small power adapters allow United States-style plugs to fit into different outlets. You can invest in fancy adapters or find them on Amazon. This is something you’ll …
Cuenca, I Love You
This just in: I have found my new favorite city. For this weekend’s adventure 12 of us headed to Cuenca, a city located south of Quito. It took about 8 hours to get there, but it was well worth it. Right away I knew I was going to love it there. The city is filled …
Reviews of the Rainforest
Well this past weekend was one for the books! We went on an IES trip to the Amazon Rainforest, yes THE Amazon Rainforest. Not many people have the chance to get there and now I understand why because it is pretty hard to travel there, so I feel extremely grateful for this opportunity. We did …
Thoughts from a Coffeeshop
As I sit here in one of my favorite coffeeshops near my apartment at 5:51 on a Wednesday afternoon, I’m having a hard time coming up with something to write about. Not because I have nothing to say, but more so that I don’t have the right words to sum up my thoughts about my …
A Typical Weekday
I cannot believe I’ve been in Paris for over a month; the time has flown by and there is still so much to see. This post is long overdue thanks to cold and flu season. Thankfully I got by with lots of hot tea and Ricola cough drops, and my cold is finally gone. Since …
To the Mountains We Go
Since the weekend before we went to the beach and had quite the relaxing weekend, some of us decided to go for some more adventure and spend this weekend hiking. Eight of us traveled to Quilotoa, a small town in the middle of nowhere that’s about three hours south of Quito. This rural town is …
Canoa: Sun, Sand, & Storytelling
This weekend my friends and I traveled to a town on the coast called Canoa. Canoa is not the typical beach town that you think of, but rather it consists of hostels and small outdoor restaurants/bars that line the beach. It isn’t very developed, giving it a feeling of seclusion and peacefulness which makes for an …
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
Because no visit to France would be complete without visiting a château, our first IES excursion was to the Loire Valley. This region of France is known for it’s vineyards, orchards, and historic architecture. Several excursions are included in IES tuition and it was great to enjoy this trip before classes officially began First we …
A Day in the Life
I have lived in Quito for about a month now and it is pretty crazy to think about how fast everything has happened. Time is such a strange concept while studying abroad. While I feel like I just said goodbye to Holland, I also feel like I have adjusted to life here and that this Ecuadorian …
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