We're now in our third and final week in Singapore, and I'm not gonna lie to you: I’m ready to go home. You know how toward the end of your leg day gym session, when your quads are wobbly, sweat is rolling down your back, and you're just ready to go home? That's how I normally feel toward the end of a school term, but this summer it feels different. I've had other architecture terms (albeit, in my first year, when I was still learning time management for this field) where every other day, I'm up until 2 am, working a part-time job, and taking an extra class than I should. That's hard.

After returning to the US after spending two months in Shanghai, a lot of what I’ve been doing is just resting! I just had a busy two months, so I’ve spent time at my family’s house in Oregon dealing with post-trip fatigue. Coming back to the US was, truthfully, sad. Life in China was incredibly convenient: walkable cities, great public transportation, many things to do, and affordable activities and meals.

Coming back to the USA felt like an easy readjustment. Life in Japan felt whimsical in a way: where public transportation worked, my own funds didn't feel like a limit to my life, and the temples all over the country were a reminder of the rich history of the Japanese nation. It almost made sense that I would go back to my life before, where things felt ubiquitous. I found that the people I'm closest to really enjoyed listening to my adventures in Japan, which was really nice.

I'm writing this in a cafe (not interesting), rushing before I have to go meet a man on his balcony in 1.5 hours (more interesting) while in the second week of the month-long Building-Integrated Agriculture study abroad program in Singapore (very interesting).

Wow, it’s hard to believe two weeks of my program have already flown by! I feel like I’ve truly settled into my daily life here. Now, I can navigate around the city without any trouble. One of the wonderful parts about Spain is that the cities are walkable and they have a comprehensive public transport system. For this reason, you see significantly more people out and about in the city since people aren’t reliant on cars. Also, compared to the US, Spain is more collectivist, and regular outdoor meetings are more typical. 

So far, my experience has been nothing short of amazing. Being halfway done with my internship experience in Singapore, soon to be followed by 4 more months of academic travel in the region, I can say that using Singapore as my starting country was an excellent choice. If you're looking for a country that has food from every corner of the world, is English-oriented in a new environment, and is a global hub that looks good on any CV. I'd say Singapore is the obvious choice. While cost can get expensive at times, I truly do think it's what you make of it.

My time abroad has been as delightful as expected. Due to the nature of my internship and set work hours created by my company, I am only required to be in the office for three days out of the five. This gives me plenty of time to explore Shanghai on my own. I enjoy taking the time to visit popular shopping centers and streets, as well as new restaurants and tourist attractions. As shopping can get repetitive over time, I’ve been looking at new places to visit like art museums, aquariums, and centers that give unique experiences.

Growing up in Eugene, I’ve always loved weekend trips to the Oregon Coast. While I have a penchant for searching for shells, wave jumping, or having an ice cream on the dock, I have found that hiking along the coastline brings me a distinct sense of calm and intrigue. Perhaps I feel called to those places for the impressive landscapes, the striking beauty of the verdant spruces perched on cliffsides that meet soft sand, and the deep Pacific blue. Maybe it's the gentle breeze whipping at my hair, the smell of salt, or the butterflies floating from flower to flower around me.

Hello again! I have officially been in Barcelona for over a month now, and my experience here has been amazing. I came into this experience with minimal expectations and an open mind, and I think that has allowed me to appreciate everything I've gotten to experience so far.

It didn’t really feel real, leaving Mexico—it finally hit me when I stood in the George Bush International Airport customs line in Houston, and I realized that I could actually understand what everyone was saying around me (“I don’t feel dumb anymore!” I said to my grandma), and that I realized I wasn’t going to be back for a while.