Mixing It Up for a Weekend

Less than 2 weeks in Paris! Gotta make the best of it! What do you when you have a friend living abroad in a nearby country? I did the obvious and bought a ticket to Istanbul immediately. 250€ later I was in Istanbul, Turkey visiting my college roomie. Since I got to France, I never felt Uber challenged or out of my comfort zone (besides language). I realized I was able to adapt easily and understand the culture because of my Ecuadorian-American background. There were differences but not too many and on a smaller scale. I really wanted to feel culture shock, which is why going to Turkey was the right choice. During my 8 weeks in Paris, I also wanted to make time to visit nearby countries. My itinerary consists of Italy, Turkey, The Netherlands, and perhaps Belgium. I wanted to do more, but I still have to explore la ville de Paris. I highly recommend visiting other countries while in Paris, but do not forget that you're living in an amazing city and should get to know it as well. You can put me almost anywhere in the city and I will know how to get home by myself. This summer I lived in Paris for 8 weeks but someday it will be more than 52 weeks. I love this city!

Istanbul was amazing! It was an experience being there for Ramadan. I loved the people, the food, the landscapes and the sights to see. I will definitely be returning next year!

I had a layover in Rome for 7 hours so I met my aunt who I haven't seen in 15 years. She took me touring over Roma. Rome was so different! You're on your way to work in the morning and on every corner, there are Roman ruins. It was amazing and surreal to be in front of the Colosseum. The architecture was also very different than the Parisian architecture I am used to. It was nice mixing it up for a weekend.