Life has been a bit of a whirlwind of late, between weekend travel, exams, papers, and an unsuccessful battle with the common cold. I suppose I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for the “traveling” part of being a world traveler - the planes and trains, the cab rides, the sometimes frustrating public transportation, and the more-than-occasional wandering about a strange city. Don’t get me wrong, the last few weeks have been absolutely incredible! In the last month I’ve seen and done things I’d only envied other people of doing. I’ve seen the David in Florence, Mona and Picasso in Paris, Juliet in Verona. I’ve watched the sunset from the Eiffel Tower, celebrated Carnevale in Venice and took a gondola ride down the Grand Canal. I’ve climbed the Duomo in Florence, cheered with hundreds of screaming fans for Roma in the Stadio Olimpico, and strolled down the Champs-Elysees, all the while taking time to appreciate the smaller details, the charms and quirks of each foreign city.

The inevitable “but” in all of this is that with all the travel, with all the new places, people, and culture, I sometimes forget that it’s important to stay grounded, to remember why I’m here, and that normal day-to-day responsibilities don’t just disappear while abroad. So here’s my challenge to myself while here: to balance normal life with this magical, world-traveling one that I’ve been caught up in the last couple weeks, while at the same time absorbing and learning from my experiences (and finding time to blog about it all, REGULARLY).

Talk about multitasking.