My first impressions with Lisbon were that it was much smaller than expected, and that it was a super relaxed city. I knew going-into my program that Lisbon was not as major of a city compared to other European cities, but to me Lisbon felt very small. I found that this was a good thing, because it made getting everywhere I needed to go super easy. Lisbon’s small-town feel I think comes from how relaxed and local this city is. Everyone here is super friendly and helpful, and while there are major restaurant chains and attractions there are so many more local options that you don’t feel like you are in a capital city. Lisbon is extremely walkable, but it is mostly hills. It’s built on seven hills, which makes for really nice viewpoints and also means that trams are part of the city’s public transportation. As nice as the viewpoints are, it does make walking around the city super tiring at times. While I packed comfortable shoes, I ended up having to buy shoes because my shoes hurt my feet after walking so many miles each day. Lisbon is located right on the coast, and I think this is one of the main reasons everything here is done at a leisurely pace. The beach has been my favorite thing in Lisbon. My class here is from 9:30-12:30, so most days after class I go to the beach to grab lunch and tan. The metro and train system makes getting to the beach super accessible which was something I really appreciated. I’ve really enjoyed all the seafood here, but one thing that is hard for me to get used to is how long meals last here. They really emphasize enjoying the food, so meals seem to last much longer than ones back home. It super common here to not eat lunch until around 2pm and dinner around 9-10pm which was a hard adjustment in the beginning. Overall, Lisbon has been relatively easy to adjust to and enjoy.