When I talk about my abroad experience, I could tell you about so many things. I could talk about the way I was ready for the physical travel, but not ready for the lifelong friendships I would make. I could tell you about how I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock or the way I…
Everyone is spooked that something bad is going to happen if the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday. I am not one for superstition, but November 13th, 2015 was a night filled with horror. The week leading up to that night, I had taken my parents on a short tour through France…
I had always known that I wanted to study abroad. I was fortunate enough to grow up as an only child to parents who suffered from “wanderlust,” so I traveled a lot as a kid. I went to China, France, and Australia along with a whole laundry list of places with my parents as a…
From a young age I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit with my family. It’s something we’ve always enjoyed doing and something I really wanted to do more of. When I first arrived at college and learned about the Study Abroad program, I knew I wanted to study abroad, but I wasn’t sure…
Before May 15th, my view of the world was extremely limited. Sure, I had seen the bathroom where Elvis died in Memphis, TN, walked the Edmund Pettus Bridge where Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many others began their march to Montgomery in Selma, AL, and even touched the chair William Faulkner sat in when…
From early childhood, I had seen pictures and videos of other countries and the beauty they held. The thought of visiting another county multiple hours over the ocean was a farfetched thought for me but I was determined that one day I would get to visit Europe. I dreamt about the adventures and experiences that…
Over the intercom, the train conductor announced that we would soon be arriving in Grenoble, France. It was the middle of June and through the windows of the compartment, I could see snow-capped mountains peering through thin clouds. My heart quickened and I suddenly became extremely anxious. What if my host family didn’t like me?…
They say that home is where the heart is, and I found that to be true when I was in Vienna this past summer. I was initially really nervous about studying abroad. I’d never been out of the country before (aside from my 5 month stint in Vietnam before I was adopted when I was…
For me, my time in Vienna will be remembered as a time of personal growth and self-understanding. During my program, my German skills improved tremendously but more importantly I felt more connected with others. The language barrier proved troublesome at first, but as time progressed communication became easier. My favorite nights were those when my…
Lava came spewing down the side of Mount Etna at a pace that indicated imminent doom. In my mind this was the beginning of the end and the outcome would be just as dismal as Pompeii thousands of years ago. When I decided to Study Abroad in Taormina, Sicily I didn’t know what to expect….