My Barcelona Mom

When I decided to go abroad, my program offered me three different options for housing: residence, host family, or apartment. A good friend of mine studied abroad the semester before and encouraged me to do a host family. I figured a host family would be the easiest...
Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

When you study abroad, people talk about how hard it is to adjust to your host country. They don’t talk about getting back, and it is exhausting. I spent 32 hours in transit from Sydney, Australia, back to Alabama and I’m still worn out five days later! I...

Home from Belgium

After a month in Europe, I’m now home again. It’s bittersweet, because as happy as I am to be back home with my family and all the conveniences of America, I’m already missing the amazing experience I had. I don’t think anyone can ever be fully prepared to go abroad...

Australian Excursions

Although my study abroad program was based in Canberra, the capital of Australia, I took every chance I could while abroad to travel to various other cities within the country. I had the opportunity to visit four different cities in Australia, each offering unique...

UA in Oxford

Though my intention was to post frequently throughout my time here in Oxford, time has slipped by in the most enjoyable of ways and my program will be coming to an end next week. I am not sure how my words will ever be able to give this wonderful place the justice it...

Reflecting on the Best Four Months of my Life

I have been back from my incredible semester in Prague for a little bit now, and it has taken me a while to process all of my thoughts and feelings about my experiences in Europe. I have formed some thoughts on travel, budgets, and experiences, and hopefully this can...

UA in Italy, while in Italia

Nothing is more emotionally riveting than stepping off the plane walking and getting onto a boat to take you to your new home for the next month. Luckily, with my program type, we are going to be in different cities every week with several excursions that will take us...

UA in India

The most prominent aspect of India is the people. Spending three weeks traveling to four different cities in northern India gave me a broad range of people to experience. They say that every 100 miles the language, dress, and people changes in India, and they are...

Home from India

Returning back home after three weeks abroad was like a breath of fresh air. I was ready to be back in my own bed, not rooming with anyone else, to have different food options besides Indian food, and to wash clothes in a washing machine instead of in the sink....