Getting Ready to Take Off
In a week I will be boarding a plane that will take me to London, England. This is a trip whose mental preparation has lasted about a year and physical preparation about half of that. However, before I embark on my 5 month study abroad journey, I must sit and wait in the Las Vegas airport in order to make it to a conference in Seattle, Washington. I will be home for almost exactly 24 hours in between my Seattle trip and my London...
Why I chose Barcelona, Spain as my study abroad destination
I have known that I wanted to study abroad in Spain since I began taking Spanish classes during my freshman year of high school. My Spanish teacher constantly talked about how beautiful it was and how the experiences that you will have in Spain will be unlike those in any other country. Throughout my Spanish classes in high school, I was able to learn a lot about the culture in Spain, especially in Barcelona. Barcelona interested me...
The Final Night in Russia
My last day in Russia was a lot of things. It was stressful, it was fun, it was full of nostalgia, but most of all, it was meaningful. I was responsible all semester and left every last bit of my packing to the last day — but there were still lots of fun things that I wanted to get done as well. My roommate and I initially planned to go ice skating, grab some dinner, and head back to pack all night. However, things didn’t...
Looking Forward to London
Where to start…. I dance, I sing, and I act. Some would call me a triple threat. But I usually just say I’m a student of the University of Alabama double majoring in Dance and Theatre. My main concentrations in my majors are concert dance and acting. Since a young age, I have had aspirations of producing my own show, working in film, writing, and establishing my own clothing line. I want to create, experiment, make mistakes,...
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone
More often than not, in my experience discussing traveling alone, I endure apprehensive warnings of caution and horror stories. There is a stigma around the idea of being alone. Human nature is meant to be shared, which is why we all have a yearning for companionship and ultimately fear being alone. But here I am, appealing to all the adventurous people out there, to go off and explore alone. I hope that my experience traveling alone...
Pre-Departure Journal Entry (Late)
I’m very excited for London. I’ve never been to London, not even to the UK, although I got close when I visited Dublin. I think the most exposure I’ve gotten to British lifestyle is through pop culture. The Who, The Smiths, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are all favorite bands of mine, and I caught glimpses of London life through the camera of Martin Parr. I think the British culture and especially language are close enough to...