Homebound
While I enjoyed my time away, I was happy to come home. There were trivial things that I missed such as Netflix and Heinz ketchup, but there were also a number of substantial issues that made me eager to return to the US. Their current President Zuma is perhaps an even more controversial and polarizing figure than Donald Trump. He has strong ties to more than one financial corruption scandal, and he has challenged the new South...
Coke, Branding, & Global Impact
As an American, my mind has of course been saturated with American brands, products, and media. However, I never fully considered what kind of impact American marketing could have on people around the world. Between a long layover in Germany and my time spent in South Africa, there were two American entities that followed me on my journey from Tuscaloosa, to Atlanta, to Chicago, to Frankfurt, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town and back:...
Ghana-Pre-departure
As the time for my departure is winding down, the only thing I can think about is how far I have come as a student and as an individual. Never would I have thought I would have the opportunity to study abroad. I chose to study abroad because my goal is to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone and grow as a person. I often get comfortable with staying in one spot and not realizing there is more to the world ,but I overcame...
Flying Alone
If you’ve never been on extended trip away from your family (vacation or otherwise), know that there are a number of factors to consider prior to your arrival in the country in which you have chosen to study. In my case, I chose to study the legacy of apartheid in South Africa. This proved to be extremely tricky because there are few direct flights from the American South to Africa. As a word of caution, please be sure...
Pre-Departure
South Africa, 2015 Hi y’all, It is important to know that prior to Spain, I studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa for 5 weeks. It was amazing and I loved it. The decision to study abroad in South Africa greatly influenced the decision to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. I chose to study abroad in Spain because I am receiving a minor in Spanish and wanted to be totally emerged into the culture in order to better my...
First day at clinic
We went to a government funded clinic in a town about 5 hours away from where we are staying today. There were a lot of people gathered outside when we arrived, I think they knew we were coming. I was put in the assessment group and we did a quick assessment of the patients main complaint before sending them to the provider. Each patient got a numbered sticker so we could be fair and keep track of people but it was hard to assess in...