Bama Bloggers Abroad
1 week into living life on a ship
Let me warn you, my study abroad experience is not the typical one, but it is just that much more interesting! I am a junior at The University of Alabama studying advertising and sales. I am...
Living in Birmingham, UK
It has been a little bit over a week since I arrived at the Univesity of Birmingham and it has already been so much fun, but it has also been a smooth transition. Since being here I have been able...
Studying Shakespeare in England and Traveling to the Globe!
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in.” A month travelling across England to see stage adaptations from the Bard himself makes me agree with his sentiment! As part of our EN 333...
Places, People, and Practicalities: Mapping Daily Life in Porto
I spent three weeks in Porto for the European Innovation Academy, living near Polo Universitário, so the neighborhood and the people around campus shaped how I used the city each day. After locking...
Thank You New Zealand!
The final part of the trip was in incredible! The day after we arrived in Wellington, we had the opportunity to take a ferry and go to Eastbourne, which was a little town across the Wellington...
Uncle Ho Welcomes You to Hanoi
After over six months of anticipation, I have finally arrived in beautiful Vietnam. This year marks the 50th anniversary of North Vietnam's triumph over the south and the United States, although...
Steps Towards Scotland
So, I’m getting ready to go abroad!!! I can’t believe it’s actually happening. This will be my first long trip out of the country, and to say I’m a mix of nerves and excitement would be an...
Edinburgh Awaits!
Hi everyone! My name is Isabella Hanson, and I am a junior dance and creative media major here at the university! I write this sitting in the airport, anticipating every moment that is to come with...
Take me Back
I'm back! Man does it feel weird. Weirdly, I'm feeling possessive over Ireland. I hear of people visiting or wanting to go there and I suddenly feel like I have a million words to say and not enough...
Couldn’t Have Been Better in Hindsight…
Now that I have finished my summer study abroad trip in France, I can safely say that that was one of the highlights of my life. When the time got close for me to actually go on the trip, I was...
Yonder Heads to Scotland!
Today, members of Yonder Contemporary Dance Company are heading to Scotland to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After a seven-and-a-half-hour rehearsal yesterday, we’re feeling ready to...
Creepy Crawly Vietnam
Vietnam is a tropical paradise with an array of creepy crawly creatures. During a tour to the famous Mekong Delta, I had the opportunity to handle a beautiful python. We also took a stroll through a...
A Hitchhikers Guide to Edinburgh, Scotland
Haylee Elizabeth Pack Every August, Edinburgh transforms into a completely new world for the Fringe Festival, the largest celebration of theater, dance, music, and street performance. As a...
Transcendent Traditions–Oxford, England
The University of Oxford is almost 1000 years old (the founding is estimated at 1096 CE). The heritage and culture of this ancient institution can be seen embodied in the ceremonies and buildings of...
As Gaeilge Le do thoil- In Irish please!
I can't even begin to tell you how incredible this experience has been. Everybody always tells you how much study abroad changes your life, and of course I believed them, but I didn't think it would...
Sevilla!!
One of my first thoughts arriving in a new country was, “I want to go home”. I think this is a very common reaction I believe. I had traveled for almost 24 hours, I was with a large group of very...
My Friend Almost Gets Eaten
So far, my time in Belize has been everything I had hoped for and more. I have learned so much about native species and their roles in building and maintaining the reef, and I have also seen...
Preparing for the Trip of a Lifetime
I chose to study abroad in Belize for a variety of reasons. For one, I have never been abroad, and I figured it would be a good idea for my first time to be with a faculty-led study abroad program....
France-Bound!
As a French major, one of the biggest goals I had before entering college was to study abroad in a francophone country. As I started as a freshman at UA, I felt secure enough in my French skills to...
Xin Chào, Vietnam! Hello from a Grateful Traveler
Traveling from the United States to Vietnam was no easy feat. Serving as my first international flight experience, the two-day commute with multiple layovers truly tested my resilience and patience....
Adjusting to Life After My European Summer
After spending the last month living in Spain, I’m finally back home: jetlagged, disoriented, and wildly confused about when I'm supposed to eat dinner. (Seriously, how did I adjust to 10 p.m. meals...
Weekend Escape to Ischia – A Perfect Getaway
After a wonderful first week settling into life in Florence, I already feel like I’ve begun to adapt to the Italian lifestyle. From walking the historic streets and sipping espresso in local cafés...
Dolphins in Anguilla! by Six McPherson
I can't believe that this is day one of the final week of our Study Abroad trip in Saint Maarten. I have had so many unforgettable memories, made new friends, and enjoyed countless experiences...
Wheels, Waterways, and Waffles in Amsterdam
We ended our study abroad in the city of Amsterdam. This was one of my favorite cities to visit because of the beautiful waterways and canals that spread all over the town. The thing that was most...
On My Way!
As I finish up my junior year, I can’t believe I’m just weeks away from heading off on my study abroad adventure to Ghent, London, and Amsterdam! I’ve always dreamed of traveling, and when I learned...
First 3 Weeks in Barranquilla, Colombia!
When I first signed up for 6 weeks of school in Barranquilla, I thought I knew and was prepared for everything. Well- I was delightfully wrong! When I first signed up for six weeks of school in...
Sweet as Honey: Waiheke Island (Auckland, NZ)
Our day trip to Waiheke Island, a 45 minute ferry ride out of New Zealand was absolutely my most favorite day of the entire trip.We started the day off with a visit to Waiheke Honey Company, a local...
The Reef, The Ray, and The Responsibility (Cairns, AUS)
I am now on my 5th day of this amazing Study Abroad adventure through Australia and New Zealand, currently in Cairns. We have so much left to do in the city but we definitely did our big one...
Meet Arnold the Koala and Gundy the Blind Wombat (Sydney, AUS)
Just an hour drive out of Sydney, Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected 80-acre bushland space where native animals like kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and of course, koalas roam freely and...
Returning Home: Reflection on Studying Abroad in Germany
After an incredible month in Germany and traveling in Europe, I am finally back home in the US and able to reflect on my time abroad. Following the three and a half weeks I studied German in...
UA in Germany 2025: Final Week and Return Home
Hello again everyone! Last time I checked in, I updated you all on my time in the cities of Konstanz and Strasbourg during my summer abroad in Germany. Well, I’m finally back home in Alabama, and...
You’ll Be Ok.
I don’t think I have been as afraid as I am now to travel. This summer, I am spending about three weeks in France. I have never been too far from my hometown, much less out of the country. When I...
Study Abroad Update
Hello Everyone! As my Greece Study Abroad trip is soon coming to a close, I wanted to provide an update on my thoughts and experiences so far. The first thing I have noticed is that almost everyone...
Returning from Greece: I want to go back!
After spending 17 days in Greece, I have had a rich experience, from spending 24+ hours in the Washington D.C airport to hiking Mount Olympus. I am grateful I was able to experience it all. After...
What It’s Really Like to Study Abroad in Korea
Now that the semester is wrapping up, I’ve had some time to reflect on my time in Korea and how it compares to other places I’ve visited. During these four months, I also traveled to China and...
Reflecting on My Time In Italy and New Zealand
I entered this summer with one goal in mind: to see parts of the world I have never seen before and have fun while doing it. Both New Zealand and Italy were absolute whirlwinds, I can confidently...
Preparing to Go Abroad: Packing More Than Just Clothes
5/25: Before Departure Getting ready to go abroad has completely taken over my mind, my Pinterest boards, and my TikTok feed. I’ve probably watched over a hundred detailed videos on “what I wish I...
Post-Abroad Culture Shocks: Differences After Returning from South Korea
Hi there, it's Willow, one month post-Korea! I expected that there would be some unexpected culture shocks when returning to America, but these are my top 5 shocks over the past month: Tipping...
Post card from Sevilla
After coming back home from my study abroad trip to Sevilla, Spain, I have had time to reflect on the experience and everything I've taken from it. The most important thing has been the connections...
Pho Real: Eating My Way Across Vietnam
One of the biggest attractions of traveling abroad to Vietnam is the diverse cuisine of the region. I initially was excited to experience all of the different foods, but I also knew that my palate...
Nature Unlike Any Other
Norway’s beauty is no secret whatsoever, though it should never be underestimated. During my...
Looking Back on Benin
I left Benin on June 29, and have had time to reflect on the incredible experiences I had. The UA in Benin program was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially because it was a faculty-led...
Greece: A Study in Culture & Entrepreneurship!
I have always wanted to study abroad, so when I got the opportunity to spend 17 days in Greece, I quickly took it! Some key factors I considered before studying abroad were the location and the...
Good and Bad Nerves? Traveling Alone in Rome/Venice
Come my second weekend in Italy, I had planned two day trips: Saturday in Venice and Sunday in Rome. The only issue: I would be completely alone in Rome. For Venice, I had booked my trip through...
From the States to the Stones: Our First Week in Oxford
Arriving in the United Kingdom from the United States has been nothing short of transformative. Stepping into Oxford felt like entering a different world—one steeped in centuries of tradition,...
First Step: My Summer Adventure in East Asia
Today, 19 June 2025, marks my 20th day in Tokyo, Japan—and the end of the first part of this incredible adventure. Before I left the United States, people often told me that studying abroad would...
Copenhagen and Culture Shock
When I was preparing to study abroad, the most intimidating thing for me was the idea of culture shock. I feared that culture shock would stop me from enjoying my visit to Copenhagen to the fullest....
ChemE Goes Abroad – UA in Denmark
Hi readers! My name is Hannah and I am studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). I'm packing up my safety glasses and lab coat to begin a critical course in...
Better Than Imagined
I have been having a lot of fun in my summer study abroad program in France. I knew I would be okay once I got over the hurdle of starting the trip. There will never be a time in my life that nerves...
Back Home: Surprising Lessons from My Study Abroad Experience
7/21: Home for a Week Coming back home felt familiar at first—English signs, the foods I know, the usual routines I had missed. But after a little while, I started noticing subtle things that felt...