Bama Bloggers Abroad
Positively Picturesque Phuket: UA in Thailand 2024 Days 18-24
Hello once again, treasured reader! I hope this blog post finds you well and in good spirits. Final quick intro, here we go: My name is Clay Boeninger, a rising third-year student at the University...
First 2 Weeks in Madrid
Before coming to Spain, I was not sure what to expect. I was unsure of how my Spanish language knowledge would hold up. I also did not know how the people would act towards us Americans. When we...
Lessons learned through Cooking in Rome
During my time in Rome studying abroad through a faculty-led trip with the C&IS college, we had the opportunity to take a cooking class. Now this wasn’t just your average cooking class, this was...
Como Italy: A Fairytale Town
During my 3-week study abroad trip in Rome, Italy I had the opportunity to go to Lake Como with three of my classmates for the weekend. We started out the week in Florence with our whole group, and...
Morocco: A Reminder on Why I Love to Travel
Sometimes I wonder why I like to travel. Airports are intense, car rides are long, and trains aren’t very far-reaching (at least in the US). I will say that this flight has not made me any more...
UA in Spain: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
For the last activity of the UA in Spain faculty-led program, we took a trip to the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. Last week we visited the Prado Museum with 17th, 18th, and older century styled...
Representations of Oxford University Through Literature
Throughout the first week of courses here at Oxford University we have begun to analyze the connections between numerous pieces of classic literature and the town/university itself. Some of the...
UA in Oxford: Honors, History, and English
Choosing the UA in Oxford program may be the best decision that I have made thus far. I first saw this program my junior year of high school while researching colleges and it heavily influenced my...
Twenty Seconds of Courage: Embracing Opportunity and Overcoming Self-Doubt in Cannes
When I was eight years old, I saw a movie called We Bought A Zoo in the theatre. It is loosely based on the story of Benjamin Mee and his family who purchased a zoo following the loss of his wife....
Stereotypes to Surprises: How France Revolutionized My Worldview
I never thought I would have the opportunity to go on a study abroad trip and to be fair, I doubted whether the experience would be worth it. I read articles and books about living in France, but my...
Discovering Paris: A Cultural and Personal Exploration
French culture presents a unique blend of elegance, practicality, and historical richness, evident particularly when observed from an American perspective. Using the Parisian metro is an experience,...
My Time in Italy: Exploring Italian Art!
My time in Italy was packed over 2 weeks, and I was able to experience much of the art, history, and amazing landscapes Italy has! As part of the Art History course, we were expected to write about...
Returning Home from Italy!
Coming back from a trip full of so much amazing art and history, I'd say it was both a bit challenging and refreshing to learn a topic contrasting with my major. With my different experiences as a...
10 Weird Creatures of the Belize Barrier Reef
Almost 1400 species have been documented on the Belize Barrier Reef, the second longest coral reef in the world. During the UA in Belize: Rainforests and Reefs trip this May, we spent two weeks...
Trip to the White Cliffs of Dover
Being my last weekend with UA in Oxford, we wanted to explore the United Kingdom one more time. A few of my friends who I made on this amazing study abroad experience and I decided to visit the...
Leaving Worcester College
Leaving Worcester College for the last time as a part of UA in Oxford is a bittersweet moment. I had so many great experiences that I will never forget about. However, I am also glad that I finally...
Packing for Oxford
Finishing packing up for my faculty-led study abroad program to Worcester College in Oxfordshire, England, there a lot of emotions going through my mind. I chose this study abroad as it was one of...
How Should I Feel Now?
Why am I not more changed? That’s all I could ask myself the past few weeks as I have been home. I think an explanation might be that we never spent more than two days in one place, so I never got...
Off the Beaten Path
Wow! Genuinely all I can think so far is wow. This trip is a first of its kind since we are hiking every day and not staying in one place. Rather than seeing all the things one city has to offer or...
My Norway Experience: Top 4 Pieces of Advice
View of the quaint islands of Oslo!
PSA: Don’t Be Scared of Hostels!
View from Lofoten Hostel
A Letter to Myself Before I left for Madrid
The day before I left for my study abroad in Madrid, I sat in my room sobbing. This was about to be the first time I was away from my family from this long, with an ocean separating us if something...
Cannes Lion Film Festival!
Welcome to Paris!
Upon Return: Lessons from Madrid
UA in Spain: Drawing to a Close
The Joy of a Local Market
Nothing makes me quite as joyful as walking through an outdoor market in another country. I must say that Africa holds some of the coolest outdoor markets, and the markets I visited in Ghana did not...
Sunrise in Ghana
There is something so grounding about sitting on the beach, especially in a foreign country. The ocean is vast and, yet, when you are sitting at the shoreline of any beach, you are watching the...
Reflecting on my Time Abroad-University College Dublin
My time abroad was such an amazing time in my life thus far. After these 5 short months, I can say I have gone from 1 country (the USA) to 11 countries! I got to meet new people, explore the world...
Landing in Italy: Mosaics, Markets, and Mouthwatering Moments
Stepping off the plane in Italy, I could barely contain my excitement. There I was, in the heartland of pasta, pizza, and fine wine, ready to dive headfirst into all the culinary wonders I’d dreamed...
Full Circle: Back to the Roots of My Hospitality Journey
I can’t believe this is really happening! Thanks to the Education Abroad scholarship from the University of Alabama, I’m about to embark on a journey that feels like a homecoming of sorts, even...
Reflections and Revelations: Coming Home After Italy
Touching down back in Alabama after weeks in Italy felt surreal. There’s something about coming home that makes you see it with new eyes, especially after living a completely different life halfway...
Weekend Trips
One of the biggest eye openers for me when traveling abroad was how easy it is to travel to new destinations. Being in London was great because it was a central hub that allowed me to travel to all...
Returning Home
Arriving back in America has definitely been bitter sweet. It is tough to say goodbye to all of the people you met while on your journey, but it is such a nice feeling to return back to something...
Packing Tips
A common question about studying abroad is what to pack. I think the most important thing to keep in mind when packing is that you don’t need nearly as much stuff as you think you do. My trip was 16...
Now That I Am Home
Returning from my study abroad trip in Rome, Italy, was a bittersweet experience. After months of immersing myself in the rich history, culture, and cuisine of Rome, it was time to come back home....
Almost Gone, But Not Forgotten
As my time in Rome draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many experiences that have made this city unforgettable. Wandering through the ancient streets, visiting iconic landmarks, and...
A Memorable City Walk to Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy
Studying abroad in Florence, Italy, has been a dream come true, full of vibrant culture and rich history. One of the highlights of my program was a city walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. The start of...
Pre-Departure Jitters
It is now less than 24 hours before I leave home for my study abroad trip. I’ve known I’ve needed to write this blog for months now, but I could never bring myself to sit down and write it before...
Satisfaction of Being Home Again
The end of my study abroad program brought many mixed feelings. By the time I was on the last few days of my program, I was somewhat ready to be back home. It was not because I disliked Europe or...
Discovering Europe and Making the Most of It
After finally making it to Europe, I had to quickly learn about the transportation used throughout all of Europe. If you do not know, Europeans use trains to travel quite frequently. This is also...
Planning for Abroad and Making My Way to Europe
Hey! My name is Rocky Seale. I just finished up my second year of college and decided to do a study abroad program with a couple of my friends. Honestly, studying abroad was never something I really...
Learning Just How Important Patience can be while Readjusting
How a Small Choice has Made a Big Difference
Perks of a Faculty-Led Program
Participating in a study abroad program that is led by UA faculty has a lot of advantages. Not only do I get to know the professors I am taking classes with, but my program also allowed for...
Sometimes you must scrump even when the food is not scrumptious.
The Final Goodbyes
When it came to the last night before everyone headed home, everyone was pretty emotional during our final time together. We had a celebratory dinner, and all wore matching ‘I heart Venezia’ shirts....
Arriving in Venice!
As time grew closer to leaving for Europe, I became more nervous and excited than ever. I was nervous because I knew I would miss my family tremendously, and I also didn't have any friends that are...
A Month Around Europe!
So much has changed since the first day and my first blog. Everyone in our group is close friends, but I have become super close to two girls that I have been hanging out with every day. We have...
UA in Germany: End of Trip
Our last leg of our study abroad was spent between three cities; Weingarten, where we’ve spent the duration of our trip, Stuttgart, and Munich, where we all originally met. The last week was...