Here is a picture of our entire group with Professor Lee in front of the University of Dubrovnik!
Our group was just 10 students and I was a little nervous at first to see if everyone would get along. Almost immediately the group became close friends. We explored the different cities as a group and we often ate together as an entire group! The cool thing about the faculty-led programs is that it is so easy to connect with the other people and the professor in the group since we all have UA in common. The other unique thing about this program is that we are able to travel to multiple different cities and countries as a group rather than have a “home base” which would require further planning on our own behalf.
Within my first few days in Europe, I did not have any problems with culture shock. I loved many aspects of the European cities and lifestyles. First of all, I LOVE that the cities are easy to navigate and are very walkable. Each city that we visited had an accessible and affordable public transit system that allowed us to get anywhere we needed. Although some places in Europe do not allow Uber, it did not pose any type of issue for us since buses, trains, and taxis were all available to us. Second, the cafe culture is so much different than anything we have in the US. Americans tend to always be on the go while Europeans like to have a more relaxed lifestyle. At any point in the day, the cafes will be full of people just visiting and enjoying each other’s company while having a cappuccino! Lastly, the food was very affordable and very high quality! A meal could cost around seven euros including a drink, and would be a high-quality meal. The food isn’t as processed and the ingredients are always so fresh!