by Emily S | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Upon first arriving in Berlin, I immediately noticed how safe I felt. Granted, I took five years of German, so my familiarity with the language helped, but the environment of the city itself is genuinely open and welcoming to tourists. It gets dark late, locals speak...
by Allison H | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate
While on my language program in Berlin, I spent one afternoon walking around the park, Tempelhofer Feld. This park is really special, because it’s actually an old airport used around the time of World War II. Originally used by Nazis, the airport was later the site of...
by Austin P | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
My time abroad was incredible and has definitely shaped the way that I interact with people. Throughout two flights from Madrid back to Chicago, I only talked in Spanish with native speakers. My first taste of reverse culture shock was going through security where I...
by Amanda B | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Summer, UA-Affiliate
Sydney and I did not meet on the best of terms. Sixteen hours of flying across the Pacific Ocean right after six hours of flying across the United States and only a couple hours of sleep doesn’t make for a great first impression on my part. But Sydney welcomed all of...
by Elizabeth P | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
The last leg of my journey led me to Venice, Verona, and finally seeing a live opera production! Our trip to Venice was too short, but the taste we got was delightful. It is a stunning city with a fascinating history and even more fascinating architecture. Verona,...
by Erin B | Jul 27, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Faculty-Led, Summer
“I’m going to China.” I have been repeating this mantra in my mind since I decided to go on this trip back in November. Frankly, I don’t even know how I ended up here. I was simply walking out of my Chinese 101 class when my teacher said, “You should go to China.” My...
by Michael T | Jul 26, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
So far, my only journey out of my hometown was 4 hours away to the University of Alabama. Today, I’m packed up and getting ready for a flight to Brussels, Belgium, and the butterflies are finally kicking in. I have no experience abroad, and I fight even know...
by Allison H | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate
While studying abroad in Berlin, I had the amazing opportunity to join my Norwegian friend on a weekend trip to her hometown of Oslo. It was such a cool and special experience to travel with one of my closest friends and share her home and her culture. I’d never been...
by Caroline P | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Although I was heartbroken to leave Europe, after two months abroad I was excited to see my family and sleep in my own bed. That being said, my journey home was anything but easy. For a whole host of reasons, my relatively straightforward flight from Paris to Dallas...
by Jennifer P | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
France is an amazing country. The amount of history in the country is incredible. I feel like almost everywhere I looked there was another monument that was at least twice the age of the United States. It’s incredible. I love the United States, but we are babies when...
by Austin P | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
My first impression of Spain was that it was a lucky place to be. When I looked out the plane window upon arrival, I saw a double rainbow encompassing the beautiful mountains and valleys— but the luckiness didn’t last long due to a little mishap with my...
by Jennifer P | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
In the utmost college student fashion, I procrastinated when it came to packing for my trip to France. You see, I stayed in Tuscaloosa until May 15th and I was leaving from Atlanta on May 21st. In my mind, I had about six days to fit in an entire summer before I left...
by Samantha S | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Education, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Hallå! My name is Sam and I am heading to study abroad in a faculty lead program in Stockholm, Sweden in a few days. I am from a very small town and I wanted to study abroad to go out a see more of the world. My town is not very cultured and I’ve grown up with...
by Caroline P | Jul 25, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Leading up to my study abroad, as I wrapped up all my Spring classes with finals and said my summer goodbyes, I began to get a little overwhelmed at the thought of leaving the US for nearly two months. There was packing to be done, paperwork to be filled out, and...
by Madeline P | Jul 15, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
My bag is packed, my pre-trip assignments are complete, and I am headed to Oxford, England in the morning! Wow, what a surreal thought. I have zero expectations and many questions, but that is what I am most excited about; I cannot wait to experience Oxford for the...
by Abigail C | Jul 15, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I caught the travel bug as a young child and have been eager to return to Europe since visiting the summer following my junior year of high school. The 3 weeks I spent in Paris, France studying ballet at the Académie Américaine de danse de Paris were the most...
by Caroline P | Jul 15, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Paris was always one of those cities I assumed I would visit one day. The imagery of the Eiffel Tower, wide French boulevards, and high culture seems to be a common element of popular culture. From Casablanca to Ratatouille, Paris seems to comprise a large amount of...
by Megan B | Jul 15, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Prior to arriving to Russia, I tried not to have too many expectations. My main goal was to enjoy the experience of being here in Russia. Obviously things are different here and that took an adjustment to get used to. Now that my time here is coming to an end, I’m sad...
by Caroline W | Jul 12, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
I was surprised with how sad I felt leaving Nicaragua. While the heat sometimes felt unbearable, there was something about the people and the culture there that made it all worth it. When I said goodbye to my host mom, she started crying and thanked us for visiting...
by Emily H | Jul 12, 2016 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Since I was little, I always imagined that I would live in the United States for my entire life. I know the language, the culture, and the best vacation destinations. I always envisioned the extent of my international experience to be restricted to vacations only....
