Walking and Diversity

I love the town of Tours. Although home to a similar population size as Tuscaloosa, everything in Tours is built close together, allowing you to walk everywhere. I walk from my host family to school, from school to lunch (there are so many options!), and after class I...
Life in Berlin

Life in Berlin

Studying abroad is an experience, and it’s one that has its ups and downs. Upon arrival, the airline lost all of my luggage. I came to Germany for the summer and had barely any personal belongings. Right from the get-go, I had to adapt to every possible scenario...

Reflections

I have been back for less than a week and I am still a little jetlagged. Only a few days until the semester starts and while I am shocked by how fast the summer flew by, I wouldn’t change what I did at all. The five and a half weeks I spent in Australia was absolutely...

Life After London

After an unforgettable six weeks in London, I was ready to come back to the States. The UK is similar enough to the US that I didn’t experience too much reverse culture shock. But of course, I find myself missing certain aspects of my study abroad experience...

A Tour of Tours

I’ve been in France for a few weeks now, and it has been everything I’ve always dreamed of! I first arrived in Paris, where we stayed for a week and did some sightseeing. I was so excited to see all the signs in French and the bakeries on every corner....

Around and Back Again

Well, I’ve come full circle. I have traveled to China and returned home all in one piece. I honestly missed the United States. Breakfast food, potato chips in certain flavors, driving, trees, and the sky are all things as aspects of life at home that I missed....
Perché Italia?

Perché Italia?

When I decided to declare a minor in Italian, the first question many people asked was “Why?” And why one decides to do something is rarely followed by a simple answer. However; just this once, the answer was relatively easy. My great grandparents and...

Am I Homesick or Just Hot?

I missed very few things as much as I missed this cat. If I could have taken him with me, I would have never left the UK. I’ve been back in the states for almost a week now, and every day I find myself forgetting that I am not, in fact, still in England. I...

Advice for Future Students

The main piece of advice I would give students is to take full advantage of your study abroad experience. Take a step outside of your comfort zone and do things you would not normally do. Experience the local culture by immersing yourself completely. This means trying...

My Excursions in Portugal

I have been taking classes in Portugal this summer. I am located in Cascais a beach town about 30 minutes outside of Lisbon. I have had a great time exploring these cities after I get out of class during the week. I have traveled to the local beach and small town with...