by Marcus G. | Dec 10, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Living in Rome for 1 month and being in a culture with a slower pace of life was a breath of fresh air. In the US, we are constantly working to achieve the American dream, which is the almighty dollar. We do this because we have always been taught to do good in...
by Sophia Biernat | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As my study abroad group hiked into the city of Logroño, we noticed that something about it was different from the other cities we had visited. Festive banners adorned the streets, and when we got to the hotel, the concierge explained what was going on. The city was...
by Sophia Biernat | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hiking a pilgrimage is a rewarding adventure where each day brings new challenges, but hiking a pilgrimage as a student brings its own set of complications. On the Camino de Santiago, we had to adjust to the pace of life as a pilgrim while maintaining good academic...
by Sophia Biernat | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
In June, I participated in the University of Alabama’s first faculty-led study abroad program on the Camino de Santiago. Although I studied abroad last summer, preparing for the Camino seemed far more daunting than my previous program, where I packed a suitcase and...
by Brynn M. | Dec 10, 2024 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Throughout my time here in Spain I have been lucky enough to travel to many places throughout Europe. I knew I wanted to take advantage of the accessibility to other places while in Spain, but over the last two months I have been able to see places that I dreamed of...
by Matthew R. | Dec 10, 2024 | Community Health Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Coming home from Rome was a cocktail of emotions – equal parts bittersweet and exhilarating! Packing my bag for the trip back was like a puzzle, with all my carefully chosen gifts tucked between layers of clothes and shoes, like precious artifacts. There were fragile...
by Matthew R. | Dec 10, 2024 | Community Health Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Rome was a dream come true – not just for the sights, but for the lively surprises around every corner! My days started with exploring the city’s historic sites through class, but the real magic was in the little things. For example, stumbling upon a hidden garden, or...
by Jordan Collins | Dec 10, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
In Rome, Italy, the primary language spoken is Italian. I faced several language barriers so far, especially when exploring local areas and dining at non-touristy restaurants where the staff isn’t accustomed to hosting English-speaking tourists. These...
by Alex F. | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Exchange, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Now that I have been in Seoul for a month, I can say how truly prepared I was for my time abroad. I would say I was prepared in the sense of paperwork and cultural expectations of Korea. I was not prepared for the language barrier and the weather. Even though I...
by Alex F. | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
While you’re abroad, try to explore cities beyond your university’s location. You can gain a deeper understanding of a country by experiencing its different regions, rather than just staying in one place. My university is in Seoul, South Korea, but I made a...
by Gabbie Grabowski | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I visited so many breathtaking places while I was traveling through the beautiful, historic country of Italy. It was amazing to view artwork in person that I had only seen in photos. Despite my knowledge of art history, I was still able to lose myself in artwork that...
by Jedidiah L. | Dec 10, 2024 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Before studying abroad, I had never taken a language class, even back in middle and high school. It was actually something I regretted, and one of the reasons I wanted to study somewhere that English wasn’t the main language, so I chose Japan. I was fortunate...
by Jedidiah L. | Dec 10, 2024 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
During orientation, we were told about what we might experience not just while abroad, but also when we get back. They talked about reverse culture shock, and how the initial excitement of returning home can sometimes be followed by sadness. Though I’m sure it...
by Lexi Jarnigan | Dec 10, 2024 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
While Abroad What are your first impressions? When I first arrived in Italy, my luggage was not there, I was a day late and the rest of my group was not there, so I had to figure out where to talk to baggage claim about my luggage and find a taxi. Needless, to say I...
by Lexi Jarnigan | Dec 10, 2024 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Upon Return What are you feeling after returning? Honestly the only thing going through my mind in the airports was hoping I would not miss my connecting flights. I had a layover in Turkey and I was soooo stressed out. Then I was stressed out about if my luggage would...
by Natalie F. | Dec 10, 2024 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Alright so, it’s truly Fall now, but it’s been cold here in Northern Germany since early-mid September and man is it hard to go from the endless Southern Summers to real seasons again. I feel like I’ve been traveling every weekend, which I kind of have been: Berlin,...
by Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
My name is Conner Wood. I studied microeconomics in Thailand this summer. But in order to get to Thailand, I first had to travel all the way there. Sounds easy in concept, but the travel was far from easy. As a first time international flier/traveler and someone who...
by Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Walking out of Suvarnabhumi Airport was surreal. The smells, the heat, and the chaos of traffic were slightly overwhelming at first. Funnily enough though, all these things felt very normal by the time we left Bangkok. The van ride from the airport to our hotel...
by Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
For the second half of our trip we went to Chiang Mai in the northern part of Thailand. We took a sleeper train from Bangkok in order to get there. I had never been on a sleeper train, so it was a cool experience. We slept on a bunk bed in our own little room. It was...
by Indya P. | Dec 9, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
By Indya Price | July 5, 2024 Studying abroad never came to mind until I went to the study abroad fair in fall. Seeing all the places you could go really made me take a major interest in it. I’ve never been out of the country so I felt like this would be a great...