Bama Bloggers Abroad
An Afterthought
I am currently on the fifteen hour plane ride back home, and I have reached a new level of exhaustion that I previously did not believe existed. Between my Lord of the Rings and Hobbit marathon, I...
Horseback Riding on an Island
My most interesting and memorable experience so far from New Zealand was horseback riding on Waiheke Island with Emily and Claudia. I rode Marmite, a horse who thought he was a stallion but was not....
Pre-departure thoughts
I am currently sitting in the E-28 airport terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson international airport waiting to board my connecting flight to Amsterdam on my way to Zagreb, Croatia. There I will be...
A New Adventure Awaits
While sitting in the D.C. airport, I am already more nervous than I thought I would be. This will be my first international flight alone, and thoughts are running through my mind: what if I have a...
Whilst Abroad
Today was our first full day in Paris, and we were able to go to four different museums. The museums we toured were the Orsay, Louvre, Rodin, and Musée de l’Orangerie. Going to these museums we were...
Pre-Depature
During this trip, I hope to gain a new perspective of the world. I have been to a few countries in the Caribbean, but I have never been to Europe before. I love to travel, and Paris and London have...
Peace out USA
This past January I was informed of an opportunity to go to Australia and Singapore with the International Business program here at UA. I immediately applied for the study abroad and informed my...
No AC, No Problems
We are halfway through our trip and so far it has been incredible. Of course it has not been without its challenges. Our first destination, Lime Caye, was a remote 5 acre island around 2 hours away...
Excursion to Milford Sound
This was an especially early morning. I staggered around and got dressed at 5:30 this morning. Then, our whole group loaded onto a glass-ceiling bus and began our long journey. About two hours in,...
Brisbane, Fashionably Late
My time in Australia is coming to an end quickly even though it feels like it has just begun. The nice thing about studying in the southern hemisphere is that while all my friends frozen in the...
Almost Finished
As our trip starts to come to a close, we are at our second home base, Prague. I have made some very close friends over the past...
What I’m Leaving Behind
I have two days left in New Zealand. I've been here for three weeks now but feel like I've practically moved here. Cars driving on the left side is expected now. Replying "kia ora" or "hello" to...
Abroad for the first time
Time seems to greatly speed up when you find yourself in another country. I have been in New Zealand for 12 days now, but I feel like I landed just yesterday. No one in my group ever knows what day...
Why Intern Abroad?
Hi guys! My name is Cat and I will be interning abroad in Barcelona, Spain this summer and I could not be more excited! In Fall 2018 I was lucky enough to be able to study abroad in Barcelona and I...
Preparing for Eight Weeks in Valencia, Spain
Hey, my name is Madeline! I’m an upcoming junior at the University of Alabama majoring in Social Work with a minor in Spanish. I’m originally from Daphne, Alabama, but I love being able to call...
Getting Ready for South Africa
Upon deciding that I wanted to study abroad in South Africa, I received a lot of questions and backlash. I got many questions such as "Why Africa?" Comments such as "I would never go there." and...
How Study Abroad Has Changed Me
Now that my study abroad has come to an end, I decided to reflect on my time in Sydney, Australia. I didn’t realize how much studying abroad was slowly changing me. Looking back, I now feel that I...
Adjusting to Life after Studying Abroad
Just a few days ago, I landed back in Atlanta from Dublin. Leaving Dublin was bittersweet – I was sad to leave the friends I’d made and the places I had come to know but was still very excited to...
The preparation for studying aboard in Europe
Hello, I’m so honored to be selected as a study abroad Bama Blogger! I have always been interested in participating in studying aboard but never really had the opportunity. So, this previous winter...
China: Airplanes, Buffets, and Confucius
After 20 hours of flying, the excitement of landing on the other side of the world hit as I exchanged my money for Yuan and walked into the crowded Shanghai airport. My time in China was an amazing...
Berlin
In a few short weeks from our arrival, we’ve now visited cities in Germany, France, and Denmark. Following the rocky start departing Copenhagen with the flight mix ups, our first day in Berlin...
Cape Town, Great Town
The contrast between Johannesburg and Cape Town is immense, but I value both experiences exponentially. Many parts of Cape Town could be described as ~boujee~. Our first stop was a high-class...
Food, Friends, and Freedom Fighters – First Week in Joburg
When we arrived at our hostel in Johannesburg, the experience became real. I had three roommates, so our dorm/hostel room consisted of a bathroom bunk beds and two stationary beds. We did not...
The Anticipation of Adventures
At 4am tomorrow morning, I will be dropped off at the Birmingham airport where I will catch a flight to Houston and then to Auckland, New Zealand. It still seems quite surreal that all of my...
You Better Belize It
Sitting in my terminal waiting to board the plane that will take me to Belize, I’m nervous. I’m wondering if I forgot anything. I’m worried about customs since I’ve never flown by myself or been to...
What I Took For Granted While Studying Abroad
I didn’t think I would miss Barcelona for a while, but I have been home for a week or so and I actually already miss living there. I miss being able to walk out of my apartment and be almost...
Preparing For My First Time Abroad
As I sit in the airport waiting for my first international flight to take off, I have a variety of emotions going through my head....
Before Departing for Colombia
This week before going abroad has been crazy! I was on the way home from UA when I realized I did not have my passport. I went back to my apartment in Tuscaloosa and looked EVERYWHERE before...
A Look Back on my Semester in Ireland
In just a few days, I will fly home from Dublin back to the United States. While I am incredibly excited to see my family and friends again, it has not yet hit me that I have been here for 4 months....
Italy Preparation
I still cannot believe I will be studying abroad in Italy for the entire month of July with the UA In Italy: Following Shakespeare faculty-led program. My group and I start the adventure in Venice...
Pre-Dominican Republic
Spanish speakers are so incredibly prevalent in the United States, yet too often they are unfairly marginalized. As a future educator, I can prevent this from happening at the student level by...
While in China
Processed with VSCO with f2 preset In China, the government blocks all access to Western media, including google, and many other sites. So, I wasn’t able to post any blogs while there. Better late...
Returning home from Barcelona
WOW. It really feels like I got to Barcelona only a month ago and now I will be leaving on Friday to do some traveling around Spain before I go home. It’s so hard to put into words all the different...
Traveling Europe and Balancing Classes
I can't believe I only have a month left in this magical city! I have met so many incredible new friends and travelled to so many new places. One of the main things that has surprised me about this...
Know Before You Go: Tips for Choosing a Study Abroad Location
When I made my decision to study abroad in Florence, Italy, it was a pretty hasty choice without much research to back it. I...
Returning Home
Trying to comprehend how 4 months swiftly passed me by is mind boggling, yet beautiful. My time in Mexico cannot be explained in the way that I want because it opened the door for me to reach new...
Living in London
Living in the United Kingdom has been eye opening I would say. I have seen, eaten, and tried so many new things. From visiting Hampton Court, to exploring the Victoria-Albert Museum, attending so...
End of an Era
When I found out I was going to Leicester, I was skeptical because I had never heard of it before. I thought that it was a 'nobody' town, especially since no one else I knew had heard of it. Turns...
From Tourist to Tour Guide: Sharing Rome
The past three months have flown by in a blur, and the realization that I return home in a month is slowly beginning to set in. Studying abroad in Europe has presented me with one amazing...
Spanish Immersion
In the weeks leading up to my semester abroad, I had a a lot of worries running through my mind, but above all, I was nervous about "culture shock." It seemed as though I couldn't escape that term,...
Leicester, England
I knew coming in that Leicester was known for its diversity, but it wasn't until I became more comfortable that I would realize just how special and interesting this city was. When I had locked in...
French The Language of Confusion.
Upon my arrival to Bordeaux, France I had the same reaction to the French language that I believe most Americans hold, “French is beautiful” and “ The French Language must be Fun”. My mind was...
March Madness
The month of March has been one full of travel! I’ve been somewhere new each week! I went to Belfast with AIFS (included in my program fee) for the first weekend of March. When we arrived in...
My Trip to Bali
During my time in Australia, I had the opportunity to travel to Bali, Indonesia. It was just a little over a 5 hour flight from Sydney. I was excited because it was going to be my first time...
Coming Home from Costa Rica
After two months abroad in Costa Rica, I am finally back home in the states. When I saw my family for the first time in the airport, I was definitely happy to see them, but it was also bittersweet....
Foreign Places Known
This picture was taken in May 2016, on my first trip to Mexico. 🙂 The truth is, I did not choose to study abroad this semester – studying abroad chose me. I did not choose to return to school for a...
My Thoughts Before Leaving Abroad to Australia
Sydney, Australia is a world recognized city with lots of things to do. Before embarking on this new adventure, I had my share of feelings of doubts and nervousness. Of course I was beyond excited...
Living the (Ice) Dream in Vienna
I believe there are a finite amount of times in a person’s life when they are doing something and are suddenly struck by the overwhelming significance of their ongoing experience. Sometimes it is...
Second Chance in Mexico
When I arrived to Mexico, I immediately became overwhelmed with good emotions. I shed a few tears and expressed boundless gratitude for where I am because it is not often that you get to return to...
My heart is here!
Wow! I can not believe I have been in England over a month already. The time is really flying by as I stay busy with school and traveling on the weekends. I still love all my housemates and look...