Bama Bloggers Abroad
Greetings from Costa Rica
I've been in Costa Rica for a whole month now and honestly, it has been amazing. I can't say enough good things about my experience here. I am staying in a very rural area at a research facility run...
Off to Australia
I chose to study abroad in Australia. Why Australia? All my friends asked numerous times… Well…. I just wanted to. I have always had an immense calling to towards the Australian culture, beaches,...
Buongiorno, Torino!
Just about a week to go and then I'll be in the air headed for northern Italy! It all seems so surreal right now that I'm not sure I'll really believe it until we touch down in Turin and I check in...
Going to Ghana
Hello! My name is Kelly Muston. I am a Master of Social Work student. I will be completing an international internship in Ghana in the Spring of 2019. I would like to say that I have some amazing...
On The Shoulders of Giants
“This grave contains all that was Mortal of a Young English Poet Who on his Death Bed, in the Bitterness of his Heart at the Malicious Power of his Enemies Desired these Words to be engraven on his...
Planning – Thoughts After a Week in Florence
I am a planner. My new roommates identified that about me before I had even been on Italian soil for a full 48 hours. In our short time in Florence, I had already made multiple searches on Yelp and...
Dia duit!
My name is Blake, and I'm studying abroad at the University of Limerick in Ireland. For those that are wondering, "dia duit" is Gaelic for "God be with you," which is how people say "hello" in...
Intentionally Lost Luggage: Leaving Anxieties at the Airport
As a child growing up in the ever-expanding suburbs outside Chicago, Europe seemed more like a fantasy than an actual place I might someday visit. Aside from the semi-frequent road trips to...
Preparing for Prague
My name is Emily and I am a second semester junior at UA. I am a double major in Communicative Disorders and Psychology and I will be studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic for this upcoming...
Hello Wembley
My name is Johnathan Anderson and I'm studying abroad in Leicester, England! (LES-TAH) I've been in town for just about a week now and feel like everything is beginning to feel a bit normal. Classes...
ありがとう、日本！
I’ve wanted to study abroad in Japan since I was in middle school, so of course I was very excited when I first got there. I found that month by month my excitement slowly became replaced by comfort...
Hello, England!
I am Anna Catherine and am studying abroad in Leicester (LES-TAH) this Spring 2019 semester. I have met many study abroad students, which has been the biggest blessing. They are all so kind, and I...
The Beginning
Hello, My name is DyQwan L. and I will be writing about my feelings on my pre-departure to France. This is my first time out of country and I am very nervous. I find myself daydreaming of the...
Looking Forward to Costa Rica
In just a few days, I will be departing to Costa Rica to spend two months taking classes there. I’ve traveled some before, but I have never been anywhere like Costa Rica. It will be my first time to...
Getting Ready to Take Off
In a week I will be boarding a plane that will take me to London, England. This is a trip whose mental preparation has lasted about a year and physical preparation about half of that. However,...
Why I chose Barcelona, Spain as my study abroad destination
I have known that I wanted to study abroad in Spain since I began taking Spanish classes during my freshman year of high school. My Spanish teacher constantly talked about how beautiful it was and...
The Final Night in Russia
My last day in Russia was a lot of things. It was stressful, it was fun, it was full of nostalgia, but most of all, it was meaningful. I was responsible all semester and left every last bit...
Looking Forward to London
Where to start.... I dance, I sing, and I act. Some would call me a triple threat. But I usually just say I’m a student of the University of Alabama double majoring in Dance and Theatre. My main...
On Studying Japanese
"Why Japanese?" is the question most people will pelt you with when you tell them you're learning the language. Some people will go the softer route and ask, "Oh, so what led you to that?" Others...
Reflecting on Thailand
As the semester comes to a close and the temperature continues to drop, I constantly find my mind wandering away from my studies and thinking about better, warmer days. Specifically the days during...
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone
More often than not, in my experience discussing traveling alone, I endure apprehensive warnings of caution and horror stories. There is a stigma around the idea of being alone. Human nature is...
Pre-Departure Journal Entry (Late)
I’m very excited for London. I’ve never been to London, not even to the UK, although I got close when I visited Dublin. I think the most exposure I’ve gotten to British lifestyle is through pop...
Almost Nearly Getting Close to Counting Down
25,969 minutes left until I go home. which sounds like a lot until you also take into effect that I've been in London for...
Abroad from Abroad
Being Hungarian, a trip to Hungary had always naturally been a dream of mine. With my great-grandmother on my mom’s side being born there, I definitely felt a connection to the country, but I had...
Getting Ready for 16 Weeks in London!
My name is Candace, I am 24 years old, and in the Graduate Social Work program. I have always wanted to study abroad but the opportunity never came up. It was not until orientation that I was able...
Africa Awaits
"A ship is always safe at shore, but that's not what it's built for." -Albert Einstein I have officially committed to my Spring 2019 field placement in Ghana, West Africa. You would not even begin...
The Uji Chapters
Of all the unread books on my shelf back home, none is more intimidating than Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. The translation I own, the 1926 translation by Arthur Waley, lands at over a 1000...
Boots and Blazers: Russian Style and How It Has Changed Me
Russian fashion sense is truly a thing to bear witness to. Before coming to Saint Petersburg, I had only heard that they “dress a bit nicer” than we do in America. I had no idea what I was in for....
Sending Love from My Happy Place
Hi, my name is Lauren Phillips and for the past 3 months I’ve been studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. These last few months have gone by so quickly, and I’ve been having so...
Study Abroad Part 3
This study abroad trip was definitely one for the books. I made friends that will last a lifetime and not to mention the new culture that I experienced. I was in a culture very different from the...
The HIGHEST HIGHS and the lowest lows
There is no doubt that there are highs and lows when studying abroad. One minute, you can be having an amazing conversation with a Ghanaian, the next, someone may be trying to talk to you and they...
And off she went, to change the world
The day before I left to start this amazing journey, I felt as if my heart would explode with all of these emotions that I couldn’t express. I was excited to experience a different culture, I was...
Zambia Has My Heart
I miss Africa. I miss the people. I miss the culture. I miss the genuine happiness that everyone carried. It has now been 3 months since my trip to Zambia and I miss it more and more with each day...
Packing for success
Packing up and moving for 5 months is not an easy feat. Especially when you have to add baggage weight limitations and the ability to take everything you have on the go. Then you add...
UA in Oxford: Upon Return
It has been one month since I arrived back home from Oxford! I catch myself missing my sweet little English spots nearly every day. Looking back on my adventures, I can now say with full assurance...
“Welcome back! Welcome home!”
After almost a whole day of flying, I was just hours away from landing in Accra. During different times of the flight I came across others who asked me questions out of curiosity. Where are you...
A Journey I’ve Been Waiting To Experience For A Year!
What do you do when you finally get to begin the journey of your dreams after waiting for a year? You take a leap of faith, double check that you've packed everything, and brace your self for an...
Eating Abroad
Going abroad, you are introduced to all new foods, and for me, that was what I was most nervous about when going abroad. I typically struggle to stray from cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, so my...
How to pack for abroad
If you are anything like me, you understand how difficult it is to try to pack for an entire month in Europe it is a rather difficult task to complete. Aside from trying to decide what to...
Incredible India
So. Many. People. There are the three words that sum up my biggest realization for my trip so far. With a population of around 1.6 billion people, India boasts an enormous amount of citizens. But...
Before
I’m currently a week away from the daunting flight that will take me to India. I keep glancing at my luggage, still debating on whether I’ve packed too much or too little. I guess in my next post...
In Retrospect
Exposure is a tricky thing. Exposure to the western world and it’s ideas, products, and way of life has always seemed like a beneficial thing in my eyes. Who wouldn’t want what we have? Who wouldn’t...
See ya soon, Africa!
My experience in Zambia was nothing short of AMAZING. We set up clinics that allowed us to help almost 1000 people medically and spiritually. We were able to do health screenings and eye screenings...
Through the Windshield
For the past six months, I’ve heard a steady stream of advice regarding this next semester abroad: stay hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, take pictures, carry cash, honestly I could dedicate this...
Returning to the USA
Getting back home was a bit of an adventure. My flight was delayed 2.5 hours, causing me to almost miss my connection back to New York. By some miracle, I made it through customs in Dublin and...
Spanish School
Among all the other wonderful experiences that come with studying abroad, there is also a lot to be learned in the classroom. Not only did I learn so much more about the material covered in the...
Abroad in Prague
Academics: I am studying at Anglo American University. It is a small, private university that is taught all in English and located right near the city center. AAU is absolutely beautiful. The...
Abroad in Belize
Academics: This trip is a little unconventional because it is more of a field-study set up. We are doing research projects that require us to snorkel. My group is observing the behaviors of one...
UA in China: Visiting a Chinese Family
Our professor instructed my group of four students to be in the lobby of the hotel by 11am for a local family visit. With no information about the family, where we were going, or what we would be...
What To Do When Things Go Wrong During Study Abroad
Things always go wrong on trips abroad. Here are a few things that happened to me and some tips on how to get through them.