Bama Bloggers Abroad
Settled Down in Brisbane
It's absolutely crazy to me to think that I have already been in Australia for over a month! The time sure does fly out here... And what an exciting month it has been! One of the cool things about...
Home sweet home
When returning back to the US, I was so excited to be home and see this beautiful, amazing country we live in. When we got to the airport, I realized how incredibly advanced and easy...
Abuelita
I was sitting at the kitchen table last night, serving myself stuffed green peppers prepared by my host grandmother (affectionately referred to as “Mamá”) when I recognized the sound of Frank...
Historia en Habana: #findPOTUS
The month of March in Cuba has been nothing short of exciting, and it wasn’t until now that I realized the magnitude that the announcement of normalization in relations has had and will continue to...
Home Sweet Home
Last night our group arrived at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to conclude our week-long Dominican Republic excursion. While I had a fantastic experience serving the people of...
Back from the DR
Now that I'm home I already want to make plans to go on another trip. I don't know if I'd like to experience somewhere new or return to the Dominican Republic, but it will have to be as an RN rather...
My Journey 1 Month In
The very, very first word that came to thought when I walked up the metro steps and met my new city was the world clean. Barcelona was very… clean. I was expecting more of a New York City...
San Juan, Dominican Republic
My first impression when arriving in Santa Domingo/San Juan was shock at how different it is than what I am used to. I was shocked and felt so thankful for what I have. The first situation I...
10 Tips for Your First Week
I have been in Edinburgh for a week now and already I have learned so much about the people and culture! In this post I am going to talk mostly about advice I would give to students looking into...
Cuando en la República Dominicana…
Today is the fourth day of my study abroad experience and my third day in the Dominican Republic. Our first day in the country, we spent our time at a YWAM camp in Santo Domingo. However, we...
Looking back at the Exchange Process and Looking forward to the Semester
Hello, my name is Christina Irion, and I am going to share my experience with preparing for my Exchange experience. I knew from my freshman year that I wanted to take the opportunity...
La Vita in Italia
Ciao from Italy! It has been a little over a month since I arrived in Florence, which is hard to believe. Time seems to be passing quicker than I could've imagined. But I am loving every minute of...
En Route to the Dominican Republic
When I heard during Fall orientation that the Capstone College of Nursing was organizing a trip to the Dominican Republic to set up health clinics, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to go. One of...
Heading Across The Pond
Four more days remain until I embark on what is about to be the experience of a lifetime. I have anticipated this day coming for what seems like a lifetime since I started the process for studying...
A Major Case of the “What Ifs”
What happens when anxiety strikes before your trip and you seem more worried than excited? Then, you might have a case of the “What Ifs,” but lucky for you this blog exists to extinguish all those worries and kick your excitement into high gear.
Pre-Departure: Russia 2016
I can’t believe that I’ll be going to Russia next week. It is so weird not to be at Alabama with all of my friends, but I am very excited about studying abroad. I have always wanted to visit Russia...
Greetings from Sydney!
As I sat at the airport, a flood of emotion came over me. I was anxious, excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. Saying goodbye to my friends and especially my parents was nearly impossible....
Incoming to Ireland
As a Chemical Engineering student, I had resigned myself to the fact that a study abroad for an entire semester was going to be impossible. Sophomore year, when I realized if I completely rearranged...
FC Barcelona takes on Granada
Barca! Clap, clap, clap. Barca! Clap, clap, clap. Barca! Clap, clap, clap…And the game is underway. The crowd is roaring, the players are running, and my heart is pounding. The atmosphere is...
Reflections on Barcelona
Barcelona was a major culture shock, even compared to London. The language barrier made communicating next to impossible, but at the same time I fell in love with the city. The culture and history...
Cielos de Sevilla
How can I describe my time abroad thus far? It seems to me that no words will do the change, the joy, the pain, the shock, the awe of the past three weeks any justice. But I have chosen to be honest...
Reflections on London
London was a wonderful experience. We did not start classes while in London, but I felt as if I learned as much as if I had been in class. I saw an entirely new culture to myself and at first was...
“Australia?”
“Australia?” (The past two months, I’ve been getting that response a lot.) “What are you going to be doing in Australia?” (I’ve always wanted to make up a fun story about fulfilling my dream of...
T – 5 Days
In 5 days I will be boarding a plan to go to Stirling, Scotland for four months. As much as I've tried to wrap my head around that I doubt that I'll process the weight of it until I've boarded the...
Adelante a Colombia!
Program name: ISA in Barranquilla, Colombia University Name: Universidad del Norte I have dreamed about visiting Colombia since my freshman year when I met my first ELI culture and language partner,...
All Good Things Come To An End
What a semester it has been. 5 months, 10 countries, and a bucket full of memories later, I am now back home in Tuscaloosa, AL sitting in my kitchen. At times when I am reminiscing over my semester...
Awaiting my Dominican Republic medical mission!
When thinking of the Dominican Republic, the first thoughts I have of the country are beautiful beaches in the middle of the Caribbean. I envision it much like the picture I have shared with this...
A Day in Normandy
This past weekend I decided to take a day trip to Normandy to visit Bayeux and the American Cemetery at Omaha beach. I took a train from the Gare Saint Lazare in Paris to Bayeux, which is only 20...
I have no idea what I’m doing
No, this is not my first time studying abroad. Last summer I spent a month in Madrid, Spain so I know what it is like to immerse myself into another culture and step out of my comfort zone. However,...
Heart of Seoul
안녕 – (anyong) – hello/goodbye In less than two months, I will be studying abroad at Yonsei University, one of the top 3 universities in Seoul, South Korea. Honestly, the preparation that came with...
A Changed Perspective
After a long, long day of travel, our team finally made it into Port-Au-Prince. However, the journey was just beginning. We gathered our luggage, hopped on a bus, and hoped to make it to our next...
Upon Return
Upon Return Thoughts/feelings – Now that you’re back home, what are some of the things going through your head? What did you think when you first arrived in the airport? What are some of the things...
Journey to Barcelona
I grew up near the oldest city in America, St. Augustine. There is a vibrant array of Spanish culture in St. Aug, which really pushed my interest in studying abroad to Barcelona, Spain. In addition,...
Last Call for London
Though I've flown many times, my amazement at the beauty of the skies only seems to grow. I used to be worried that people would think I am weird or have never stepped foot on a plane because of how...
Bon Babay Haiti
Returning back to the States, there were several moments that stuck out to me from the trip to Haiti. The 20+ students stuck out the week, and either graduated with business fundamentals...
When can I go back?
I have just arrived back in the States from a long day of traveling from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. This trip has inspired me in many ways. I no longer feel the need to be dependent on material things....
While Abroad
First Impressions – What were your first impressions when you arrived in your host country? What thoughts were running through your head? How did you feel? What situations/experiences did you...
CCN Mexico Medical Mission Trip
My study abroad experience is still a little over two months away. Thus, I still have plenty of time to prepare for this exciting opportunity. In fact, over this Christmas break I have been...
A Reflection on My Experience in Haiti
Compared to coming back from Haiti back in May, this return home was quite difficult to adjust to. The group of people I spent the week with, both UA students and Haitians, was such an amazing group...
See You Soon London
As I arrive to the one month count down mark on my calender to leave for London I get more and more excited. I don't quite feel like I am going to be spending almost 6 months in a different country....
Bama HERD: Teaching Business Skills through Interactive Activities
While in Haiti, Bama HERD (Haitian Economic Research and Development) taught a group of Haitians business fundamentals through a few small lectures and a large amount of interactive activities. One...
Excited for a New Adventure Abroad
In just one week, I will be flying to Bilbao, Spain where I’ll be studying Spanish and International Business at the University of the Basque Country with University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)...
Haiti: A Beautiful Country of Highly Intelligent People
My second trip to Haiti was as impactful and meaningful as the first, and it has everything to do with the people that we met and discussed with all week long. We started the week assessing the...
Bama HERD: Farewell Haiti, it was Nice Seeing You Again
I'm back home now which, for me, means stuffing my face with greasy American food and reflecting on my time spent abroad (and yes, the first stop we made after leaving the Atlanta airport was...
Just a few days until London!
Since orientation a year and a half ago, I have hoped to study abroad at some point in my college career. When I heard about an international accounting class taught by UA faculty in London and...
While in Haiti… Love Rice and Beans
While in Haiti As I describe the experiences we are having in Haiti, I first off want to encourage everyone that thinks about flying Spirit airlines, to simply save up extra money to purchase...
Learning from Past Mistakes
This time of year is already quite busy for me, but throw in some clever packing, careful coordinating, and extensive planning for my 5 month stay abroad, and I am just about overwhelmed. I...
Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
I am currently a fifth semester nursing student at the University of Alabama. I am traveling to Santa Domingo over Spring Break of 2016 with other nursing students and faculty to provide...
Haiti Here I Come
I am so excited about my trip to Haiti! I am ready to jump right in and start helping the Haitian entrepreneurs build their business! I am excited about this opportunity, and I am only worried a...
Preparing for my Return: Haitian Economic Research and Development
I have already been to Haiti once before in May 2015. At that time I was part of a small group of people trying to tackle a very large issue: the Haitian economy. This is how Bama HERD (Haitian...