One month before I left for Edinburgh, I bought a journal so that I could record my adventures abroad. I loved the idea of reflecting on my personal stories later on, but I also feared that my time in Edinburgh wouldn’t live up to my imagination. What if something bad… read more
Ending My Teenage Years in Seoul
I am very thankful to have spent the last parts of my teenage years in such a beautiful place: Seoul. Not only am I able to experience and have a better understanding of everyday Korean culture and lifestyles, but I have also been able to understand myself better. Throughout… read more
Romancing My Solitude, the Parisian Way
I must admit: My last blog post was written in the thick of my Parisian honeymoon phase. Three months in, I now have a more grounded perspective on living abroad and the challenges associated with it. One challenge that I’ve been facing lately is feeling lonely. My boyfriend and I… read more
Instant Asia
The Lion City. The Garden City. Instant Asia. Instant Asia. This modern nickname for Singapore stood out to me more than any of the others. A country smaller in size than Dallas houses a population of nearly six million people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as an… read more
Wishing for a Fig in Winter
Still life has been my favorite genre of art since childhood. I’d like to think it was the first time I deeply resonated with the power of metaphor in art. However, at the time, I hadn’t entirely pieced together why I was so fascinated by an unassuming, gilded-framed depiction of… read more
Rekindling the Old and Igniting the New: Reflecting on Connections
Connections between people and places bring the world together. Especially in a place like Brussels, creating and maintaining connections is incredibly important. The way the city itself is connected, as well as how it’s connected to the rest of the world, has inspired me to reflect on the connections I’ve… read more
Solo Traveling: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone and Achieving your Goals
In Australia, at the end of September, all the university students are given a mid-semester break. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to do some traveling and exploration, and I decided to take a two-week backpacking trip up the Australian east coast. This trip would take me and a… read more
On Perspective and Gratitude: Carrying This Practice Into Study Abroad
There are many aspects of studying and living abroad in Paris that I feel are directly shifting pieces of me. There are bits, like how I carry myself walking down the street and how much I sense my heightened independence, which I can directly note as having transformed in these… read more
The Changing of Seasons and Kachoufugetsu
When I first arrived in Kyoto, Japan, two weeks ago, my hair stuck to my face anytime I went outside. Carrying groceries under the blazing heat of the sun felt like a momentous task, akin to that of the long walk up the hills of Austin to reach my dorm… read more
The Walk: My London Ritual
It is currently October, and I have yet to go to a single class here in London. After a long summer at home, watching my friends pack their bags and head back to Austin, I was finally on the plane headed to Heathrow, hoping everything would be OK while I… read more
