Hi, friends! My name is Lynda, and I’m writing to you from London. I’ve been here for two months and have endless stories to share. First-Gen Student I was raised in a small town in Mexico, and at 16, I moved to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. At first,… read more
Europe
The Gift of Friendships Abroad
“Tekrardan merhaba” — hello once again! Disclaimer: Google Translate and a very kind friend contributed to the translation of the previous sentence, as my Turkish is regrettably still “iyi değil” (not up to par). It’s apt that my friend so thoughtfully contributed to the introductory sentence of this blog post since… read more
Learning to Find Comfort in the Cold
I’ve only been in London for a month, but every Londoner I’ve met seems equally exasperated by the near-constant cloud cover. I’ve made small talk with my professors and the man selling fresh scones, giggling as they lament the shifting seasons. Winter is coming to London, and I couldn’t be… read more
Finding Home in the Heart of London
Studying abroad in London has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Every day, I find myself in awe, pinching myself as I walk through streets filled with history, culture and endless opportunities. It still feels surreal to be here, surrounded by so much life and energy,… read more
Embracing Fall in Edinburgh
This week marks my fifth week in Edinburgh, and time seems to crawl and fly by simultaneously. While I’ve settled into a routine and feel more at ease with the rhythm of the city, I still wake each morning slightly astonished that I am living abroad. Although the novelty of… read more
A Letter From Madrid
Hi everyone! I’m writing to you from Madrid. I want to share my experience in this program so you can get a taste of what it’s like to study abroad in Madrid as an international student. I’m a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in communication… read more
From Tuscany to Amsterdam: A Global Journey
“Hallo! Mijn naam is Diana, aangaan!” No, that’s not a typo. That’s how you say ‘hello’ in Dutch. The second part means, “My name is Diana, it’s nice to meet you.” Interesting, right? In between clusters of syllables, the hard gs, soft js and vowels that stick together, Dutch has… read more
Reflections on a Month in Copenhagen
My first impression of Copenhagen was the iconic colorful buildings of the Nyhavn Harbor and the countless rows of bikes that commonly adorn postcards. Within a week of arriving, I used my affiliate school’s student discount to rent a bike for the semester and immediately integrated myself into traffic (after… read more
Finding Hygge in Copenhagen
After spending my last summer in Europe, I wasn’t expecting Copenhagen to be much different from other major cities. I figured Copenhagen would be loud, noisy and chaotic. But as I began to settle in, I quickly realized that Copenhagen had a unique charm that set it apart. The Danish… read more
Add Some SPICE to Your Life
“Don’t just be in another place, live in another place!” These were the very wise words in a text my mom sent me a few days after I arrived in Erfurt, Germany. When I got the text, I disregarded it with a half-hearted “I know.” The first few nights I… read more
