During my last night in Siena, I sat at Piazza di Campo and watched people pass by for one last time. Even at 11 p.m., it was full of life, with various couples sitting throughout the space, toddlers giggling as they ran from their parents and groups of friends listening… read more
Europe
Summer in Copenhagen
Getting acclimated It took a while to get comfortable in Denmark because it was so different from what I experienced in the U.S. Firstly, I rented a bike for my commute to class and around the city. The biking culture in Denmark is intense. Everyone seemed to be a professional… read more
The City of Music
There is not a single city that I have found myself in that devotes itself so fiercely to the arts as Vienna does. With the military decline of the Habsburg empire, Vienna suddenly found itself pushed to look inward and cultivate its own culture, and it certainly shows. In the… read more
Art, Gelato and New Friends
I arrived in Rome on May 31 after a 15-hour flight. It was 8 a.m. in Rome, and I had been awake since 5 a.m. Mountain Time. Additionally, I needed to stay awake through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) orientation to avoid further jet lag. I… read more
My First 24 Hours Abroad
Traveling abroad can be challenging, especially when it’s a country and culture you have never experienced. During my summer abroad, I truly hit the ground running: My flight to Copenhagen, Denmark landed 16 hours before my first class. For someone like me who enjoys a fast-paced environment, this was a… read more
Embracing Spontaneity
Throughout my life, I’ve always been a planner. I’ve always had every detail to the second written down, organized and filed. I rarely make plans at the last second or embark on something when I don’t know all the details. It’s just how I’m wired. However, my way of organizing… read more
Taking the First Step
Throughout high school, studying abroad was always something that interested me. My mom instilled a love for traveling in me at a young age, so the thought of going out and exploring Europe felt like a clear decision. There is so much to see, and studying abroad is a unique… read more
Irish Classrooms: What I’ve Gained
When I get home from studying abroad, I know what questions to expect: “Where did you go?” “How was the food?” “What about the weather?” I’m happy to answer all of them, but I’m also eager to talk about an (ironically) less popular subject, which is academics. For those of… read more
What to Expect When Not Expecting
Entering the semester, I, along with every other exchange student, came in with certain expectations. Whether those expectations were met or not is irrelevant. In retrospect, the most important facet of the exchange experience is the unexpected. Throughout my time in Bristol, I have encountered unanticipated situations, people and experiences.… read more
Breaking Through the Roadblocks: Studying Abroad for Your Major
Coming to The University of Texas at Austin, I had a lot of expectations for what the next four years would hold, including the classes I’d take, the friends I would make and the experiences I would have. Some experiences were more realistic than others, but the one that hung… read more