After applying to The University of Texas at Austin in Fall 2019, I received a rejection letter and was instantly devastated. However, I applied to UT knowing about the possibility to appeal admissions decisions. I appealed and waited until April 1, 2020, when I finally received my “Gone to Texas”… read more
Exploration
This Isn’t Goodbye, But It’s a Bis Später
As I’m writing this, my time in Freiburg and Germany is quickly coming to an end, and honestly, it’s the last thing I want to think about. The reality has slowly started to creep in that in less than three weeks, I’ll have to leave this place that’s become home… read more
Gratitude Across Borders
My abiding feeling while studying abroad has been gratitude. The opportunities I’ve had this semester while studying at Sciences Po in Paris, France, are mind-boggling. A text I sent at the start of the year after bombarding my friends with the new and beautiful things I’d seen so far… read more
No Pasa Nada (Don’t Worry About It)
Before I had even landed in Madrid, I’d unconsciously set expectations for myself and my time abroad: My Spanish would progress like never before, I’d meet many new people, travel every weekend, make unforgettable memories, and transform into this worldly person. In some sense, most of that happened—just not in… read more
My Global Ambassador Vlog
For her second post as a Spring 2022 Global Ambassador, Kate Wessels created a video encapsulating her study abroad experience. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns and a broken foot, Kate’s much-awaited study abroad trip was deferred. But in her last semester before graduation, she finally got the chance to travel across… read more
Bajo el Sol de Mexico (Under the Mexican Sun)
The golden light from the setting sun illuminated the city built on the mountains, and I fell in love. I have to admit, even though it was a short flight from Texas to Mexico, I was nervous about traveling alone for the first time in my life. The thought… read more
Time Is A Circle
A few months ago, I finished reading Gabriel García Márquez’s novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” A recurring theme throughout the book is the idea that time is a circle. The events and actions that happen throughout an individual’s life happen over and over again. Not just the individual, but… read more
Beauty and Freedom in Spain
“I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met — Melody Truong,” read a square magnet on the filing cabinet of my pre-health advisor’s office. It was my first college advising meeting, where I was beginning my twelve-year plan to become a doctor. Once we… read more
Saying Yes on Study Abroad
The biggest thing I’ve learned so far in my semester abroad at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands: Say yes. Say yes when your roommates want to go explore the town on a Wednesday afternoon. I got to Delft two weeks after all my friends, having missed orientation and… read more
Santiago, Chile: The Start of The World
Chile is the southernmost country in South America and is called “The End of The World.” I get to be here in Santiago, Chile, for more than 100 days, but since this is my first week ever outside of the U.S., this is the start of the world for me. … read more