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
College of Liberal Arts
Lessons in Santander
Has it only been a little over a month in Spain? I cannot believe it. When my brother dropped me off at the airport in Houston for my flight to Santander, Spain, I only had one question: “Can I do this?” Of course, there is so much ambiguity in that… read more
I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Taking the leap to study abroad for the entire summer was not an easy decision for me, to say the least. While I eagerly looked forward to being fully immersed in the language and culture of Spain, a part of me wished I could soak up this last summer with… read more
The Art of Doing Nothing
I have been lucky enough to study abroad in Japan for three semesters: two at Kyoto University in Kyoto and one semester at Waseda University in Tokyo, which I am now more than halfway done with. Classes abroad have been much less rigorous and intense than those I have taken… read more
Be Where Your Feet Are
There is something to be said about the slower-paced lifestyle in Mexico. Time passes differently here. Opposite to the U.S where everyone has a go-go mentality, “ahorita,” which translates to “now,” never actually means “ahorita.” Punctuality is somewhat less of a priority here. Downtime is valuable in Mexico, so when… read more
Living Without Regrets
People around the world wonder what their lives would have been like had their past selves chosen something other than what they ended up doing. Regret permeates the human condition as much as any emotion, and reflection on the past, such as what I write here, has the ability to… read more
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
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
