The number one recommended sightseeing excursion in the state of Victoria, in southeast Australia, is the Great Ocean Road. One of my professors even spoke about the landmarks in an environmental chemistry lecture. I was lucky enough to travel along the 243 kilometer highway over the first half of the… read more
Oceania
Your Guide to the City of Melbourne
Living in a new country can be difficult to navigate, especially when the culture is so different from what you’re used to. My first few days in Melbourne felt scattered and daunting, but now that I’ve been living here for over a month, I’ve started to get the hang of… read more
Expectations, Reality and Surprises of Australia
Expectations (Myths) 1. There Are Wild Animals Roaming the Streets I have been here nearly three months and have yet to see a kangaroo, a koala, a scorpion or a snake. This is partly because I still need to visit the zoo, but no, they do not roam the streets… read more
Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month
Every year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture in the United States. For this blog post, we are sharing stories from three Hispanic students about their unique study abroad experiences. For our first story, we’ll be discussing Marco Pevia’s experience abroad in Brazil.… read more
From Australia to America: Cross-Ocean Communication
I write this post from Seven Mile Beach National Park in Gerroa, Australia. I have no cell service and highly unreliable cellular data, essentially off-grid. Most other times I wouldn’t mind a getaway to nature, especially one that involves two days of surfing. But being abroad heavily involves digital communication,… read more
Responsibility Abroad
I have a funny relationship with responsibility. I don’t have a planner, I arrive late to mostly everything and I procrastinate fastidiously. I allot just enough downtime to be punctual, then miss the mark because of a misplaced wallet hunt or inconvenient house return. My lack of responsibility has been… 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
Why I Traveled All the way to Australia to Learn German
When you study abroad, it is inevitable that you will face challenges and sometimes be pushed out of your comfort zone. That’s one of the great things about studying abroad. These challenges are what allow you to grow and learn from the experience. In my 5 weeks so far… read more
Experiencing “Mateship” in Australia
My name is Katherine, and I am a second-year Communication and Leadership major originally from San Antonio, Texas. I have been meaning to check in with y’all for a while now, but I’m glad so much time has passed since my time in Australia because it has allowed me to… read more
From Australia to Austin: Cultural Traditions in Times of Change
I am new to Austin. I just moved to town, and what a time to move! I was most recently living in Doha, Qatar and have been in Austin for just over a month. It is always a challenge to move across oceans, build a new life, learn a new… read more