One of my favorite things to do is to put the current moment into context with past memories. Two years ago, I was most likely crying on my floor under the weight of the pandemic, starting college and change. One year ago, I moved for the first time and was… read more
Scotland
Sucking Out All the Marrow of Life: Executive Dysfunction and Adapting to Life in Edinburgh, Scotland
“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms,… read more
Healing Homesickness
As this semester is my first time living in a new country on my own, I have found myself occasionally becoming a little homesick. Luckily, the feeling doesn’t last too long. However, I have composed a list of tips and tricks to overcome these short periods of nostalgia that will… read more
A Day in The Life At U of G
Glasgow is home to about six hundred thousand people and is full of things to see and do, and luckily, even with the responsibilities of school, I am able to fit in time to learn about and explore the city. At the University of Glasgow students take 60 credits per… read more
At Some Point
“Yeah, I’ll totally study abroad at some point in college” is what I would often tell my friends and family when our conversations led to the topic of travel; however, it always felt like a go-to superficial response. I knew that thousands of UT students used the plentiful resources at… read more
Highlights of a Term at the University of Edinburgh
Coming to the end of my time in Edinburgh, I’d like to look back at some highlights over the course of my time here. I originally intended to include low-lights, but I couldn’t actually think of anything worth including! Hopefully, this post can give anyone who is considering studying at… read more
Finding Meaning Abroad
I wasn’t sure what to write about this week. I had a few ideas. I could tell a story about being shown around Oktoberfest and Munich by a German friend of a friend named Tobias. His aunt graciously let my friend and I sleep on their floor while Toby led… read more
Long Distance Relationships Abroad – difficult burden or a unique opportunity?
One fear I had about moving to Scotland for four months was that it would be too far away from Australia. Wait, what? You see, my girlfriend Lindsey is also studying abroad, but on the opposite side of the world at the University of Sydney. Seriously, look at the map!… read more
Hook ‘em from Scotland
Hello again! It’s time for round two on adventures with Joel, this time writing from the Heathrow Airport! I’m currently on a very roundabout (cheap flights y’all) itinerary that will end at a Bavarian festival. In this post, we’re going to check out the Scottish highlands. First off though, as… read more
From Meat pies in New Zealand to Dumplings in Guangzhou – A few takeaways
Hey y’all! My name is Joel Swiatek, and I’ll be spending this fall at the University of Edinburgh and cannot wait to begin my studies! First, a bit about me. I’m a fun-loving senior studying Computer Science at UT, originally hailing from Dallas. The best way to describe me is… read more