Leaving home changes you. After deciding to leave Brazil to study in Texas, I learned that changing our environment can shape who we are, the decisions we make and the people we strive to be. And now, my decision to travel to South Korea has profoundly impacted me as a… read more
Summer Program
Buen Provecho
“¡Buen provecho!” exclaimed Doña Dilia, my homestay mom, as she served us a steaming bowl of vegetable soup and a plate of tamales. The genuine warmth in her voice and the twinkle in her eyes encapsulated the essence of Guatemalan hospitality. “Buen provecho,” I replied, grateful for the delicious meal… read more
Shanghai Serenade
After six long years and a global pandemic, I was back in China. I arrived in Shanghai two days before my academic program began to get adjusted to the city that I would call home for the summer. East China Normal University is in the Putou District of Shanghai, so… read more
Living in a Medieval City
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
Coming Home
For the duration of the summer, I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to intern with House of Bacoro, a cosmetic store in the center of Dakar, the capital of Senegal. On the surface, House of Bacoro is a mere beauty supply store, but if you dig a little deeper into… read more
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
It’s Okay to Slow Down
I have about two months left in my exchange program in Japan, and I’ve already been here for two months. Coming from immigrant parents and growing up in a small border town, I would have never thought I’d be studying abroad in a country more than 6,000 miles away. Before… read more
Beauty in Every Corner
High on mountain peaks, I gazed and longed to linger, admiring cherry blossoms. How the ceaseless winds must be caressing them now. This poem, written in the Heian period by an anonymous poet in waka style, perfectly captures the emotions I’ve experienced… read more