The few weeks before studying abroad were a whirlwind for me. The entire month of August was actually. On August 2nd I turned 21 and spent the weekend celebrating with friends and family. The next weekend I was camping in Winlock, Washington and the following weekend I was at a conference in Los Angeles, California….
Greetings from Brazil!
Alô! I have now been in Campo Grande, Brazil for 3 full days. The trip took about 27 hours and three planes. It was very interesting when I got to the Brazil airport because their airport security is virtually nonexistent. At SeaTac, the line to get through security takes so long, there are so…
The Last Hurrah!
It has only been a short time since I have been back home in the US (nine days to be exact), but in that short amount of time I have been able to appreciate my experience more than I could have imagined while abroad. “Hindsight is 20/20,” that’s what people always say when describing…
Leaving a Piece of My Heart in Alicante
It is hard to believe that I have been back in the U.S. for two weeks now and quickly transitioning into this next phase of life. I am always surprised by the difficulty of transitioning back into the culture that I know best (especially when I just moved to another state and started a new…
Adventures in Amsterdam
It’s now been almost three weeks int o my time in the Netherlands and my group and I have reached our final destination, Amsterdam. And I have to admit that I am loving this city! I have seen and done so many things and can attest to the general perspective of Amsterdam as a liberal,…
Program Conclusions
Two weeks have passed since the end of my study abroad program and I am in my hometown in Japan working on my online assignments, taking periodic breaks. Looking back, I can confidently say that the program was a fun and valuable learning experience. Not only was I able to study Chinese culture, history, and…
Ten Days Until Takeoff!
I don’t know about you, but this summer seems to be flying by! I cannot believe that July is over already, but my July was packed full of classes, events and even a trip to the Grand Canyon, that it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Because of this, I have had…
Greetings from Alicante, Spain!
We have been here living in the heart of Alicante for almost two weeks now, and the experience thus far has been everything but “normal”… but in the best way possible. The Sunday evening we arrived, we all gathered at a hotel to meet our host families, and off we went. It has been so…
Final Countdown to Europe!
Wow, the time has flown by! In less than two weeks from today I will be landing at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam! Currently, I am in my last week of classes before heading overseas and it has been a pleasure getting to know my fellow study abroad companions and exploring some of the topics that…
Current Experiences in Guangzhou
你好 (Hello)! I am writing this blog in my hotel room surrounded by scenery of old and tall apartment buildings in the city of Guangzhou, China. To start off, our study abroad group was originally supposed to be in a hotel that we had checked in on our first day. However, due to some issues,…