Recently, I had the privilege of being a tourist in my own city! My parents came to visit me last week from Michigan, and we packed our days full of things to do in and around the Brisbane area. They were only on the ground for six full days (it roughly takes a day to … Read more
For my last couple of blog posts, I thought it would be helpful to break compare and contrast each of my programs to give a bit more insight so future students are better informed! For reference, my fall semester was with IES abroad in Nantes, France and my spring semester was with SIT in Geneva, … Read more
Scene 1: I’m in a place where I feel like I do not belong. I don’t look like most other people. I’m not dressed like most other people. I am surrounded by unfamiliar objects. I don’t share the values that this space is shaped around. Music that I dislike is playing. I’m in a shopping … Read more
One of the reasons why I decided to study abroad in France was to improve my French language skills. I’ve only been studying French for about a year and a half, but I’m already in love with the language. While it’s one of the things I was most excited about coming to France, it was … Read more
Things I’ve Learned Since Living in Spain: The Culture Shocks and not so Culture Shocks Learning to be more comfortable with being alone. I came to Granada with friends, and immediately got to know many more from being in a residence hall, my orientation group, and classes. That being said, during the week, it can be … Read more
Of all of our excursions, the trip to the Galápagos has certainly been the most anticipated by our group. Visions of a tropical island paradise were on everyone’s mind as we boarded our flight out of Quito last Sunday. I can’t believe this is happening! was the general consensus. On the plane, one of my … Read more
One way I have been learning about the culture here in Spain is through eating good food. The food here is a lot different and it has been super fun and exciting to expand my taste pallet and find new favorite foods. I usually eat with my host family and my host mom is a … Read more
As a French minor, I had always leaned towards staying with a host family abroad, however, the decision was still very difficult for me. There were so many pros and cons to living with a family and in my own apartment. In my own apartment, I would have that independence I’ve grown accustomed to since … Read more
I have been in Australia for almost two months now and this time has flown by! Now that I have been in school for two weeks, I am starting to understand the class workload more as well as the ins and outs of the campus. Exploring life here in Australia has been so fun, but … Read more
Believe it or not, March 28th is technically the last day of my program. I know, weird. But, as I’ve mentioned before, SIT programs are laid out a bit differently from a normal semester in college. The first week once you arrive in the country is reserved for orientation and getting to know the city … Read more