One of the days for class we had the privilege of having two US embassy employees come to speak to our class today. There were two speakers named Eric who worked in economics and Anne who worked on the political side. One of the major areas they talked about was the purpose of the embassy, which is to be in constant communication with Washington about Greece and provide any updates…
After a few weeks here living and studying in Florence, Italy, I have discovered some clear differences in culture. First, I admire how committed the Italians are to sustainability. This is something that the United States has tried to change however is severely lacking compared to other countries. Italians are very meticulous when it comes to waste and recycling. In the streets there are 5-6 different trash cans to separate…
It has been a week since I have been living in the wonderful, beautiful city of Florence, Italy. Living in an unfamiliar country is much different than just traveling for a vacation. I have learned to pick up on the cultural norms of the country. The first thing that is a clear difference from the American lifestyle is the schedule of the day. Italians typically have much slower, more relaxed…
During my time studying abroad in Florence, I have had the opportunity to travel to different towns in Italy. One weekend we went to Vernazza, a small town in Cinque Terre. I was able to ask them questions about the language and how certain phrases were properly spoken. They had so much cultural humility towards me as I did them. They were excited to have a teachable moment and…
My best day abroad was a Friday. We didn’t have class because we were going on a class trip to Fiesole. When we got there, we got to see some of the most beautiful views. The ride was very hilly but definitely worth it. While we were in Fiesole, we got to participate in a guided tour of one of the most beautiful churches I have seen here so far. …
This week on my study abroad first tour, we got the opportunity to explore on a guided tour through the town of Girona, Spain. We got to learn about the fascinating history of the town and about how they had been getting attacked by the French over the territory with it being only 45 minutes outside of France. The French had always won the battles between them and Girona, all…
I am someone who loves to eat and try new things because I believe food is a huge part of a culture and there is so much to experience in how different places cook and eat. Coming to Greece I was very eager to see how locals eat, especially since I love the “Greek” food that we have in the United States. I have now been in Greece traveling between…
Here in Florence, the culture is very different than in the United States. Something as simple as lunchtime is vastly different here. Individuals take two hours to eat lunch every day. They eat large lunches and have a glass of wine. Breakfast and dinner are much smaller meals. The first day I had my first four-course meal for lunch, and I was not prepared for that amount of food. Usually…
I’ve spent almost two weeks in Trujillo, Spain, and I’m having a great time here. I live with my host mom right in the center of town. My Spanish has already improved so much by being here, because I am able to practice my Spanish with my host mom and with the locals. Every day I wake up, go to class, eat lunch with my host mom, sit and have…
My days here in Ecuador are so vastly different than my day to day back in Charleston. My days usually started at 5am from a rooster call (which was annoying at first… but honestly, I kind of enjoy it now) with a fresh fruit breakfast and amazing coffee. When then go on some sort of excursion or hike looking for birds, monkeys, or caymans, depending on the day. Something I…
