I would advise any student, if they are granted the opportunity, to study abroad. I think that often, students might feel as if they “can’t do it.” For example, I have heard some say that as they approach their upperclassman or post undergraduate years, they feel it is more difficult to do so, so they then refrain. Though, as a graduate student, I am proud to say that I finished…
Amongst many of the great experiences I had encountered in Italy, one of my favorites was our visit to the children’s hospital in Florence. The Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria (AOU) Meyer Children’s Hospital of Florence, located on the outskirts of the city, is the only children’s hospital within the Tuscany region. It is rather new, built within the past ten years, and large, about 33,000 square meters total. It can be…
As I sit down to reflect on my time in Sorrento, Italy, I am flooded with a whirlwind of emotions and memories. It has been a little over a week since my study abroad trip concluded, and honestly, it feels unreal. Unreal that it even happened, and unreal that it’s already over. The past 6 weeks have been nothing short of transformative, and the experiences I had will leave a mark on…
Over the course of the four-week period I spent studying abroad as a graduate student, I have had the most gracious opportunity to engage with children and families at the Giardino di Borgo Allegri. This location, which, in English, translates to the cheerful village garden, was located just a few-minute walk from our apartment in downtown Florence, Italy. Essentially, the Giardino di Borgo Allegri, one of many community-based Giardinos in…
6 weeks, 14 cities. I have seen Diocletian’s Palace, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Duremo, Roman Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum and Palatine, Pompeii ruins, Mount Vesuvius, Faraglioni Rocks, St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. The list could go on…and I still have one week left. I think when you go abroad you have a certain expectation for your experience. You ultimately want to make sure…
If you google Sorrento Italy, you will generate thousands of photos of beautiful blue waters, lively architecture, and lots and lots of lemon trees. I’ve been in Sorrento about 3 weeks now and I don’t think my eyes have ever had to process something so beautiful. I know that’s a silly way to describe it, but seriously I’ve never seen so much beauty clustered into one specific place. Every corner…
Coming to S. Korea for the first time, I understood there would be ways of life to become accustomed to—obvious things, such as the language barrier, transportation, and social norms. Once I arrived, it became clear to me very quickly that I would need to change a lot more than the way I spoke, got around, and made friends. Koreans eat at different times of day and in groups not…
I thought last week of June would be the end of my time in Italy, but I was wrong! As a class, we briefly visited Venice a couple weeks ago to see the Biennale. It was an amazing experience; however, we were only there for a day and a half, and I was not able to experience much of Venice. Because of this, my parents decided to help me extend…
As I travelled to Portugal, I was very nervous because of the large language barrier. Portuguese can be like Spanish in some ways, but I did not know any Portuguese except from some songs that feature Portuguese and Brazil artist. However, I was able to understand some of the words around the restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies and around the city. Also, because we were in the capital, almost everyone knew…
Embarking on my Semester At Sea journey, we were presented with an extraordinary opportunity—to travel from Belgium to Thailand, passing through the Suez Canal and visiting 12 diverse countries along the way. However, the course of our adventure took an unexpected turn due to an unforeseen conflict in the Middle East. Originally set to enter the Suez Canal and explore destinations like Jordan, Dubai, and India, our plans faced a…
