Hi there! I'm a California native studying journalism in one of the coolest cities in the world, at The University of Texas at Austin. I'm a fan of chocolate, watching sports (go Giants), nice people, anything vintage and pretty much all music. I write as much as I can, whether it's a news article, a blog, or just a journal entry. When I'm not writing, I love to run, try new recipes in my little kitchen, take dance classes and catch up with friends. My goal is to see every continent someday. I'm getting there!

My name is Veronica Warda. I was born and raised in a suburb just outside of Chicago. When I started looking at colleges I looked for places far away and very different from where I grew up and University of Wyoming fit the bill. I have a passion for learning and exploring. My trip to Ecuador will allow me to explore and learn and I can't wait to share this experience will all of you.

I'm Emma Pulido and I am spending my semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I've been waiting to go to Buenos Aires since a high school trip to Valparaiso, Chile got me interested in the Southern Cone countries and I couldn't be more excited to finally be here. I'm from New York City, but am currently living in Saint Paul Minnesota, where I study International Studies, Anthropology and Political Science at Macalester College. I've been focusing my studies on identity politics and tourism, so living abroad in one of South America's most mixed and dynamic cities is perfect for me! I hope to continue to study identity politics and nation building in post conflict nations post graduation, but for now I keep busy with school, Model United Nations, watching movies, exploring new places, making DIY craft projects with my roomates and my job as the student photographer for Macalester.

My name is Lauren M. Chapman and I am a junior at Washington University in St. Louis studying to be a High School Math Teacher. On campus you can often find me singing with my a capella group, baking, tutoring or catching up with friends. I am a mid-western girl who loves home, but is thrilled to be on my own big adventure in New Zealand! I love being outside, soaking in the beauties of natures, and getting to meet amazing people from around the world. I cannot wait to take a little piece of Kiwi culture back home with me.

As a native New Yorker and a student at the University of North Carolina I'm psyched to journey even further south to Santiago, Chile for the semester. I'm a junior and a Global studies major hoping to improve my Spanish and meet a whole bunch of awesome people! Also, I'm a huge tea drinker, so I'm ready to experience Chilean maté!

Marta is a Sociology and German double major at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, but has a hard time staying within the boundaries of these two disciplines just the way she cannot stay in any one place for a long time. The thirst for knowledge and adventures is her biggest drive; over the course of her college career she has taken classes ranging from film studies to psychology, and she just spent a semester studying Arabic in Jordan. Originally from Lithuania, Marta has been fortunate enough to call many places her home. When she is not devouring books, she coordinates and leads campus tours, serves as a proctor in a first-year student dorm, works at the Admissions office as well as helping out at the Registrar’s office at Bowdoin. In her free time, she can be found either taking photographs or swing dancing. She can’t wait to check out the Berlin lindy hop scene!

Bailey is a comparative politics major at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Her academic interests stretch across the social sciences, from history to geography to criminology, and, of course, to politics. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Bailey is an devoted ultimate frisbee player and can't wait for Australian Rules Ultimate. When she's not on the field or nerding out about population growth in various countries, you can find her singing along to the best of the '60s and '70s and/or working to capture life, place, and person on camera. She is ready and eager to dive into life at a big university in a big city, all in the wonder Down Under.

Hi all, I'm Inci and I'm a Junior at The Pennsylvania State University otherwise known as Penn State. I'm majoring in International Communication and double minoring in International Studies and Sociology. I was born in Istanbul, Turkey but grew up in New Jersey. Yes, I am bilingual. No, I do not have an accent (I wish). I'm going to be tackling Sydney, Australia head on and I couldn't be more excited! Beautiful beaches, kangaroos, and accents, Australia is my dream come true.