Yesterday was a rainy day. The type of rainy day that condemns you to your bed because the stream of water coming from the sky was as if the Huangpu River’s source flowed from the heavens. Since I spent most of my day inside – avoiding doing homework, tirelessly waiting for my VPN to connect so I could watch “Avatar the Last Airbender” – I decided that the evening would be a pleasant, and relatively dry, time to go outside.

After my first week studying abroad, I was concerned about my financial situation for the rest of the semester. Barcelona has a huge tourist attraction which means expensive prices. In fact, Barcelona has one of the highest costs of living in the entire country of Spain. After eating out a couple of times, I had to sit down and create a budget for my entire trip. I gave myself a limit on groceries, travel, restaurants/bars, and recreational activities.

It's official, I have been in Paris for a month now and it has truly been an adventure. I have faced many obstacles during my short time here but have found joy in every situation.
Studying abroad can be very difficult when you have problems and need to communicate with people back home. Whether it's your phone plan or the time difference, staying in touch can be a bit frustrating when you have problems that need a quick resolution.

It’s been one month since I arrived at Narita Airport in Japan and began my study abroad journey. It’s hard to wrap my head around the reality that time has passed so quickly, and I’m so grateful for all the things I’ve already been able to see, do, and experience. Of course, being in another country often challenges you to see things in different ways, and there are a lot of differences from America and my hometown that I noticed right away. Here are just some of the differences I see and encounter in daily life.

From the Vistula River to the Seine. 

Our first trip with the European Union program was through the "Heart of Europe." We spent time in the cities of Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris. Here we spent time in each city learning about the history, how memories of the past shape the future, and the current political and cultural issues pressing these three great EU states. 

Moving over 4,000 miles from home is no small move, but the destination of the journey makes all the difference. The transition from my small town in Ohio to Washington, D.C. when I moved to college two years ago seemed so easy as I was flying alone across the Atlantic. The journey was long and the initial few days were a tough transition. The city of Freiburg, however, was nothing but warm and welcoming. As a university town full of students from all walks of life the town is young and vibrant.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Amsterdam for almost seven weeks! At this point, I can walk around my neighborhood without a map, have a good grip on which local cafes are my favorites, and have fallen into some semblance of a day-to-day routine. Between visits to museums, meeting friends around the city, a roundtrip to the airport for a quick trip to London, and a weekend of volunteering across town, I’ve blown through almost enough transit fare to justify getting a monthly pass.

Welcome back! It has been quite some time, which is to be expected because it can take some time to settle into a new country. If you missed the last post, here’s a quick update: My name is Madison, I am originally from the Boston area, and I am studying Health Practice & Policy while I’m in London for the fall semester.

It has been over a month now in Ecuador, and it has become quite obvious the different social groups all international students fall into. At the university, you will meet other foreign students from various countries, immersion programs, and at different Spanish speaking skills. However, the goals you have for your study abroad experience will heavily influence your niche. Personally, making friends while studying abroad was something I was quite hesitant about from the beginning.