After five weeks in the semester, mid-semester break has arrived at the University of Auckland. The two-week break provides the perfect time to travel around the area and catch up on any last-minute assignments. For my mid-semester break, I joined a trip with four friends, traveling to Queenstown (a town in the South Island of New Zealand) and Sydney and Airlie Beach in Australia. For 10 days, I was living out of a suitcase and trying new activities and new foods. One essential reason that this trip was possible was early planning and budgeting. 

Wow…. I can’t believe it’s over!

My semester abroad in Nice came to a rapid close. After my last final, which happened to be Beginner French (I hope I did well :) ), I left my apartment and took a walk to the Nice Port. I continued towards the lighthouse path, which I loved to sit on and watch the sunset earlier in the semester. I would often bring a book or my journal with me and listen as the waves crashed into the rocks. It was my little bit of peace and quiet in the noise of the semester. 

Hello! My name is Danai Mandebvu and I am a rising senior pursuing a double major in Theatre and Global Studies at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, United States as an international student from Zimbabwe. I studied abroad in London in spring 2024 with IES Abroad London’s Theatre program.  My experience abroad was one of the best experiences of my life for so many different reasons. I had the opportunity to spend four amazing months accumulating beautiful and challenging experiences that excited and stretched me professionally, academically, emotionally, mentally and relationally.

I love experiencing new things! If I had to make a list of things I value - experiences would be in the top five. I believe in the power that experiences have to shape, grow and mold people and I also believe that experiences make excellent advisors for future decision-making versions of ourselves. That is why I decided to study abroad - to experience a different country, culture, and educational program. That is why I decided to study abroad in London despite already studying abroad as a Zimababwean international student at Hope College in Holland, Michigan in the United States. 

It’s no secret that France is one of the world’s leading producers of wine. As someone who grew up in Oregon and California (also major wine regions) and has parents who are members of wine clubs, I was very excited to take advantage of living in a famous wine region and trying a variety of different wines for a lot cheaper than it would be in the US. A glass of wine at a bar or restaurant typically goes for somewhere between €3 to €8 euros in Europe depending on what you get, a lot cheaper than the 10 to 12 dollar minimum for a glass that you’ll see in the United States.

One of the many reasons I chose to study abroad in Nantes was because of the French Gastronomy course offered. Not only did the curriculum sound very interesting, but the syllabus indicated that there would be excursions to various important food destinations in the city. I was sold.

The course had a limit of 15 people, so when registration opened back in November 2023, I quickly jumped on as soon as it opened and registered for the class. I do not regret that decision in the slightest.

And so, my time abroad in London has come to an end. I felt many feelings wrapping up the semester. First of all, I have really come to view London as my new home. Speaking as someone who has never really felt connected to the city I go to school in usually, Washington DC, being in a city that felt so right was an incredible experience. When in London I felt like I belonged there, like I was just another Londoner.

To Jo from 4 months ago: