Being LGBTQ in Japan
Being a part of the LGBTQ community in any country gives you a little extra nervousness whenever making new friends. Japan is no different, and it also gives a little extra element of nervousness due to the fact that you… READ MORE →
Christina’s Final Study Abroad Reflections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIsAqpERJ8Y
Odd One Out
A specter is haunting me in my final week in Russia. It is not the specter of communism, but rather of culture shock– the relentless, unremitting, and perhaps unavoidable period of time during one’s experience in a foreign community. It… READ MORE →
Reflecting on the Impact of Central America
Hola! Studying abroad changes you. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize these changes. I think before coming to Costa Rica, I had all of these ideas in my head about how much I would change, how much I expected to grow… READ MORE →
Culture Shock & Reverse Culture Shock
Visiting Paris had always been a dream of mine. I know that’s cliche, but it’s true. As a little girl I dreamed of walking around the city, ogling at its architecture, eating baguettes and macaroons, and visiting all the museums.… READ MORE →
Discussing “What” and “Who” in Russia
Language is not a neutral entity. It forms opinions and attitudes. It can be used to degrade differences and inflict violence or to proclaim diversity and achieve recognition. I am a firm believer that the understanding of the “other” through… READ MORE →
Christina’s Cultural Integration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OPKhboc7Lw
Staying Focused
At the beginning of the semester, I romanticized the idea of moving to a foreign country, getting a job, finding someone special, and beginning a whole new life (partially because my best friend just accomplished that very thing). However, London… READ MORE →
Sleepless Nights, Departure, Mandarin, and Closing Thoughts
My first day back in the United States— Saturday, the 14th of November— was tiring. I had spent a sleepless Wednesday night and Thursday morning editing a video to show at a school presentation early Thursday evening. I did not get… READ MORE →
Conservation in Russia
“The most majestic and beautiful of all the world’s cities, it seems, has dozed off the banks of a fast-flowing river . . . resting from storms scudding overhead and the apparitions of the past, hardening into these colonnades, these… READ MORE →