Hujambo! A first glance at preparing for, and living in Tanzania
The two weeks leading up to my study abroad program were a complete whirl of excitement and anxiety. Preparing to leave the country for four months was one thing, but preparing to spend a significant amount of time in the… READ MORE →
Dear Google: My Flight’s On The 24th, If You Don’t Already Know
By the end of December– a full month before my flight to Amman, Jordan– YouTube was suggesting that I watch “How to Dabke” (Arab folk dance) and a video walkthrough of making Knafeh (Levantine pastry). An advertisement on Facebook prompted… READ MORE →
Gilman Scholar Dustin Ellis’ Daily Life – Homestay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwv8NeN9iFc Meet U.S. Department of State sponsored Gilman Scholarship recipient Dustin Ellis. Dustin is serving as a Gilman Global Experience Correspondent during the academic year 2014-2015 studying in Barcelona, Spain. The Gilman Global Experience allows Gilman Scholarship recipients the opportunity… READ MORE →
The Shaky Stallion
My first experience with biking in Copenhagen was not what I had expected. My friends who’d come here last semester told me that I had to get a bike. Luckily enough, my host parents said they had a special one… READ MORE →
Ba Beenen Yoon! (“Until next time” in Wolof)
Life back in America! I can’t believe I’m home already. The last four months flew by and were filled with many memorable and life changing experiences. It’s difficult to put into word the mark that Africa and Senegal has left… READ MORE →
“Setting Foot on One’s Own Country as a Foreign Land”
Nearly every day of my semester abroad my colleagues and I would long for something we missed about the States, whether it be something as seemingly trivial as “real” ketchup, or something as abstract as the subtle pleasure of public… READ MORE →
Celebrating the Holidays in Istanbul
This year’s holiday season was different for two reasons. The first being that Turkey does not share the same national holidays with the United States, such as Thanksgiving. The second reason involves religion. Since the majority of Turkish people are… READ MORE →
Don’t Add Sugar (Nate’s Travel Tips)
Traveling isn’t brutality; it’s a skill you develop with experience. Visiting tens of cities and countries over a short span of time, or even visiting one for that matter, can be at once exhilarating and exhausting; I’m by no means… READ MORE →
Professional Lenses
I don’t think it’s possible that a program abroad for four months wouldn’t touch nearly every facet of your life goals. You go off, leaving your country and you can’t help but expect change in every corner of your life.… READ MORE →
Thoughts on Cultural Shock and the Reverse
Above is the chart by which I’m supposed to evaluate my experiences and offer some thoughts on whether or not I agree and why or why not. I’ll simply go through each point in order for clarity. Phase 1 (Arrival)… READ MORE →