Back State Side

Now that I am back in the states, I can truly reflect on the brief, yet impactful trip that was the UH Clinical Experience in Nicaragua. My last day in the clinic was Friday June 2, and I was sad to see it come and go. I have learned so much from these patients, not...

Hello from Pamplona

Hello, my name is Wil Carpenter, and I am a junior aerospace engineering student studying abroad in Pamplona, Spain for the month of June. Obtaining a greater level of Spanish fluency was the main reason that I chose to study abroad.  I have taken three years of...

A European Nostalgic Slump

Wow.  I have fallen in love with the city of Dublin, feeling more like a local here than I do in my hometown.  I’m accustomed to the daily life, from the bus system to the food trucks and city trends; it all feels so comfortable, so normal.  But after all, this...

The Halfway Point

This weekend marked the halfway point of my Clinical Experience in Nicaragua. My abroad experience, being only two weeks, is shorter than most, but I feel like I have grown tremendously since I started only one short week ago. This weekend, other clinical experience...

All Aboard the Spain Train

Ever since my sister returned from her study abroad program when she studied at the University of Alabama, I have been dreaming of the day of when I would be able to go on my own study abroad adventure. I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. As I finish packing...

Preparing for Pamplona

I have always been a chronic over-packer. Whether I’m leaving for a week or a semester, I cannot manage to pack efficiently. I know I don’t need 8 pairs of shoes and 12 different dresses for a 5 week trip, but I can’t help but think of (and prepare for) all the...

Pre-Departure: Food?

I am one of those people who is always thinking about food. I plan my meals in my head hours before I will eat them, I schedule my daily activities around when I plan on eating, and I go to bed excited for breakfast. It boggles my mind that there are people who...

Time in Europe so Far

So far my time in Ireland has been an incredible experience. Not only have I met many new people and made many friends but I have been able to see places that I never thought I would be able to. Over the past few months I have been taking advantage of my time in...

Serbian Fellowship Experience

Monday, May 8th, 2017, It is Day 1 of the Serbia Fellowhsip Experience. And so far, it has been unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I have traveled internationally on a number of occassions, and I have even studied abroad for a summer term. But the Serbia...

The First Few Weeks Abroad

Greetings from across the pond!! As I am now fully acquainted for the semester in Dublin, Ireland, I thought it would be a good time to write my first blog post!  I’ve been here roughly 6 weeks and the journey has been incredible and simultaneously indescribable. Upon...

First Impressions in Ireland

I have been at UC Dublin in Ireland for a week and have already learned many lessons and experienced many new things. After spending time preparing for my trip I was excited and nervous to see what a new country had in store. I had done all the research I could and...

A Local Festival

“I think we were the only Westerners there besides guys married to Thai’s,” “Oh, definitely, I didn’t see any other farangs there,” and as I said that, I realized although we were the only foreigners there, not at any point did I...

Where the locals shop

Walking among mounds of colorful chile peppers that will set your mouth on fire and bunches of cilantro that fill my nose with a delightful fresh smell, and I am the only ‘farang’ in sight. Locals load their motorbike sidecars with bags full of cabbage and...