Riding out the Heat Wave

It seems like lately there’s been one thing after another in Japan. After the earthquake in Osaka that cancelled classes, we ended up with rain that lasted for about a week. It made it pretty difficult over the weekend since all the rivers had filled up and were...

Sakura, Sakura

  Perhaps one of the best times to be in Japan is spring; right around the time the new school semester started, we were able to see the cherry blossoms begin to bloom around Kyoto. Though I was sad to have to start school again after getting to spend so much...

The Hidden Wonder in Spain

  There are so many sights to see in Spain and it would be impossible to name them all. The Picos de Europa are a wonderful string of mountains that boast incredible views of the nearby fields. The Cathedral of Toledo holds so much history and incredible...

STEM in India

At this point, our group and I have been in India for close to two weeks. We have spent the past two weeks in Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, visiting a myriad of cultural and historical sights like the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. This has allowed us to understand how this...

Greetings from Belgium

I’m now more than halfway into my stay here in Belgium, and I have to admit, it’s starting to feel like home. Although it initially felt so foreign, our little neighborhood in Brussels is now familiar and comfortable, even after only a few weeks. Some things have been...

Abroad in Denmark

I was very excited to get to Denmark after 2 weeks of backpacking. Thankfully, I arrived with two friends who were also in the same program, and met up with a few more that first night. After arriving in Copenhagen, I couldn’t help but smile and appreciate how...

Adiós, inseguridades

So there we were, high in the beautifully scenic mountains of Spain, huddled in a pack, trying to nominate the unlucky member of our group who would walk up to the nearest Spanish local and ask him to take a picture of us. Out of our group of seven girls, one brave...

Pre-Departure

Hi my name is Marissa, and I chose to study abroad because I discovered this great opportunity through a close friend. It seemed a bit risky at first because of the expense of Study Abroad programs, but PACT helped cover a large portion of costs, and then I was lucky...

Pax Europaea, in time

There is a popular saying among parents: “If your friend jumps off a bridge, would you jump, too?” My parents found out very early on that I was always the friend that jumped first. In the small, blue-collar community outside of New Orleans where I grew up in, there...

Impressions of Berlin

My first few steps in Berlin were shaky due to the exhaustion that accompanies trans-atlantic flight. After a good night’s sleep, our group went to experience a service at the Berliner Dom. Almost completely destroyed by the Allies in WWII, this church has been...