Off to Asia! Pre-Departure!

I chose to study abroad because I have never truly traveled outside of the United States for an extended period of time. I hadn’t intended on going to China or Vietnam, but this class gave me a reason to go. Location played most into my decision on where I went...

Goodbye 2017!

It’s been unbelievably fun here in Japan ever since I arrived in September. At first it was a little difficult to adjust to everything, and I’m still sad that fruit is so expensive to buy… But thanks to everyone living here at Utano International...

Autumn Foliage Viewing

As the season has changed from summer to fall, there are a lot more tourists in Kyoto. According to my Japanese teacher, they come to visit many of the temples and shrines that Kyoto has to offer. But also to see the ‘紅葉’, or Autumn leaves. At first I was...
India and the Caste System

India and the Caste System

Upon landing in India, the first thing I noticed were the people. On average, their complexion is darker than the average American. They dress differently, the women in long saris, which are like extremely colorful and ornate togas of thinner fabric. The men dress in...

The First Month

After the first week of coming to Japan, everything became a whir of trying to orientate myself here. There was a lot of paperwork we had to do for both the university and for Japan, not to mention I had to buy more groceries and the store near the bottom of the hill!...
Transportation in Japan

Transportation in Japan

In America, we usually drive around cars to get from place to place. The same is true for Japan for some people. Except, driving in Japan is extremely expensive. Japanese law mandates people to go to driving school first before they receive their license, which ends...

While Abroad

The first emotions I experienced after arriving in Bali, Indonesia were excited, but also quite nervous. Arriving at midnight, taking a cab in an unfamiliar city, and concluding that I might die on the seemingly unregulated roads left me feeling terrified as well....

Upon Return

After 35 hours of traveling, I arrived in my home-town airport. There were so many different thoughts running through my head, such as excited and relieved to be back home and also overwhelmed by the change in scenery. It took about a week to get used to being back;...