UA in Italy, while in Italia

by | Aug 3, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer

Nothing is more emotionally riveting than stepping off the plane walking and getting onto a boat to take you to your new home for the next month. Luckily, with my program type, we are going to be in different cities every week with several excursions that will take us...

Beautiful Bavaria

by | Jul 31, 2018 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _

After 4 weeks in Berlin, our group spent our fifth and final week in Munich and the surrounding area. Munich is about a third of the size of Berlin, and is still incredibly steeped in Bavarian tradition. The people there are much more conservative, and it shows in...

Weekend Trips

by | Jul 30, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer

I am participating in the Summer 2018 UA in Spain program. The program is faculty-led and we are centered in Madrid, Spain, where we take classes during the week at a local university. However, one of my favorite things about this program is our ability to travel...

The Hidden Wonder in Spain

by | Jul 28, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer

  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...

Greetings from Belgium

by | Jul 23, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer

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

by | Jul 21, 2018 | Engineering, Europe, Summer, _

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

by | Jul 17, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer

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

by | Jul 16, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Program Type, Summer

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

by | Jul 16, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _

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

by | Jul 14, 2018 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _

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...

Not Ready to Leave Madrid

by | Jul 13, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _

It is the last week of June, which sadly means my time in Madrid is coming to an end. As the date of my return flight gets closer and closer the more I realize I don’t want to get on the plane. Madrid has finally begun to feel like home away from home and I have...