Bama Bloggers Abroad

Preparing for Florence

Today I leave for Florence, Italy, for one of the most exciting trips of my life. During the weekdays, I will be studying Italian to complete my Italian minor, and on weekends, I will be travelling...

A Hike to Bob’s Peak in Queenstown

A Hike to Bob’s Peak in Queenstown

One foot in front of the other, they say. It will be easy, they say. It is not that steep, they say. These statements were all said as we trekked through the cemetery to begin the tiki trail. Sounds...

New Life in Italy

New Life in Italy

I believe I have fallen in love with Italy! The city is beautiful, the people are friendly, the food is amazing, as you are constantly surrounded by beautiful works of art. I came to Italy on a...

Good Morning Vietnam!

Good Morning Vietnam!

The first country I visited on my study abroad trip was Vietnam. We arrived in the capital city of Hanoi on May 9th and visited many interesting sites inside the city and in the rural countryside....

Pre-Departure Prep: Getting Ready for Spain

Pre-Departure Prep: Getting Ready for Spain

As my trip to Madrid, Spain for the UA in Spain: Language and Culture study abroad program approaches, I’ve learned that the time leading up to an experience abroad can be filled with excitement…and...

Lost In Versailles

One of the most exciting days while abroad included time spent wandering the Palace of Versailles. As a first-time traveler to Europe, this was high on my list of must-dos, and it surely did not...

Last Day of Italy

Last Day of Italy

My time in Italy was truly the best. I can’t imagine how much guilt I’d feel if I didn’t go because everyone on my trip from students to instructors were amazing and I loved meeting all of them. Our...

Rome Days, Fun Days!

Rome Days, Fun Days!

Rome was so much fun despite the very little time we had here. We got to see the Vatican and the Colosseum in the same day. I will say this has been the longest day by far (we were up and moving...

Florence Time + Travel Troubles

Florence Time + Travel Troubles

Coming to Florence has been so much fun and every experience has been so worthwhile. We landed in Rome and took a train to Florence which was cool because we got to see the countryside and all of...

Cool Cats in Athens, Greece

Cool Cats in Athens, Greece

Having been in Athens, Greece for a week, I noticed many things that are different from normal customs in the United States: walking to places is more common, meals at restaurants take longer, and...

A Wonderful Experience

A Wonderful Experience

Since coming to Stellenbosch, I have had a variety of amazing experiences. During our first week, we had an accelerated course examining the political history of South Africa with one of...

Lessons Learned Studying in Rome

Lessons Learned Studying in Rome

Friends became family, fancy lattes became simple cappuccinos, water became wine, transportation became planes, and bucket list dreams became reality. Transportation actually became my feet, bikes,...

Differences from Home to Rome!

Differences from Home to Rome!

Jumping headfirst into a new life abroad may come with some surprises. While students get settled and immerse themselves in their new home, they might realize some shifts in daily life! Something...

Must download – Apps for Italy!

Must download – Apps for Italy!

I used Whatsapp for all communication purposes. Then for social media continued with Instagram and Snapchat. Apple Maps, I used for all walking directions, and all public transportation. It is great...

A Day of Many Firsts

A Day of Many Firsts

Yesterday I took my first two flights, which was pretty scary but I managed. The take-off and landing were definitely the scariest, because I could feel the change in pressure, almost like a safe...

Getting Ready For Barranquilla

I am a day away from my flight to Colombia, and getting ready for my study abroad this past several weeks has been my biggest priority. After school finished, I took some time to rest and recover...

3rd Day In…

3rd Day In…

We have officially completed 3 days in Barcelona. I am lucky enough to have 3 good roommates who respect and value each other. We each have different plans for our time here and we all come from...

News Flash!

Hallo from Stellenbosch! I am enjoying my time here so far, and have been to some wonderful places. The BAMA study abroad story was so impactful that it made its way to the local news, which gave us...

Counting Down to Athens, Greece

Skyline of Athens with Monastiraki square and Acropolis hill during sunset. Athens, Greece In less than a month I'll be arriving at the capital of Greece. And for the three weeks after that I'll be...

It’s been a wild ride in Belize so far…

It’s been a wild ride in Belize so far…

As of today, I have spent an entire week in Belize. This experience has been one of my life's most challenging yet also most incredible times, and I'm so excited for the rest of the trip. When I...

First Week in South Africa

First Week in South Africa

The first week of studying abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa is coming to a close. I have been here since Sunday, and we started class on Wednesday. When I first got here things were not what I...

The Great Feeling of Arrival

The Great Feeling of Arrival

Today is the first day of my wonderful trip to India! I started my first day by getting a great night of rest and hopefully sleeping off my jet lag. I then woke up and had an exquisite breakfast,...

Barcelona Adventure: Pre-Departure

Barcelona Adventure: Pre-Departure

I have just finished packing the majority of my items. I leave tomorrow and I want to make sure I have everything I will need for my trip. Asides from clothes, some of my items include: Grocery bags...

Constant preparation to study abroad

Constant preparation to study abroad

I am currently writing to you from Athens, Greece, going on 25 hours with no sleep! This is the first stop of many on my study abroad trip. I will be taking an International Financial Reporting...

Two Months Down

Two Months Down

Friends turn to family, Ireland feels like home   With half the semester down, Ireland has felt more like home and a place we are dreading leaving in two short months. With traveling abroad,...

Sleep Deprived, Super Tired, Super Excited

Sleep Deprived, Super Tired, Super Excited

Today has easily been the longest day of my life—quite literally. I am currently going on 24 hours of being awake, after a 10 hours plane ride with zero sleep. I have been in Athens, Greece, for...

Leaving for Madrid in One Month!

I will be leaving for Madrid, Spain in one month! I can't even believe it is coming so soon. I have always wanted to study abroad. I am majoring in Spanish, so when I heard about the faculty led...

Getting Ready For an Adventure!

Getting Ready For an Adventure!

As I write this, I'm on a plane heading to Cape Town, South Africa. I've been looking forward to this study abroad trip for a long time. It will be my first time abroad without family. After a...

Preparing for Athens and Paris

Preparing for Athens and Paris

I will be departing from the US in two days to begin my professor-led abroad program, and I am both excited and nervous. I have never traveled to Europe, so I cannot wait to immerse myself in the...

Leaving in less than 48 hours!

I leave in less than 48 hours, and it is all starting to hit me now! The excitement, nervousness, and anticipation are all kicking in. That is why, for my first blog post I decided to discuss why...

Researching, Packing and Preparing!

Since this is my first blog post I'll go ahead and introduce myself. My name is Brianna Holder and I'm a STEM Path to the MBA student finishing up my final graduate school classes. I'm going to be a...

Finding Me

As my final days here in France comes to a end I am having overwhelming feelings of nostalgia and sadness. Recapping and reminiscing on the first day that I arrived I can see that my view of myself...

Catching a Plane to Vietnam

UA in Asia: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand I just got off of the plane from Nashville to Dallas, and I am about to fly into Tokyo where I have another connecting...

Adjusting to making new friends

Adjusting to making new friends

When I first arrived in Seoul I felt like I would hate it since I am not one to be super social. The language barrier I knew I would come to face was slowly creeping into my mind, making me think...

Barcelona with AIFS

So, you know you want to study abroad but you are having trouble choosing a program - let's be honest it can be a bit overwhelming! This was definitely one of the most grueling parts of the study...

Preparing to Return Home

Preparing to Return Home

As I get closer and closer to the end of my semester abroad in Barcelona, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions. I’ve had an incredible experience – I’ve made friends from all over the world and...