Bama Bloggers Abroad
Cape Coast Castle
With our weekends free, we have been able to explore a great deal of Ghana’s beauty. One of our favorite places to visit is Cape Coast, which is a historic fishing town with beautiful beaches. We...
This is Ghana be an adventure
I chose to study abroad because I believe there is only so much that can be learned through our own cultural lens. I have learned the most in life when immersed in conversations and experiences...
A Multi-Cultural City
Hello again from London! It’s been a while since my last post, and I’ve definitely adjusted more to my surroundings much more. Unfortunately, it’s only less than a month before I head back home to...
Off The Proverbial Beaten Path
When my friend Ruth told us about a student trad night, we knew that we could not resist going to check it out. But as we walked past the familiar sights and sounds of Galway’s Latin Quarter and...
Time flies when you’re having fun!
As I am writing this, I am exactly 5 weeks away from my departure date back to the USA. That is almost surreal to write; I cannot believe how fast the semester has flown by! I have made some...
Appendicite…
"What's the scariest thing you've ever experienced?" Before last month, I used to say that I was scared of heights, of spiders, or even public speaking. Then, on a weekend trip six hours away from...
The Semester of Me
At the start of 2017, I promised myself that I would push myself to do things that scared me. Last summer, I decided to move to a new city alone for an internship, and it created a renewed sense of...
¡Quien lo vive es quien lo goza!
This semester I am studying abroad in Barranquilla, Colombia--home of the world's second largest Carnaval and I arrived just in time to experience the wonderful celebration. Carnaval is a...
Closer to God: Semana Santa in Colombia
Studying abroad is all about embarking on new adventures that challenge you to expand your comfort zone, right? In a small town tucked away in the Andes Mountains, Villa de Leyva, I had such an...
¡Una cálida bienvenida a Palenque!
One of the reasons I chose to study in the Atlantic coast of Colombia was because I wanted to learn more about AfroLatinx culture in the Caribbean. Cartagena, and the neighboring town of Palenque,...
Espresso, Architecture, and Pastels
I don’t think there are words to succinctly summarize my past month and a half in Budapest, but here’s my best shot. I’m sitting, laptop out, in a small square in the Palace District of this capital...
When the tide is high
During my final day in Costa Rica, I had the opportunity to do something on my bucket list I had yet to cross off. Surfing. I’ve always been a land person—running, hiking, backpacking and camping. I...
A New Mode of Transportation
As I sat in a rocking chair on the porch of my little Costa Rican cottage, I watched an assortment of cars, busses and bicycles zoom by. With no plans for the afternoon, I hoped to make my way into...
(Water)Falling Into Costa Rica
As a writer for VIDA Magazine at UA, I somehow found myself flying solo to Costa Rica less than 48 hours ago. Upon landing among the surrounding Costa Rican mountains and volcanoes, I hopped aboard...
A Hansard Scholar in London
Anyone who has ever studied abroad will most likely describe the first few weeks in one compact, colorful term: whirlwind. My time so far here in London, England, has been just that. So much...
If at first you don’t suc(skied)…
For me, study abroad has been full of a lot of firsts. First time leaving the country; first time out of the state of Alabama for more than ten days, but some of these firsts haven't been quite as...
One Month in the Land of Saints and Scholars
I knew early on in high school that, whatever academic discipline or disciplines I chose to pursue in college, I was going to study abroad. As I reach the one-month mark in my semester in Galway,...
Florence Italy Spring Semester 2018
Ciao! We just took off from Logan Airport and are finally on the way to Florence, Italy! Woohoo! We have a connecting flight in Zurich, Switzerland (already checking another city off the list). I am...
First Impression, University of St Andrews
Two weeks ago I got my first glimpse of Scotland from a window seat inside a small regional plane that heaved and rattled and jerked back and forth with every gust of wind. As we descended out of...
The Morning Of
It is currently 7:34 AM as I write this blog post, which means I am less than T-4 hours until I am needed at the airport. My journey to Seville will officially begin when I board my first flight to...
New Year, New Country!
The semester abroad that I have been looking forward to since before I even started college is finally here! I have always been passionate about traveling to new places and knew that studying abroad...
Berlin with other Exchange Students
Over the Christmas break my Finnish roommate and I went to Berlin to celebrate New Years Eve with some Mexican, Russian, and German friends that we've met since being in Stuttgart this semester. We...
My final undergraduate adventure: Tanzania!
If you had told me four years ago that I’d be spending my last undergraduate semester in Tanzania, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I knew that I was going to do everything in my power to...
What type of traveller are you?
You learn a lot about yourself when you travel because you see how you react to new situations. One thing I learned about myself was the type of traveler I was. People have different interests and...
Semester At Sea
I had no expectations coming into this study abroad program because every time I saw it it seemed unreal or too good to be true. This program takes you to various countries all around the...
What the world has taught me?
The last four months I spent my time traveling all parts of the world with Semester at Sea from the Fjords of Norway, the schools in Ghana, and the buddhist temples of Myanmar. For starters I...
Before I leave
Ever since Alabama introduced me to the idea when I toured, I have wanted to study abroad. Sophomore spring is the perfect time, because I have made some great friends, but my classes aren’t so hard...
And Away We Go…
Today is the day. The day we've all been waiting for. Okay, just me. Today is the day that I fly to London to begin my study abroad adventure. I will be (hopefully) falling asleep as I fly over the...
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...
Before I Go: My Promise on the Wishing Steps of Ireland
If you wander far enough through the garden full of blushing blooms, mossy rocks, and murmuring brooks on the grounds of Blarney Castle in Ireland, you’ll find a set of magical stone stairs tucked...
Story Behind the Picture: The Rosenberger Trunk Company
The next photo in our "Story Behind the Picture" series comes from Dan Shelton, who won first place in our Photo Contest's UA Spirit category for his photo, "The Rosenberger Trunk Company,"...
A Weekend in Costa Rica
While studying abroad in Costa Rica, I have found that there is no such thing as a typical weekend. Although most are filled with travel, the activities are as diverse as hiking a mountain, beach...
When You Want to Leave, But Also Want to Stay
What do you do when you want to be two places at once? That was the feeling I struggled with the last few weeks of my study abroad experience, when my desire to be home and my desire to stay in...
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....
Story Behind the Picture: Camel Trek
We recently held our annual Education Abroad Photo Contest. The winner in the Landscape category was Hannah Brawley for her photo, "Camel Trek," taken in the Sahara Desert of Morocco while...
The City of Spires
Oxford truly is the city of spires. I cannot fully describe the beauty of the gardens, castles, and cathedrals of Oxford and the surrounding areas, all unique and different in their own way. This...
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...
Once upon an arrival
I was so excited to get off the plane once I finally arrived in Prague. Everything felt so surreal. However, once I reached baggage claim, I realized that my bag was nowhere to be found and that it...
Ready To Go Back
Now that I am back in the United States I want nothing more than to go back to Europe. I cannot even put in to words how this trip was by far the best experience I have ever had. I miss the food and...
Summer Down Under
While it is summer in The States, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. That being said, Australia is COLD! The weather has not stopped the fun, and...
Excited, Tired, Thrilled, and Confused: A Memoir of Homesickness and Adventure
After having spent two, almost three, weeks here in Oxford I have a number of things to reflect on from my adventures. First, I would like to talk to you about my classes. They are so exciting and...
The Return
Coming home, returning, was so sweet. As I stepped off the plane after nearly 12 hours of traveling I ran into the arms of my dad, who I hadn’t seen in over four months. I was excited to breathe the...
Back in the Land of the Free (wifi- and water)
Imagine the relief you feel when you think your phone is in one pocket, realize it’s “missing”, and then find it in your other pocket. Now multiply that times 500. THAT was the feeling I felt upon...
Studying at DTU
Studying abroad in Copenhagen has been a blast so far! And although the unit operations lab course I am taking here is fairly difficult and very fast paced, I have still been able to explore...
While Abroad in England
When I first arrived to Oxford, exhausted from traveling and full of anticipation, the city was alot different than I had imagined! I was expecting it to be a lot smaller and less populated. It was...
Home Again
Now that I am home, I feel both happy and sad. I have loved getting to see my family and friends after so long and share my pictures and experiences with them. I missed little things like sleeping...
Loving Everything About Berlin!
Hi again! When I first arrived in my host country, my first impression was that it looked fairly similar to America and other European cities that I had been to. Obviously, all of the signs...
While Abroad in Berlin, Prague, and Budapest
So far my study abroad in Berlin has been an amazing experience and has given me so much more than I could have ever anticipated. From my previous post, I imagine I sounded like a nervous wreck...
Looking Back on Time Abroad
Looking back on the past month I spent in Copenhagen, Denmark, I am overcome with happiness and excitement. While I am very glad to be back in the States, my studies abroad are going to be a time I...
Home Sweet Home!
Back in the States...! I've been home for about 2 weeks now and I hate to say it, but I for sure missed the U.S. more than I thought I would. It feels good to be home! I have mostly...