Bama Bloggers Abroad
La vie français: Des pâtisseries et du café
I have lived in France for a little over three months now, and every day is still an adventure. My exchange program is placed in Tours, France, and idyllic and quaint French town about an hour train...
First Week in Australia
Lemonade is actually sprite. Thongs are flip flops. Toasties are sandwiches. And everyone screams "Yeeew!" when they're excited. Tim Tams are delicious and Aussie guys will make any girl swoon!...
First day at clinic
We went to a government funded clinic in a town about 5 hours away from where we are staying today. There were a lot of people gathered outside when we arrived, I think they knew we were coming. I...
oh oh we’re halfway there
The checkpoint I've been dreading is finally here. The end of midterms and our spring break marked the halfway point and now the end is unfortunately in sight. Midterms went surprisingly very well...
![[Pre-Departure] Why I wanted to go to Japan and Ritsumeikan University](https://www.bamabloggersabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ritsumeikan-university.jpg)
[Pre-Departure] Why I wanted to go to Japan and Ritsumeikan University
Why Japan is a cool country more people should visit and the exciting challenges of going to a Japanese university
Thailand: Pre-departure Thoughts
For me, trips don’t feel 100% real until my plane hits the tarmac on the other side. Despite this, my anxiety around packing likes to spike about two weeks before Departure Day. The beginning of...
Out of Place in Paris
After over twelve-hours of total flight time, accompanied by a nine-hour time change, I arrived in Paris in the late afternoon. I was dirty, hungry, and tired, but my journey had just begun. Upon...
The First Few Weeks Abroad
Greetings from across the pond!! As I am now fully acquainted for the semester in Dublin, Ireland, I thought it would be a good time to write my first blog post! I’ve been here roughly 6 weeks and...
Pre-Departure: Alpine Living takes the land of the Kiwis
In March I will be traveling around New Zealand as a photographer for Alpine Living magazine; a publication I have dreamed of working on since the magazine was handed to me during orientation. It...
Pre Departure Feelings about FLORENCE ITALY!
The decision to study abroad for me was always a no brainer. However, the timing of my decision came a surprise to me. I always dreamed about going abroad my junior year of college, but these plans...
First glance of Florence
I have spent many days and hours preparing to have the semester of a lifetime and I still find myself questioning whether or not this really is the life that I am living. I perfectly packed my bags...
First Impressions in Ireland
I have been at UC Dublin in Ireland for a week and have already learned many lessons and experienced many new things. After spending time preparing for my trip I was excited and nervous to see what...
Finish in Four: Pre-Departure
The reason that I chose to study abroad is because I have always liked the idea of traveling. To be honest, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to do so. This is mostly because...
Semester in London
This time tomorrow I will be settling in my dorm room in at London South Bank University. It’s always been a passion of mine to travel, and I’m so excited that I finally have the opportunity to live...
Pre-Departure- Ethiopia!
I have one more day in T-town before I set off to Ethiopia! I got back from Serbia two weeks ago and the travel fever has set in since then.. I'm ready for my next adventure! I've got my 100% DEET...
“This one time in Oxford…
Throughout my time in Oxford, I remember thinking how different the country of England is and how little I'd be able to relate to my time there when I got back to the United States. After just two...
The First Few Days
As I write this post, I'm sitting in one of our two living rooms (Hello, awesome apartment), feeling the cool night breeze coming in through the window, looking out over the picturesque city...
halfway through being halfway across the world
Hola from my room in Santiago de Chile! I am officially halfway through my study abroad trip, having finished the first two of my four consecutive intensive Spanish classes. Let me tell you, when...
The Rose City- Petra
Did you really go to Jordan if you didn't go to Petra? Normally, I'm critical of things that are super popular, but, trust me, Petra is 1 of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World for a reason. There...
When You Want to Book the Next Flight Home…
Long story short...don't. Remember when you stepped off the plane into this new country and everything was beautiful? Granted, you were probably just glad to be out of airports, and at this point,...
‘Kha’ and The 3rd Step
The 3rd step to the eightfold path is right speech. One integral part of this is to avoid 'idle chatter,' something I've come to realize The States seems to specialize in. The other day, I asked my...
The Long Walk
14 kilometers up a mountain. 7 hours. 10,000 other freshman students. I was able to take part in a long held tradition that many students look forward to for years: the Freshman trek up Doi Suthep,...
A Local Festival
"I think we were the only Westerners there besides guys married to Thai's," "Oh, definitely, I didn't see any other farangs there," and as I said that, I realized although we were the only...
Apparently I’m on the fencing team now.
"Do you want to fight in the freshman competition this Sunday?" One minute I was searching for a weights gym with a fellow study abroad student, and ended up peering in on fencing practice. The next...
Where the locals shop
Walking among mounds of colorful chile peppers that will set your mouth on fire and bunches of cilantro that fill my nose with a delightful fresh smell, and I am the only 'farang' in sight. Locals...
And Jordan is…where?
This might be one of the common questions that people ask me once I tell that I'm studying abroad in Jordan this year. If you're not super into history/geography/politics and not obsessed with the...
Returning From the Other Side of the World
It’s always interesting returning to your own country after being abroad, but it’s especially interesting whenever you return after such a long time. Living in another country changes you...
When In Uniform
-White shirt buttoned up all the way, black skirt to your knee, black belt, and a collar pin- thats the dress code. In college they are making us wear a uniform. It is Alabama summer hot every day...
Coming Home from Ethiopia
I have always thought it's harder to come home than it is to depart for a new adventure. After being in Ethiopia, getting to know the culture, and helping run a clinic almost every day I am kind of...
Home is Both Here and There
Studying abroad in London was an amazing experience to say the least. As cheesy as it is, I feel like I left a piece of myself there in London and I am already itching to return to my home away from...
Countdown to Spain
Wow, it blows my mind that in eleven days I will be on an eastward-bound plane to Madrid, Spain. Since the eighth grade, I have dreamed of studying abroad. I feel immensely blessed to have this...
Back in the States
Although I've been back in the states for nearly 4 weeks I still find myself replying in Spanglish and there are some activities that just don't feel quite right. For example meals out; don't take...
The Elmina Castle And Slavery River With the sea wave fluttering the beach, everyone got up. Today is the first day we live in the Anomabo Beach Restore, which is the best place we lived so far. We...
The Monkey Sancutary of Ghana
Monkey Sanctuary With the sunrise of the morning, we stepped on the road to the monkey sanctuary.It was a long trip that we headed north part of Ghana for almost 4 hours. When the driver drove our...
Wishing I could rewind the past 14 days
My journey through Europe is complete. These past two weeks have been nothing less than amazing. I came into the trip with the mindset that I was going to learn a lot about the differences between...
Oxford – You Will Be Missed
It feels like only yesterday we landed in Heathrow Airport. After visiting a couple of countries after my stay, I felt myself being pulled back to Oxford, as if I left of part of myself in that...
A Domestic Absence
I’ve been home from my time in China for a while now and I must say, I miss it. I never would have imagined missing a country so different from my own with people so different from myself. By the...
Now That I’m Home…
Wow. I've been home from East Asia for a couple weeks, and in that time I've had the chance to reflect on all that I saw and learned while abroad. I'm definitely missing the city I was in, the...
Back on US Soil
As I touched down on the tarmac in Philadelphia, I was overcome with pride and joy. Don’t misunderstand, I absolutely love traveling and wouldn’t trade my experiences and time abroad for anything,...
African Traditional Religion
African Traditional Religion With the sunrise of Kumasi into the room we lived, everyone got up and headed down to eat the breakfast. The flavor of Kumasi’s breakfast is a little bit different from...
My First Week in Europe
I have officially been in Europe for a week. This past week we were in Warsaw, Poland. Warsaw was the first city in Europe that I have ever visited, and it definitely won over my heart. The city of...
Post Oxford–Summer 2016
Wow, what a summer. I left for Oxford, England with zero expectations and returned to the US with numerous and irreplaceable friends and memories. This trip was one of culture, history, and...
Recollecting My Travels from Denmark
I believe there is something bittersweet about going back home. It's bitter because you aren't able to enjoy those occasions you had but sweet since you get to be back home and recall it all. One...
The Journey to Oxford
I sit reading over my packing list just hours before my plane flight, not being able to contain my excitement for my first ever trip to Europe. I always wanted to study abroad in summer, so that I...
Weekend Trip to Frederiksborg Castle
On the 2nd weekend of the Denmark study abroad program, we took a trip to Frederiksborg Castle, which is located about an hour north of Copenhagen. The architecture was amazing. The fact that I was...
Willkommen in Berlin
Today was my first full day in Berlin. I was supposed to arrive early Saturday morning, but due to delayed flights I arrived Sunday evening. Directly after my arrival, along with two friends, our...
Across the Globe
As I begin to pack for my trip across the globe, I can’t help but feel both excitement and a slight sense of apprehension. I know that great adventures await me in India, a country that in my mind...
Summertime Sadness: Post Study Abroad Blues
I woke up this past Wednesday morning in my own bed in Houston, Texas, vaguely aware of some bizarre dream I had where I had spent an entire 6 weeks in Europe traveling and taking a class. Then,...
Saying Bye to Berlin
Berlin is a city of immense diversity and many different cultural influences. I am grateful to have experienced all of them during my stay. Finishing my class at the Humboldt University made me...
Weekend Trip to Brussels and Amsterdam
Despite the intensive lab course we were taking in Denmark, my friend and I were able to take a weekend trip to Brussels, Belgium, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. We flew to Brussels on Friday morning...