Bama Bloggers Abroad
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes Reach Back
Before I left for Ireland, people warned me (incessantly) about the strange type of sadness that permeates Life-After-Travel, and I laughed these off, chalked it up as a silly theory for overly...
Abroad in Denmark
I have been studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the past month with 26 other UA students. We are participating in the chemical engineering Unit Operations Lab at the Technical University of...
Already planning my trip back…
Returning home from study abroad may be one of the saddest things I have done. After only two weeks, I had no desire to come home and definitely would have been content to spend the rest of my...
In the Middle
One week down, one week to go. Warsaw was more amazing than I could have imagined. Going into the program, I was excited to see Warsaw, but it was never a place that I had planned to travel to....
Back from Berlin
One day removed from the journey back home from my study abroad trip, I'm still a bit jet lagged, but overall I haven't experienced any extreme reverse culture shock. I was expecting to feel uneasy...
Oxford in 31 days
In my opinion, we live and study at one of the prettiest colleges in England. Worcester College and the city of Oxford have really begun to feel like a home away from home. The classes that my peers...
Don’t Blink
It's been thirty days since my class started of which 42 hours of were physically being in a lab, and at least 100 spent in the student databar writing 7 lab reports. Was it stressful? Yes. Worth...
viva Chile
I'm about 3 and 1/2 weeks out from my study abroad trip to Santiago, Chile. It's getting closer and it's getting more real. I chose to study abroad so that I could fully immerse myself into Spanish...
Missing Moscow
I’ve been home for about a while now and I’m getting ready to head back to Alabama for the fall. So I have used this time to reflect on my time in Russia. Now it seems so far away and its...
Bitter Sweet
Now that I'm back home I can take a huge sigh of relief. Although I will miss Paris extremely, I was missing being home even much more. Paris, at the time, was having a lot of issues with their...
Bor i Danmark (Living in Denmark)
While in Denmark several things became apparent, the people are trustworthy but the weather is not. Most of the people I came into contact with on a daily basis seemed fairly reserved but happy to...
My Favorite Thing About Galway
When I was considering studying abroad with the university, I looked at the different programs that were offered more than I looked at the locations of those programs specifically. So, when I chose...
Wait, what does this say?
My time here in Stockholm has been life changing! Unfortunately, this trip is coming to an end soon and I could not be more sad. As I sit here and reflect on my time I have realized many things. I...
Notes From a Harbor Town
After arriving in Dublin after nearly twenty-four hours of being awake, my situational awareness was not at full capacity. But the first strange thing I remember noticing was riding the bus from the...
Summer in Europe
Another great perk of studying abroad is being able to experience different seasons in different places. For example: experiencing summer in Europe. Summers in Europe can provide quite the culture...
Stop and Smell the Roses
This is probably the hardest post to write..not because I don’t have anything to write about, or because I’m bored, but to begin to describe all of the experiences I have had is unfathomable (along...
Beating Anxiety Abroad
I am in the throngs of my China trip and, miraculously, nothing terrible has happened. No earthquakes, no kidnappings, no allergic reaction, I began to feel like I was on top of the world! The fact...
Back to my German Roots
This was it. This was the part of the trip I had been anticipating for months! I was finally going back to Germany. I hadn't been there in almost 1o years, and here I was getting to go to Berlin and...
Enjoying Every Minute
Upon first arriving in Denmark, I was greeted with a very American-esque airport and crowds of people bustling about to their destination— a scene quite similar to the U.S. I pride myself on...
Czech, please
One of the perks of living in Europe is the ease of accessibility to other countries. In most cases, for less than one hundred Euros you can travel across national borders. Since I'm studying in...
Thoughts on a plane ride
So the beginning of my tale starts with a CRJ700 out of the Birmingham regional airport to Charlotte, as can be seen in the picture included (I am obsessed with planes!). I knew before coming that...
Culture of Berlin
Upon first arriving in Berlin, I immediately noticed how safe I felt. Granted, I took five years of German, so my familiarity with the language helped, but the environment of the city itself is...
The End of the Chapter: China
Right when I landed back in the US, I still couldn’t get my head wrapped around how I’ve been away for a month. I knew that once I got home I’d be behind in my friend’s life and my families, even...
Bama Takes Ireland
At this point in the trip, days start to blur together. Life on a study abroad trip is a whirlwind, but one that you never want to end. We had a total of ten days in Dublin, Ireland and we jam...
Learning to Problem Solve
Studying abroad is one of the best learning experiences for a student out there. It can teach a person so many different things. Not just about the world at large, but about themselves as well. One...
Hanging out at the airport: Berlin
While on my language program in Berlin, I spent one afternoon walking around the park, Tempelhofer Feld. This park is really special, because it’s actually an old airport used around the time of...
Saying Goodbye to Spain and Hello to Home
My time abroad was incredible and has definitely shaped the way that I interact with people. Throughout two flights from Madrid back to Chicago, I only talked in Spanish with native speakers. My...
Life Down Under
Sydney and I did not meet on the best of terms. Sixteen hours of flying across the Pacific Ocean right after six hours of flying across the United States and only a couple hours of sleep doesn’t...
The Return
The last leg of my journey led me to Venice, Verona, and finally seeing a live opera production! Our trip to Venice was too short, but the taste we got was delightful. It is a stunning city with a...
Anxiety Abroad
“I’m going to China.” I have been repeating this mantra in my mind since I decided to go on this trip back in November. Frankly, I don’t even know how I ended up here. I was simply walking out of my...
“It Was A Great Experience”
So how was Haiti? Everyone’s immediate question for me right when my feet hit the ground. Some of the students that had been on the previous trips to Haiti had warned me this was no easy question...
Getting excited
So far, my only journey out of my hometown was 4 hours away to the University of Alabama. Today, I'm packed up and getting ready for a flight to Brussels, Belgium, and the butterflies are finally...
Study Abroad Take 2
So, here I am again post-study abroad, writing blogs after the fact. They seem like such an easy thing to keep up with when heading off for your trip, but let me tell you for the SECOND time, I am...
Weekend in Oslo
While studying abroad in Berlin, I had the amazing opportunity to join my Norwegian friend on a weekend trip to her hometown of Oslo. It was such a cool and special experience to travel with one of...
How to Come Home
Although I was heartbroken to leave Europe, after two months abroad I was excited to see my family and sleep in my own bed. That being said, my journey home was anything but easy. For a whole host...
Beaucoup de Châteaux
France is an amazing country. The amount of history in the country is incredible. I feel like almost everywhere I looked there was another monument that was at least twice the age of the United...
While in Spain
My first impression of Spain was that it was a lucky place to be. When I looked out the plane window upon arrival, I saw a double rainbow encompassing the beautiful mountains and valleys— but...
Haiti, A Poor Country with a Rich Culture
When we first landed in Haiti, we stayed at a hotel near the airport since it was late at night and traveling to our home for the week was safer in the daylight. The next morning, we woke up early...
Back Home!
I cannot believe the semester is over! Since I left in the middle of January, I have been abroad for 6 months. The time has flown by. Finals were way more stressful abroad than they were at home...
Grateful
After a long 17 hour flight back to America, and two more flights ahead before arriving back to Birmingham, I am very tired but excited to get home to a hot shower and soft bed. Yet, I am also...
Packing in a Frenzy
In the utmost college student fashion, I procrastinated when it came to packing for my trip to France. You see, I stayed in Tuscaloosa until May 15th and I was leaving from Atlanta on May 21st. In...
Watch out, Sweden!
Hallå! My name is Sam and I am heading to study abroad in a faculty lead program in Stockholm, Sweden in a few days. I am from a very small town and I wanted to study abroad to go out a see more of...
How to Speak French
Leading up to my study abroad, as I wrapped up all my Spring classes with finals and said my summer goodbyes, I began to get a little overwhelmed at the thought of leaving the US for nearly two...
Oxford, Here I Come!
My bag is packed, my pre-trip assignments are complete, and I am headed to Oxford, England in the morning! Wow, what a surreal thought. I have zero expectations and many questions, but that is what...
Spanish Surroundings
Being in Spain has been both exciting and frustrating at times. For the most part I am loving every minute of Spain: the food, the people , the location are all fantastic. However, the only personal...
With a Paris stamped Passport, here I come, Oxford!
I caught the travel bug as a young child and have been eager to return to Europe since visiting the summer following my junior year of high school. The 3 weeks I spent in Paris, France studying...
How To Do Paris
Paris was always one of those cities I assumed I would visit one day. The imagery of the Eiffel Tower, wide French boulevards, and high culture seems to be a common element of popular culture. From...
Pamplona
After I landed in Madrid several thoughts passed through my head. To start Madrid was huge but I wasn't tall. When I think of big cities in America I usually think New York or Chicago style cities...
En Route to Europe
My motivation and reasoning for going abroad is quite simple. As a rising senior majoring in chemical engineering, I am required to take a summer term Unit Operations Lab in order to complete my...
Where are all the fresh mangoes?
“Sorry. I mean Lo siento.,,, Oh wait I mean sorry.” That was the moment I realized that I was no longer in Nicaragua and back in the US. We had just arrived at the Houston airport and I was headed...