Bama Bloggers Abroad
Exam Advice
I have about two and a half weeks left here in Edinburgh. I have taken two out of my three final exams so I feel confident enough to share a bit of advice about the exam process. For starters, all...
A whole new world: home
Spending three months in Cuba I had to learn new customs, speak in another language, and adapt to my unusual surroundings. With a daily routine consisting of class, walking around Havana, and a...
Paris in less than 24hrs!!
Last summer, many of my sorority sisters were fortunate enough to study abroad for the summer. Prior to their departure I asked many questions, inquiring about the process in which I should...
Thoughts Before Going to Mexico-Excited But Nervous
I am so excited! I am going to Mexico! I would like to thank the Study Abroad office at UA for giving me the scholarship to make this possible! I have never been to another country but have always...
Pre-Departure for Finding Meaning in Switzerland and Austria
11 days remain until I depart for Switzerland and Austria for an interim course and I never expected I’d have the chance to study abroad during my time at UA. My faculty-led program is called...
Running out of time
So, as I sit here to write this I have three weeks left. How has the time gone by so fast? I remember yesterday boarding the plane on my way over to Spain. I cannot believe four months has blown by....
My Demography Was Not My Destination
It all started in March of 2015. It was my first time going through customs, a word I always heard about but never thought I would get to experience. It was my first time on a plane, a vehicle of...
Traveling Abroad
One of the best perks of Study Abroad is the Abroad part of the experience, especially the travel abroad. By choosing to go to school at Leicester University, I had the...
But Really…Berlin?
When people discover that I'm studying abroad this summer, the first question I'm asked every single time is "Where?" Once I say "Berlin," I get a variety of responses that mostly include confusion...
Learning to speak “Australian”
I'm not going to lie, the fact that English is the main language spoken in Australia, was a major reason for why I chose to study here. I took 3 years of honors Spanish in high school and still...
Three Months Down, One to Go.
I cannot believe it. I have been in living in London for three months. This trip has been so many things. Exciting, exhausting, exhilarating, and so much more. London has been beautiful and I have...
Post Spring Break Reflections
Last Sunday evening, I arrived back in Bilbao, Spain where I've been living and studying since the beginning of January after traveling for 16 days during my Spring Break. It was an exciting moment...
Havana Good Time: Classic Cars and Cigars
Being in Havana, Cuba is an experience. The ability to feel a world away, with only 90 miles of separation has become a driving force in the way I have appreciated my time here. The rich cultural...
When in Dominican
My first impression upon arrival was a bit of a culture shock. When we landed in the airport, which is much different than our state airports, it was very colorful filled with art and murals. The...
Settled Down in Brisbane
It's absolutely crazy to me to think that I have already been in Australia for over a month! The time sure does fly out here... And what an exciting month it has been! One of the cool things about...
Home sweet home
When returning back to the US, I was so excited to be home and see this beautiful, amazing country we live in. When we got to the airport, I realized how incredibly advanced and easy...
Abuelita
I was sitting at the kitchen table last night, serving myself stuffed green peppers prepared by my host grandmother (affectionately referred to as “Mamá”) when I recognized the sound of Frank...
Historia en Habana: #findPOTUS
The month of March in Cuba has been nothing short of exciting, and it wasn’t until now that I realized the magnitude that the announcement of normalization in relations has had and will continue to...
Home Sweet Home
Last night our group arrived at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to conclude our week-long Dominican Republic excursion. While I had a fantastic experience serving the people of...
Back from the DR
Now that I'm home I already want to make plans to go on another trip. I don't know if I'd like to experience somewhere new or return to the Dominican Republic, but it will have to be as an RN rather...
My Journey 1 Month In
The very, very first word that came to thought when I walked up the metro steps and met my new city was the world clean. Barcelona was very… clean. I was expecting more of a New York City...
San Juan, Dominican Republic
My first impression when arriving in Santa Domingo/San Juan was shock at how different it is than what I am used to. I was shocked and felt so thankful for what I have. The first situation I...
10 Tips for Your First Week
I have been in Edinburgh for a week now and already I have learned so much about the people and culture! In this post I am going to talk mostly about advice I would give to students looking into...
Cuando en la República Dominicana…
Today is the fourth day of my study abroad experience and my third day in the Dominican Republic. Our first day in the country, we spent our time at a YWAM camp in Santo Domingo. However, we...
Looking back at the Exchange Process and Looking forward to the Semester
Hello, my name is Christina Irion, and I am going to share my experience with preparing for my Exchange experience. I knew from my freshman year that I wanted to take the opportunity...
La Vita in Italia
Ciao from Italy! It has been a little over a month since I arrived in Florence, which is hard to believe. Time seems to be passing quicker than I could've imagined. But I am loving every minute of...
En Route to the Dominican Republic
When I heard during Fall orientation that the Capstone College of Nursing was organizing a trip to the Dominican Republic to set up health clinics, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to go. One of...
Heading Across The Pond
Four more days remain until I embark on what is about to be the experience of a lifetime. I have anticipated this day coming for what seems like a lifetime since I started the process for studying...
A Major Case of the “What Ifs”
What happens when anxiety strikes before your trip and you seem more worried than excited? Then, you might have a case of the “What Ifs,” but lucky for you this blog exists to extinguish all those worries and kick your excitement into high gear.
Pre-Departure: Russia 2016
I can’t believe that I’ll be going to Russia next week. It is so weird not to be at Alabama with all of my friends, but I am very excited about studying abroad. I have always wanted to visit Russia...
Greetings from Sydney!
As I sat at the airport, a flood of emotion came over me. I was anxious, excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. Saying goodbye to my friends and especially my parents was nearly impossible....
Incoming to Ireland
As a Chemical Engineering student, I had resigned myself to the fact that a study abroad for an entire semester was going to be impossible. Sophomore year, when I realized if I completely rearranged...
FC Barcelona takes on Granada
Barca! Clap, clap, clap. Barca! Clap, clap, clap. Barca! Clap, clap, clap…And the game is underway. The crowd is roaring, the players are running, and my heart is pounding. The atmosphere is...
Reflections on Barcelona
Barcelona was a major culture shock, even compared to London. The language barrier made communicating next to impossible, but at the same time I fell in love with the city. The culture and history...
Cielos de Sevilla
How can I describe my time abroad thus far? It seems to me that no words will do the change, the joy, the pain, the shock, the awe of the past three weeks any justice. But I have chosen to be honest...
Reflections on London
London was a wonderful experience. We did not start classes while in London, but I felt as if I learned as much as if I had been in class. I saw an entirely new culture to myself and at first was...
“Australia?”
“Australia?” (The past two months, I’ve been getting that response a lot.) “What are you going to be doing in Australia?” (I’ve always wanted to make up a fun story about fulfilling my dream of...
T – 5 Days
In 5 days I will be boarding a plan to go to Stirling, Scotland for four months. As much as I've tried to wrap my head around that I doubt that I'll process the weight of it until I've boarded the...
Adelante a Colombia!
Program name: ISA in Barranquilla, Colombia University Name: Universidad del Norte I have dreamed about visiting Colombia since my freshman year when I met my first ELI culture and language partner,...
All Good Things Come To An End
What a semester it has been. 5 months, 10 countries, and a bucket full of memories later, I am now back home in Tuscaloosa, AL sitting in my kitchen. At times when I am reminiscing over my semester...
Awaiting my Dominican Republic medical mission!
When thinking of the Dominican Republic, the first thoughts I have of the country are beautiful beaches in the middle of the Caribbean. I envision it much like the picture I have shared with this...
A Day in Normandy
This past weekend I decided to take a day trip to Normandy to visit Bayeux and the American Cemetery at Omaha beach. I took a train from the Gare Saint Lazare in Paris to Bayeux, which is only 20...
I have no idea what I’m doing
No, this is not my first time studying abroad. Last summer I spent a month in Madrid, Spain so I know what it is like to immerse myself into another culture and step out of my comfort zone. However,...
Heart of Seoul
안녕 – (anyong) – hello/goodbye In less than two months, I will be studying abroad at Yonsei University, one of the top 3 universities in Seoul, South Korea. Honestly, the preparation that came with...
A Changed Perspective
After a long, long day of travel, our team finally made it into Port-Au-Prince. However, the journey was just beginning. We gathered our luggage, hopped on a bus, and hoped to make it to our next...
Upon Return
Upon Return Thoughts/feelings – Now that you’re back home, what are some of the things going through your head? What did you think when you first arrived in the airport? What are some of the things...
Journey to Barcelona
I grew up near the oldest city in America, St. Augustine. There is a vibrant array of Spanish culture in St. Aug, which really pushed my interest in studying abroad to Barcelona, Spain. In addition,...
Last Call for London
Though I've flown many times, my amazement at the beauty of the skies only seems to grow. I used to be worried that people would think I am weird or have never stepped foot on a plane because of how...
Bon Babay Haiti
Returning back to the States, there were several moments that stuck out to me from the trip to Haiti. The 20+ students stuck out the week, and either graduated with business fundamentals...
When can I go back?
I have just arrived back in the States from a long day of traveling from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. This trip has inspired me in many ways. I no longer feel the need to be dependent on material things....