by Taj J. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
After spending the last month living in Spain, I’m finally back home: jetlagged, disoriented, and wildly confused about when I’m supposed to eat dinner. (Seriously, how did I adjust to 10 p.m. meals so fast and now can’t seem to make it past 6:30 p.m. without my...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Our day trip to Waiheke Island, a 45 minute ferry ride out of New Zealand was absolutely my most favorite day of the entire trip.We started the day off with a visit to Waiheke Honey Company, a local bee farm that produces a variety of pure 100% honey, one of them...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I am now on my 5th day of this amazing Study Abroad adventure through Australia and New Zealand, currently in Cairns. We have so much left to do in the city but we definitely did our big one yesterday. Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef wasn’t just the highlight of...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Just an hour drive out of Sydney, Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected 80-acre bushland space where native animals like kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and of course, koalas roam freely and safely. Many of the animals here are rescued, endangered, or...
by Andrew W. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
After an incredible month in Germany and traveling in Europe, I am finally back home in the US and able to reflect on my time abroad. Following the three and a half weeks I studied German in Freiburg, I took a train through the Alps to Milan, Italy, where I spent a...
by Lillian J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hello again everyone! Last time I checked in, I updated you all on my time in the cities of Konstanz and Strasbourg during my summer abroad in Germany. Well, I’m finally back home in Alabama, and I’d thought I’d use this last blog post to talk about my last couple of...
by Caitlin S. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
5/25: Before Departure Getting ready to go abroad has completely taken over my mind, my Pinterest boards, and my TikTok feed. I’ve probably watched over a hundred detailed videos on “what I wish I packed for study abroad” and “underrated travel essentials every...
by Austen W. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Arriving in the United Kingdom from the United States has been nothing short of transformative. Stepping into Oxford felt like entering a different world—one steeped in centuries of tradition, stunning architecture, and a vibrant academic culture. Our purpose here is...
by Caitlin S. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
7/21: Home for a Week Coming back home felt familiar at first—English signs, the foods I know, the usual routines I had missed. But after a little while, I started noticing subtle things that felt unexpectedly different and new. For example, I found myself getting...
by Caitlin S. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
6/15: Half-Way Done Taking classes abroad has been a refreshing shift from what I’m used to at the University of Alabama. Everything feels more casual in the best way—professors go by their first names, which felt strange at first but quickly became natural. The...
by Alex F. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Seoul, South Korea, you have been an unforgettable chapter in my life. As I say goodbye, my heart is filled with gratitude for the kindness and warmth of the people I met here. From the friendly strangers who offered directions with a smile, to the friends who shared...
by Suzanna B. | Jul 17, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Let’s just say, I do not have the best track record when it comes to packing lightly. I have always been that one person in my family that has to be prepared for every minor problem that may arise. However, I realize that while living abroad overpacking will...
by Jack R. | Jul 17, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer
Shakespeare is woven into the tapestry of life in Oxford, England. From the Radcliffe Camera library of the Bodleian (which is designed in the style of Shakespeare’s Globe’s) to the stained glass scenes from Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies in Worcester College,...
by Alexandria R. | Jul 16, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I am so pumped!!!…but also nervous. How crazy is it that I get to go and create memories that will last a lifetime while also learning and doing something that I love???? I think the nerves come from hoping that I’m not forgetting something, or hoping that...
by Amelia W. | Jul 14, 2025 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Now that I’m done with my experience studying abroad in Benin, I have learned a lot, but not only in terms of academics; it also has been a very personal journey for me. In retrospect, there are certainly things I wish I’d known before I flew the coop. So to anyone...
by Isabella D. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, _
Now that I’m back home, it’s surreal to think that just a week ago I was walking the cobblestone streets of Florence with 17 other students from Alabama, strangers who turned into my lifelong friends. I remember stepping off the plane and feeling equal parts nervous...
by Isabella D. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
As I write this blog post I currently have the warm summer sun illuminating my funky italian room, my host mom is preparing our amazing and fresh dinner, and our 20 year old cat is snuggled up next to me. Who would have ever thought that I would find such a new...
by Isabella D. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Program Type, Summer, _
Before I left for Florence I had no clue what to expect. Between the excitement of experiencing the unknown cultural normalities and the vast range of Italian food, I was already ecstatic! I was initially nervous about studying abroad by myself, as someone who is a...
by Gabriel S. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, _
Happiness is pleasure plus memories plus people Arthur Brooks Wow, I cannot believe it is over. Less than a week ago, I was in Ireland, trekking across the mountains, fields, towns, farms, and islands of that beautiful country. There is far too much to talk about in a...
by Gabriel S. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, _
Well, there it is. That suitcase will hold everything I need for the next 20 days. To be honest, I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet, and I don’t know if it will until I actually step off the plane. There is a part of me that wants that though, because I don’t want...
