by Faith G. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I have been having a lot of fun in my summer study abroad program in France. I knew I would be okay once I got over the hurdle of starting the trip. There will never be a time in my life that nerves will never overwhelm me when trying new things. Leaving home was hard...
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 Roman L. | Jul 17, 2025 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Program Type, Semester, _
Hola, mis amigos! My name is Roman, and I got the chance to study abroad in Panama this spring break! I am so grateful for this opportunity! I chose to study abroad because my father went out of the country a lot, and I’ve always wanted to go. I’ve always...
by Katie M. | Jul 16, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer
Before studying abroad, you are told to expect culture shock. It is an inevitable part of traveling. As I settled into my first two weeks in Colombia, I found that adapting to a new culture has two faces: disorientation and wonderment. First, disorientation. The...
by Campbell T. | Jul 14, 2025 | Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As of writing this, I am halfway through my time in Greece. We have traveled to many different cities and seen a lot of other things! When I first arrived in Thessaloniki (after experiencing many delays in the U.S.), I found it beautiful. I was able to see Mount...
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...
by Margarita A. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hm. I never thought I’d be sitting next to my mom buying a plane ticket with a minimum travel time of 14 hours. First time for everything I suppose. Speaking of firsts—this will be my first time overseas in Madrid, Spain, Europe; pretty much anywhere that is not the...
by Andreea T. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As I landed in Charles de Gaulle, the strongest emotion I felt was tiredness. I had not slept at all on the plane; moreover, I was hauling around a broken suitcase and carry-on luggage. I was overwhelmed on the bus ride home but as my new host “mom” welcomed me to...
by Andreea T. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Celebrating the Fourth of July after coming home! As I adjust to life in the United States and reminisce about my time in France, I find comfort in a familiar environment, yet I miss many aspects of my life abroad. When I first landed at the Atlanta Airport, I was...
by Aidan R. | Jul 10, 2025 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Studying abroad was something I had always hoped to do during college, but the UA MIS in Europe program made the decision easy. As a senior in the MIS program, the opportunity to visit companies and engage in hands-on learning abroad felt like the perfect capstone...
by Katie S. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
Motivation/Reasoning: I applied for this program, after Professor Chris Hale came by one of my classes to talk about the upcoming trip. Not only was it a good opportunity to learn about political science in another country , but it also would give me a better...
by Erin S. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I’d consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. While I often cook the same meals at home and tend to order my favorites when I go out, I’m always up for trying something new, especially when traveling. So naturally, I was excited to experience the variety of food...
by Erin S. | Jun 27, 2025 | Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Our class trip to Paris was the excursion I had most looked forward to before the trip began. However, I quickly realized that I actually dreaded the major tourist attractions. Paris felt like a tourist town, which made it hard to relax and gain a better understanding...
by Jackson W. | Jun 27, 2025 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
The city of Venice is an almost magical maze of waterways, historical sites, and churches, all populated by tens of thousands of tourists as well as its citizens. While that may seem a bit contradictory in tone, the tourists almost help the trip feel more impactful....
