by Brandon S. | Oct 14, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
This study abroad experience has been incredible, and it is just getting started! I arrived one week ago, and within thirty minutes of my arrival at the hotel/hostel, we went to an intermediate school and learned about the education system of New Zealand. We then...
by Rob K. | Oct 14, 2025 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Summer, _
Hello! Earlier today, I finally arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after a very long journey starting from Birmingham, Alabama. To be honest, so far, the city is about as I expected based on my past travel experience to Southeast Asia. In other words, I am enjoying...
by Dawson M. | Oct 14, 2025 | Australia/New Zealand, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
After 36 hours, 3 plane flights, and 8,300 miles of travel, I finally got to my hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. Although I have been out of the country before, this is by far the longest trip and the first time I have been to a different continent. At first, it...
by Dorothy S. | Oct 7, 2025 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
As I sat on the plane awaiting takeoff from the Milan airport, my senses were being assaulted. Although there is a popular stereotype of the Italian culture and language being loud and expressive, it is no comparison to a plane full of chatty Americans aboard a...
by Dawson M. | Sep 26, 2025 | Australia/New Zealand, Engineering, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
The past three weeks have been packed full of incredible adventures, but the time has absolutely flown by. It all feels like a blur of hikes, cities, restaurants, presentations, and traveling. However, I truly do feel like to made the most of every moment and it was...
by Anna H. | Sep 17, 2025 | Asia, Semester, _
Truthfully, I haven’t been dealing with a lot of culture shock. It turns out that researching and studying a country for three years will prepare you for the cultural differences and challenges you have to face. Who knew? But there are some things that even...
by Olivia Womack | Aug 12, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in.” A month travelling across England to see stage adaptations from the Bard himself makes me agree with his sentiment! As part of our EN 333 course, Shakespeare, our class attended four productions of Shakespeare...
by Andreea T. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As a French major, one of the biggest goals I had before entering college was to study abroad in a francophone country. As I started as a freshman at UA, I felt secure enough in my French skills to apply for the “UA in France: Language and Culture”...
by Liz R. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Human Environmental Sciences, South America, Summer, _
When I first signed up for 6 weeks of school in Barranquilla, I thought I knew and was prepared for everything. Well- I was delightfully wrong! When I first signed up for six weeks of school in Barranquilla, I thought I was completely prepared. I am a Spanish as well...
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 Avery T. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Honors College, _
One of the biggest attractions of traveling abroad to Vietnam is the diverse cuisine of the region. I initially was excited to experience all of the different foods, but I also knew that my palate would never be the same after four weeks of eating like the Vietnamese....
by Evelyn F. | Jul 18, 2025 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, _
One of the most humbling and eye-opening experiences during my time in Panama was spending a day with a local school for students who don’t have many resources. I’d heard a lot about the school before visiting, but nothing could have prepared me for the immense impact...
by Evelyn F. | Jul 18, 2025 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, _
Sometimes, the best experiences are the ones you never see coming. That’s exactly how I felt on my first day in Panama when something completely unexpected happened that would become one of the highlights of my entire time here. We had just arrived in Panama and were...
by Evelyn F. | Jul 17, 2025 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, _
One of the best parts of studying abroad in Panama has been the opportunity to explore the local cuisine. The country’s food scene is a reflection of its rich cultural diversity, blending indigenous, Afro-Panamanian, and Spanish influences into a delicious and vibrant...
by Anthony A. | Jul 17, 2025 | Commerce & Business, _
Over the past weekend me and a couple of my friends visited Salamanca, a beautiful and historic city only 2 and half hours away from Madrid. With the program I selected called “ISA” there are included a couple free trips including one to Salamanca. On...
by Anthony A. | Jul 17, 2025 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Ever since I started packing, it seems that I either don’t have enough room in my carry on or I simply don’t have enough time to read up on European customs. In preparing for Madrid I have watched the iconic show “La Casa de Papel”, a trilling...
