by Mya D. | Aug 8, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
So, I’m getting ready to go abroad!!! I can’t believe it’s actually happening. This will be my first long trip out of the country, and to say I’m a mix of nerves and excitement would be an understatement. From brushing up on travel logistics to mentally getting ready...
by Isabella H. | Aug 8, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hi everyone! My name is Isabella Hanson, and I am a junior dance and creative media major here at the university! I write this sitting in the airport, anticipating every moment that is to come with my trip abroad. I am participating in a faculty led program with the...
by Haylee P. | Aug 4, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led
Haylee Elizabeth Pack Every August, Edinburgh transforms into a completely new world for the Fringe Festival, the largest celebration of theater, dance, music, and street performance. As a University of Alabama dance major traveling abroad for the festival, I learned...
by Alexandria R. | Aug 4, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible this experience has been. Everybody always tells you how much study abroad changes your life, and of course I believed them, but I didn’t think it would be to such a great extent. Every day, we wake up for...
by Jack S. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
So far, my time in Belize has been everything I had hoped for and more. I have learned so much about native species and their roles in building and maintaining the reef, and I have also seen firsthand how detrimental invasive species can be. During my research on...
by Jack S. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
I chose to study abroad in Belize for a variety of reasons. For one, I have never been abroad, and I figured it would be a good idea for my first time to be with a faculty-led study abroad program. Secondly, I wanted to spend my summer at the beach, so this would be...
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 Kaya H. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Non-traditional, Summer, _
Traveling from the United States to Vietnam was no easy feat. Serving as my first international flight experience, the two-day commute with multiple layovers truly tested my resilience and patience. But all of this stress was relieved the second I landed in Hanoi,...
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 Six M. | Jul 22, 2025 | Comm & Info Sciences, Faculty-Led, North America, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate
I can’t believe that this is day one of the final week of our Study Abroad trip in Saint Maarten. I have had so many unforgettable memories, made new friends, and enjoyed countless experiences already in just these three weeks. It has honestly been a blur. I...
by Courtney B. | Jul 22, 2025 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Summer
We ended our study abroad in the city of Amsterdam. This was one of my favorite cities to visit because of the beautiful waterways and canals that spread all over the town. The thing that was most different was trying to avoid getting hit by bikers, as we learned they...
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, 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 Faith G. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I don’t think I have been as afraid as I am now to travel. This summer, I am spending about three weeks in France. I have never been too far from my hometown, much less out of the country. When I first decided to try studying abroad I didn’t understand the blood,...
by Dan L. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Now that the semester is wrapping up, I’ve had some time to reflect on my time in Korea and how it compares to other places I’ve visited. During these four months, I also traveled to China and Japan, which gave me useful context to think about what Korea does well and...
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 Willow M. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Comm & Info Sciences, Faculty-Led, _
Hi there, it’s Willow, one month post-Korea! I expected that there would be some unexpected culture shocks when returning to America, but these are my top 5 shocks over the past month: Tipping culture: In South Korea, tipping is not normal because service...
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....
