My Quest for a Sunday Service

One of the goals I had for studying abroad was to consistently attend a church on Sundays. I thought that if I went to a service each week, I’d be able to make some connections within the London community and see how other Christians around the world worship each week. Now, this didn’t exactly go …

So you don’t speak the language…

While studying abroad, I’ve been traveling all over the European Union. Catching a train or a flight has become second nature to me. But when I booked a flight to Paris, I was really nervous. This was my first time traveling to a country where I didn’t speak the native language. Thankfully I studied French …

On Trials, Tribulations, and Change

I am writing on a significant day. Today is the day I would have been home had I stayed in Thailand for the length of my program. In August, I flew bright-eyed and bushy-tailed into a completely different world. I wanted to launch myself into an entirely new and unfamiliar culture… and I got exactly …

Fluency?

One of the major things I wanted to work on this semester was becoming a fluent Spanish speaker. Now that I’m almost done, I can’t help but wonder if I actually made it there. I started my Spanish journey in my early teens, and I don’t think that I’ll ever be mistaken for a native …

Quick Ramblings

I will forever be grateful for this amazing experience. I feel incredibly blessed to be studying abroad and learning from a new lens, but I have to admit, at times, it is hard being away from home. I miss my amazing, loving parents and sun-shiny sister so, so much, even though our family group chat …

Netflix and Knitting

Studying abroad is a blast and a half. You’re in a new country, you’ve met awesome people, and you’re making memories to last a lifetime. But if I told you it was the time of my life 24/7, I’d be lying. Like anything, studying abroad has its downsides. When you’re in a big city like …

Homesickness and the Holidays

So the holiday season has come in the US! It started with Halloween (if you consider that part of the holiday season – I think it kind of counts because so many people celebrate). Next up – Thanksgiving! Not here though. While Halloween exists in a very small way in Ecuador, Thanksgiving basically does not …

10 Reasons to be Thankful

Every Thanksgiving, Americans around the world are asked to practice gratitude and thankfulness. For me, this was the first Thanksgiving I was not celebrating with my family. It was easy to wish to be back at home, among the delicious fare my family whips up. But I found myself in London, thousands of miles away …

A Familiar Face & More Hot Takes

This past weekend one of my best friends came to visit me in Liverpool, all the way from Michigan! The travel bug has surely spread through my friend group as she left me to head for Ireland, Germany and Poland. A curious thing happened this weekend – I became a tour guide of sorts. What …

A Weekend in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is lovely because it can be touristy in some areas, but those touristy areas are easy to get away from. Finding transport to fun places on the weekend in Chiang Mai almost always starts with hopping into the back of a red truck. These trucks are one of my favorite modes of transportation …