The Art of Being Alone: A Solo Date to Malahide Beach

They say studying abroad changes you, makes you more independent, teaches you about yourself, and broadens your perspective on the world. All of these things are true, yes, but they are also abstract. Nothing prepares you for what you will see, what you will do, what you will take away.  If I’m being honest, I …

Exploring the South of Jordan

It has been a while since my last post, but it has been a busy and joy-filled month or so and I wanted to share some of my recent adventures! The Dead Sea A few weeks ago, SIT arranged for my program to take a week-long trip to the south of Jordan. We began our …

Italy Update #2!

Hello again! It’s been a while since I last wrote, so there’s a lot to catch up on! Week 4  This weekend, I went on a quick trip to Rome with a friend from back home who is also studying in Milan but through a different program. We took a high-speed train bright and early …

Enjoying the Marathon

Philip McGraw once said, “Life’s a marathon, not a sprint.” It’s been just over five weeks since I arrived in Vilnius and had my first taste of Lithuania. The initial week was a whirlwind of orientation, acclimation, and establishing a new routine. Subsequent weeks have seen increasing sunlight and warmth, along with a settled weekly …

Ciao!

I have now spent about three weeks in Milano so I thought I would recap!  Arrival I landed in Milan, Italy on the morning of Monday, January 22. My flights went smoothly and my luggage did not get lost, so praise Jesus for that! I then taxied to my apartment with some people in my …

A Weekend in County Cork

Cork, County Cork, Ireland It’s about a three-hour drive to Cork from Dublin. Piled into the bus, we rode past brilliant green fields, dotted occasionally with sheep and cows. Rain slipped down the windows for much of the drive but the sun emerged as we entered Cork City. Like Dublin, a river runs through the …

48 Hours in London, England

My alarm goes off at 2:30 am, pulling me out of a deep sleep. Despite attempting to prepare for this early morning by going to bed around 8 pm, the sound of my alarm is still painful. Still, I jumped out of bed as quickly as I could, using my adrenaline to motivate me. Flicking …

New Things in Granada!

I officially have my first week of living in Granada, Spain under my belt! What a beautiful city with so many things to offer! In this blog post, I will share some of the NEW things I have experienced in Granada! Lema nueva (New Motto) Say “YES” to everything that is SAFE! I have decided …

The Cool News Is, You’re On Your Own Now

The days are long, but the time is short. That’s how I would summarize my first two weeks here in Dublin. Right now, it’s the beginning of the third week of my program and I have a heightened awareness of how little time I really have to explore. To put it into perspective, there are …

I’m Off to Granada!!

(With a few pitstops along the way:) WOW!! I can’t believe that I am writing a blog for Hope Off-Campus right now, AKA, I can’t believe I am about to start a semester ABROAD! Preparing for this crazy adventure has surprised me in so many ways. In moments that I thought I would struggle to …