What’s different in Germany?

Hallo Leute! So…it’s been a little over a month now since I arrived in Berlin and during my time here, I’ve noticed some differences between living in Germany, specifically Berlin and the United States. Grocery Shopping Smaller supermarkets – The supermarkets here are way smaller than in the U.S. (About 8-10 times smaller than the …

Loire Valley: A Weekend of Castles

One of the cool parts about studying abroad are the class trips. They’re not your typical field trips most of us remember from high school–they’re historical, wonderful, beautiful weekends in places like Loire Valley, Normandy or Versailles. This past weekend, we went to Loire Valley. It’s a stretch on the Loire River in the center …

Orientation

Those of you who are thinking of studying abroad may be wondering the structure of orientation. Personally, I was very nervous about attending the orientation. I was worried about understanding Spanish instructions, making new friends, and actually getting ready for the semester. It has been more than a month since I attended this orientation, but …

Ravioli with Claudia and Truco with Pullulo

Alright, folks. It’s honesty time. I have never felt further outside of my comfort zone. I have been in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 5 days now, yet since my arrival it feels as though I’ve lived 10 lifetimes. This description may be a little graphic, but I have felt as though someone stuck a metal …

Week One: Nerves and Excitement

Hola, and welcome to my first blog post here in Peru!  Since my arrival on Monday, it has been a whirlwind of meeting new people, learning new things, and beginning to adapt to a new culture. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little intimidated by it all. Being pushed to rely on my semi-rusty …

Coffee in the Mountains

This past weekend, my program took us on a weekend retreat to the mountains, and it was one of the most reflective and inspirational weekends I’ve had here in the DR. Communities in the countryside often have some agricultural component that employs some of the people who live there. In Bonao, some of the locals …

A Day in the Life of a UCT Student

When people ask how study abroad is going, it is easy to send them pretty pictures and tell them about all the cool things I am experiencing. And don’t get me wrong—I am getting to experience lots of new and exciting things. I have already explored multiple local markets. I walked across a suspension bridge …

The Last Week of First Semester: A Video Recap

Here’s a recap “goodbye” of all the incredible friends I made last year and the host family I stayed with last semester in Paris. Spring semester is already off to a great start, and I can’t wait to get to know all of the new students here on campus!

Climbing the Mountain of Culture Shock

I’ve been in the Dominican Republic for 6 weeks now and it’s been nothing short of surprising, stretching, nurturing, and adventurous. The weather is gorgeous, and the hustle and bustle of the city have grown on me. One thing that I am still navigating is my interesting experience with culture shock while here, and I …

Reunion by the World’s Largest Pyramid!

One of the best aspects of being involved with the International and TCK (Third Culture Kids) students at Hope College is that you get to meet students from all over the world with different cultures. “A country” becomes “the country” and widens your perspectives and worldview. There are more than 80 students from all over …