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 …

The Greenest Campus on Earth

Finding My Place of Peace in Santiago Whenever I miss home or am frustrated or just need some air I go for a walk. The campus of PUCMM has got to be the best place to soothe the soul because of its plentiful greenery that facilitates oxygen-rich air. So, here’s a compilation of pictures and …

Chapter 1: Setting Roots

So far, my time in this wonderful city has been nothing short of amazing. In the two weeks that I have been here, I have had the pleasure of experiencing a lot for the first time. My favorite by far is la Plaza de España which is one of Spain’s largest and most beautiful attractions …

Wait, and You Will Find Your People.

Finding my way has been slightly more challenging than anticipated. I figured it would be easy to make friends being a part of a program rather than directly enrolling in an institution. I was wrong…and that’s okay. I am currently navigating the life of a student in the Dominican Republic. I’ve studied alone, watched movies …

A Beginner’s Guide to Sevilla

On the morning of January 15th, I woke up to sounds of a plane engine. Getting out of the hotel bed and walking over to the window, I could see the plane rising up over the O’Hare control tower and disappearing into the grey clouds hanging low in the sky. I was in Chicago with …

¡Viviendo en la República Dominicana!

It’s official! I’ve been in la República Dominicana for an entire week, and I’m loving it! Although I don’t speak much Spanish, I have fully immersed myself into Dominican culture by living with a host family and doing everything I can to be in the community. From the rhythmic music and dancing to the rich …

To My Local Friends: Asante!

This semester I have gotten to know some pretty awesome locals here in Iringa who have made this town feel like home, and have contributed in huge ways to how great this semester has been. Here are some asante’s (thank you’s) to some of my favorite locals! Dear Agnes, the first Tanzanian I got to …

“Dada, Chai!”

“Dada, Chai!” I hear my Mama call as I open my eyes. “Baba! Mama! Dada!” My baby host brother is yelling from outside of my bedroom window, which is obviously code for, “Dada, time to wake up, come play!” My family calls me “Dada,” (sister) because my name is very hard to pronounce for most …

How to Extend And Then Cancel a Study Abroad Extension

What a rollercoaster! So for a variety of reasons and a lot of planning, I decided it would be in my best interest to stay a year. Now, what does that process look like? Well, I can only speak for CIEE. The first thing I did was email the Center for Global Engagement at Hope …

Celebrating My Birthday Abroad

In all honesty, I’ve never really liked where my birthday is placed in the year. I grew up moving around a lot, and September 22nd was always just way too soon in the academic year. When I’d go to a new school, it was nearly guaranteed that it’d be forgotten just because, unless I went …