Pick Your People

Happy Friday! After the full week of travel during Reflective week, it has been refreshing to be back in Liverpool this week! To echo the words of another friend studying abroad, I hadn’t realized how much Liverpool had started to feel like home until I returned from Italy. On Sunday, I left the city center …

Four Countries, One Week

Hello from Ireland, Wales, and Italy, although by the time this is published, I’ll be back in England! At Liverpool Hope University (LHU), terms are split into four weeks of class followed by a reflective week. Reflective weeks are weeks without classes intended for students to catch up on work, study, research, or rest. This …

The Peak District

I felt a little over-citied last week. Don’t get me wrong, Chester was lovely, the football match in Manchester the weekend before was memorable, and there’s always something to do in Liverpool’s City Centre, but I’m really a country girl at heart. I knew that moving to a lively city would be a change from …

A Day in Chester

The more time I spend in Liverpool, the more I realize how much there is to see and discover right here! Fellow classmates, local Liverpudlians, and other Brits are happy to suggest the best pubs, museums, parks, and must-see streets to explore in Liverpool and around the UK. I’ve started a bucket list. It expands …

Sefton Park

Happy Monday! I’m thankful to have one week of classes under my belt! With each passing day I feel a little bit more settled. Daily I learn something new, like the fact that there are no drinking fountains on LHU’s campus or that nobody closes the refrigerator doors in the grocers or that it costs …

Exploring Liverpool’s City Centre

Greetings from Liverpool!  It’s been a week since my parents and little sister dropped me off at the Grand Rapids airport. After two connecting flights, a bleary trek through the Frankfurt airport, and over 30 hours without sleep, I’ve spent the last seven days trying to settle into Aigburth Park, where I will be living …

Exploring London with Flying Dutchmen

My spring break here in Rome was held over Easter weekend, for obvious reasons. Since Rome is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, it can get pretty crazy over Easter. So, I decided to meet up with my friends Annika, Jack (both studying in London with IES and CIEE respectively), and Grace (studying with IES …

A Farewell Note

As my time here abroad is officially coming to an end, I can’t help but feel a mixed bag of emotions upon my departure from London. When leaving the states, one tends to have certain expectations and hopes for the adventures that await them within the next four months. Upon reflection, I can confidently say …

Theatre Scene

As London is home to the renowned West End, I have been able to take advantage of the countless plays and musicals being performed for months on end. Before coming to London, I had seen plays and musicals before in the States but London has revolutionized my love and appreciation for theatrical work. I have …

Familiar Faces in Different Places

Having little traces of home while abroad has been a great blessing to remind me there’s a whole other side of the world that awaits me when I get back. For me, some of that has come through seeing some dear friends from home. Throughout my time abroad, I have been lucky enough to have …