Does traveling with your parents really conquer homesickness? 

An overarching struggle that many students seem to face while studying abroad is homesickness. This could be triggered from various things such as illness, seeing a dog that reminds you of your dog, something going wrong while traveling, and the list goes on.  One thing that I was really nervous about upon entering my abroad …

A Spring-Break Reset

This past week I was on spring break, which just so happened to line up with Hope College’s spring break. Because of this lucky timing, my sister, who is a freshman at Hope, and my mom came to Prague and I was able to show them around the city I am calling my temporary home.  …

A Week in Istanbul

When I was learning about Constantinople in my tenth-grade world history class, I never in a million years thought that I would actually step foot in this incredibly historic city. And yet somehow I ended up there last week! I think it was only slightly less shocking than if I had landed in an actual …

Photos and Friends

“That is simply epic.” A phrase I have used very often during my time abroad. I love the way this phrase draws my attention back to the reality that much of what I am experiencing is “simply epic.” The two seemingly opposite words fit together so beautifully. “Epic” is often used to describe an extraordinary …

Rain and Shine… and Snow?!

Where has the time gone!? A rhetorical question because I know where the time has gone; it has turned moments into memories. My mind and heart are becoming acquainted with the fact that life moves fast. Hospitality A few things I have been grateful for recently: my kind host who knitted me a beautiful pair …

Prague, Presidential Elections, and Panoramic Views

I must admit that as my plane touched down at the Prague airport and I looked out the window to discover snow on the tarmac, I felt a stab of trepidation.  The little bit of anxiety wasn’t just because of the snow (our relatively mild Michigan winter spoiled me this year) but also because I …

Looking Back

I returned home not long ago and I have been holding off on this post for a long time. I really contemplated what I should talk about and what to include. In all honesty, I am still not exactly sure. There are a lot of different emotions that I’ve experienced since returning home and still …

Chapter 9: a day in the life

song: walking on sunshine Hi all! Today I am walking you through a day in my life as a study abroad student in Barcelona, Spain.  Since it’s Monday, I wake up around 8:00 am to get ready then leave for the train station at 8:45 am. Then, I board the train to take me to …

Chapter 8: seeking help

song: dream a little dream of me ¡hola a todos!  I am writing to you after a long conversation with my mom (it was good, not to worry) and a game plan in mind. Let me start from the beginning. It all started in my “Self & Identity in a Postmodern World” class. The task …

Chapter 7: Madrid!

song: put your records on Well, friends, time is flying. I hope this season is treating you well. Today is the day that I share about my trip to Madrid, the lovely capital of Spain.  On a hazy warm morning, we boarded a sleek silver train to Madrid. After about seven hours, we hopped off …