What They Don’t Tell You

I have recently begun living with my host family after spending two weeks in a hotel room. I was shocked by the complete shift in my life. It is as if the two weeks I spent in that hotel room were some sort of strange dream, and I had forgotten what exactly this adventure entailed. …

Reality has Never Been so Fun!

Classes have begun This past week, we started our classes. I am taking Consumer Behavior, Social Media, and Sydney Landscapes & History. When comparing the course load and grading system to Hope College, there are many differences. For instance, you are never graded on your homework and the professor would not know if you did …

“Salut, ça va?” : Mes interactions en Suisse

“Salut”, in French, functions as the equivalent of saying “hi” to a good friend in English, while “ça va” resembles “how are you?”. As you can imagine, this isn’t a phrase that I get to say while I am on Hope’s campus… except to those in my French classes.  In Geneva, this is a phrase …

First Stop Down Under

The thing that comes to mind when I think about my first week here down under is wow, I have knocked so many things off my bucket list already. The day I got here, I did miss my connecting flight to Cairns. That was not fun, to say the least, but it only put 5 …

Preparing for Take-Off

Hello everyone, As I am preparing to leave for Australia, a lot has been circling through my mind. People keep asking me, “Kass, are you done packing yet?”. I respond with a laugh and announce that I haven’t even yet begun. I guess you could say I have a problem with procrastination. However, I am …

12 Days to Departure!

It is 12 days before I leave for Japan, and it’s starting to sink in that I am leaving the country for an extended period of time. 11 months! My wanting to go to Japan started in first grade with a school project. Ever since then, it has been an exhaustive journey trying to get …

To Greece!

Hey! I’m Zoe! This is my first blog post and I cannot express how excited I am to share my experiences with you! In just two weeks I will be in Greece beginning my semester through College Year in Athens. Although I am nervous about the upcoming semester, I know that this an amazing experience …

Hasta Luego

Hola a Todos, Welcome to my blog! I am thrilled and a bit nervous to begin my trip in just a few days. There is a lot I’m anticipating from this trip, and I’m excited to share that with you all. When I began looking into study abroad programs, I was overjoyed to discover the …

Spring Break Part 2: Croatia at Last!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Croatia was the last stop on my spring break travel itinerary. What started as an average morning soon turned into a reminder about personal realms of control and the importance of perseverance.  The day started at 4am. My friends and I were staying in Rotterdam and had a …

Conquering grocery shopping abroad

Something I never realized I was privileged to love is abundant, humongous American grocery stores. Oh, the glory of a Target! (Glory I have never basked in.) The joys of getting everything you need––ground beef, foot scrub, those smiley face fries from elementary school, and a puffer jacket––all in one place!  All of that American …