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 …

Returning Home: Final Semester Thoughts

Alas, the semester has come to an end, and I have safely returned to the same time zone as my friends and family. Upon returning, with new memories and pictures stored on my phone, I couldn’t help but be nostalgic about the experiences that have characterized the last few months. I must admit, though it …

Living with a Host Parent

One of the best components of my study abroad program was living with a host parent. I am super blessed to have had the opportunity to meet and live with my host mom. She is energetic, personable, and extremely kind. She was interested in me and my life, and she even opened up her home …

Foreign Travel and Study Abroad: What’s the catch?

Switzerland is conveniently located in the center of Europe, allowing access to a multitude of sub-regions within the European continent….and I may or may not have taken advantage of this characteristic already. Let’s recap:  Where I have traveled to, since the beginning of the semester? Bern, Switzerland Munich, Germany Paris, France Brussels, Belgium Grindelwald, Switzerland …

Post-Finals Activity: Commencing the Independent Study Project

(Bonus, my go-to study tunes are included below!) Alas, my final exams are finished!  But, what does that mean for the rest of the semester? If you think that the answer is that I have four free weeks to hang out with Swiss cows (though, I wish I could)… it’s actually quite the opposite.  While …

Sabbath Solo Trip to Grindelwald

As I have mentioned in some of my other posts, I enjoy taking solo trips. Inspired by my successful outing to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, I decided to take the Sabbath to rest and recuperate (from the full week of classes and an academic trip that were now behind me).  But what did this …

These “montagnes” !

My first visit to Switzerland was in 2015; my family and I were traveling to another European country when we had a layover in Geneva. During the brief 4 hours we were there, I remained in awe of the landscape. I even remember pointing out the Swiss alps from my airplane window upon our descent!   …

Au revoir aux États-Unis

“There’s only so much preparation you can do for a chapter of unknowns”.  A friend reminded me of this subtle, yet powerful, phrase the other day. Her wisdom came shortly after I explained the lingering, paradoxical feelings of nerves and excitement that have grown as the number of days that I have left in the …