How to Deal With Phone Issues While Abroad It doesn’t matter where in the world you are. Whether you’re cruising the streets of Paris on a tandem bike, strolling through the narrow alleyways of Prague, or simply sitting in the house that you grew up in. Regardless of where you are, chances are that your […]
Tips on Surviving the First Few Weeks of Study Abroad
As a big city girl from Istanbul, living in Jönköping, a small Swedish town, was an amazing experience. Ever since I was 19 years old, when I decided to apply to the ERASMUS program (the most common way to study abroad in Europe) I dreamed about a semester full of crazy fun in a big […]
Exploring San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
Located northwest of Madrid, San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a small city with a big piece of history. A cheap and short (about an hour) train ride from Madrid will transport you to the city, making it a perfect day trip for anyone visiting Madrid or central Spain. The city features the classic winding […]
How to Deal With Culture Shock
We have all heard about it at some point in our lives, especially if you are someone who has been dreaming of studying abroad since preschool. We hear it from our foreign language teachers, peers who have returned from other countries, and travel blogs founded on seeing you through your overseas adventure into cultural immersion. […]
Parc Güell, Barcelona, Spain
If you have ever been to, read about, or seen pictures of Barcelona, chances are that you’re familiar with Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect who designed and drew up the plan for the Sagrada Familia (Barcelona’s most celebrated church) as well as the architectural vibe of the entire city. To really get a feel for […]
Amsterdam, Holland
Amsterdam is a city most notably praised for its vivid nightlife, and rightfully so. With a plethora of clubs, coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants ranging from Italian to Vietnamese and everything in between, the Red Light District has become a playground synonymous with the city of Amsterdam. As much as there is to offer in […]
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is a classic medieval city with a large, yet walkable, original Old Town surrounding the impressive Edinburgh castle. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town, built in the 18th century. Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town together […]
Generation Study Abroad
“Multi-dimensional.” “Insightful.” “Eye-opening.” “Indescribable.” “Transformational.” The Institute of International Education (IIE) has recently launched the Generation Study Abroad initiative with the goal of sending 600,000 U.S. students abroad each year by 2019. According to the Open Doors 2014 data, the rate of increase of study abroad participation has slowed to only 2%. The initiative aims […]
My Moment of Belonging in Quito
The year was 2007. A bus raced through downtown Quito, picking up passengers at both designated and less official curbside bus stops. People boarded and descended the bus stairs, all with lives, stories, and backgrounds that I could not help but feel curious about. A quick glance around me established my position as the only […]
CouchSurfing
Tired of fancy and expensive hotels? Looking to find FREE accommodations on your next trip? Want to make a new lifetime friend the moment you arrive to your destination? There is a little-known, secret hospitality exchange and social networking community by the name of CouchSurfing International. Okay, that’s a lie. It’s not little-known or secret, we just […]