This past week, our group flew in an 18 seater Polynesian Airlines plane to American Samoa. Going in to another home stay, I was hesitant thinking there was no way I would get so lucky with my families twice in a row. I, once again, was in for a wonderful surprise. We were greeted by…
Category: SIT Study Abroad
Reunited (with America) and it feels so good!
Today is my official two month anniversary in Samoa. It’s unbelievable to me that I have been on this tiny, beautiful island for eight weeks now. We were able to visit American Samoa for a week and to think that months ago I couldn’t point out American Samoa on a map is appalling. American Samoa…
No one is clean in war
I hear a lot of things about Kosovo, living in Serbia. I hear that it is the heart of Serbia, that Serbia is nothing without it. I hear that the people who live there have pushed the Serbs out, that America is to blame because of that. I knew that what once was a province…
Macedonia for the Night
Unlike several of the other Rollins Abroad programs, my program allows for only two independent travel opportunities. Our program coordinator approved only independent visits to countries of the former Yugoslavia and for my first trip I ended up in Skopje, Macedonia. I was originally planning to go to Slovenia with a friend but hours before…
Excursion #2: Savai’i
Following our week in the village of Lotofaga and a week back on campus at USP, we found ourselves unable to get too comfortable before we left again for Savai’i. Savai’i is the other major island in Samoa and is the larger of the two. One of the most vivid memories from the trip was…
Armando Abroad: Safety Revisited
The “everything is awesome and new and exciting feeling” of being here has largely worn off and I have started to notice more things beneath the surface in Jordan. I feel just as safe as I did when I wrote “‘but isn’t it dangerous?!” (Read Post), but I have started to realize that, ironically, law enforcement…
Lotofaga: Village Stay
After two weeks in Apia on USP’s campus where we were all finally adjusting, we packed up our things and were sent off to Lotofaga. Lotofaga is one of the 300+ villages in Samoa, on the southern coast of the island where it is very rural. When we arrived, us “palagis” were welcomed with a…
September/Septembar: Collusion and Cohesion
I have had to include 2 blog posts simultaneously. The first is from my first week in Serbia, and the second is from this week as I prepare to go to Kosovo. ABeCeDa and Azbuka The past week has been an exciting, yet very introspective time. I have been pulled to my limitations in terms…
Turning 21 in Amman with 12 cakes and 3 Parties
I am honestly feeling a bit speechless. Jordanian and general Arab hospitality is indeed world renowned, but the love I have felt these past several days is with little comparison. Turning 21 in Jordan was a dream realized. We left on the day of my birthday, September 19th, to a city named As-Salt, as part…