I’ve spent the past four hours researching UofN while watching Border Patrol: Australia on Netflix. Its freezing outside and my body is working to fight off some undetermined illness. Despite my bodily conditions, my day has been incredibly productive and has sparked all sorts of Ausome excitement. ILead : After searching for a while for…
Pre-departure Update: *screams internally for a year*
So here we are. It’s a month and 6 days before I board my flight and travel across the universe. At this point the reality of my journey is both a distant fantasy and so close that it eats up my air. I find myself in alternating states of wondrous excitement and crushing anxiety. Although…
A City for Discovery
A couple weeks in to my time here in London, I find myself constantly amazed by this city. More than anything, I have found it in many ways to be a city both of contrast and convergence. It is a place where history exists adjacent contemporary, the greyness of a rainy day is speckled by…
Time to explore!!
For the past week and half I have been exploring around London, eating at local restaurants/trying all the food along the street, and visit different art galleries. It has been so fun venturing around the area because everything is so close and public transportation is great! The transportation is so awesome here that a bus…
Bali: Pre-Departure
I am currently glued to the fireplace in my aunt’s house thanking myself for choosing a study abroad location that has a warm climate. Yesterday I left the sunshine state to fly to New Jersey to say goodbye to my family before leaving for the Island of Gods – Bali! On Sunday I will embark…
2 Weeks In
It’s been nearly three weeks since the start of my semester at QMUL, and it has been amazing so far. The university courses are challenging but very intriguing, and I feel like I’m learning a lot here. Academics are mostly self-guided. Classes are only once a week, which is great because it gives me days…
Reflection on Identity
As a part of my study abroad program here in Hong Kong, I was asked to reflect on how my identity influences my experience of the world. Well, to begin, it is a little bit difficult to define my identity. I am a student, I am a women, I am a sister, amongst many other…
Pre-Departure
Hello, my name is Jesse Shaffer and I’m a double major in International Business and Economics, later tonight I will be departing for my next semester at Maynooth University. Being given this opportunity is a great privilege that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I am unsure of what is to…
Pre & Post Departure
The past ten days have been extremely eventful. Before my arrival (today) in Aix-en-Provence, I visited my roommate in Morocco and my friend + family in Paris. Morocco is beautiful, and I’m pleased that I was finally able to visit the country. My roommate lives in Casablanca, although we spent the majority of our time in Marrakech….