The final week in Belgrade I spent much time packing, and repacking just to make sure that I had everything ready by the time I had to leave the city. I did not have much time to ponder about the great concept of things, and what had just passed over upwards of three months ago….
Back in the US – Life After Japan
As of today, its been a little over a week that I’ve been back in the states after my study abroad experience in Japan. It’s been quite hard adjusting back to American life for me, and the jet lag was definitely my least-wanted Christmas gift this year. Even though I saw them less than a…
Looking Back
Now that it has been almost an entire month since the 40+ hour travel home from Samoa, I have had time to stop and think about how my life changed in the past four months and what I experienced. On one of my flights home, I decided to make a list of only a few…
Reflecting on Shanghai
Wow. I didn’t know re adjusting would be so weird. It’s been very interesting coming back to my home country and seeing all the things we take for granted. It has opened up my eyes to a lot of problems we face as well as a lot of opportunities for growth in both countries. I…
SHANG-BYE
Now that my time has ended in Shanghai, I can only look back and thing about what my life would have been this year. How many places I wouldn’t have seen, people I would’ve never met, lessons learnt, and most importantly, culture I would not have experienced – especially the food. So after much reflecting…
Hello from the Other Side (of the Atlantic)
This winter break has been the strangest two weeks of my life. When I travel home for break, it’s typically a 1800 mile stretch, so I’m used to not seeing my friends for months on end. The 4683 miles from London to Denver feels the same. The time I’ve spent at home has felt completely normal and I’m…
Armando At Home: A Brief Reflection on Identity
We’ve all heard that “you don’t know what you have until you lose it” and that “distance makes the heart grow fonder,” two expressions that come to mind when I consider how my travels have affected my identity. I left for Jordan seeking perspective and an appreciation for a different culture than my own, and…
Lisbon, Doha and Paris in 10 days: Part 1
October 29 – 31: Lisbon, Portugal About 2 weeks after I travelled to Prague, it was time for me to make way for Lisbon. Ihe was already supposed to travel to Doha for the WISE Summit to present a project that I was working via the WISE Learners Program. Since Qatar Foundaton was already covering…