I can’t believe I am about to start my semester-long journey to London. It is not exaggeration to say I’ve been waiting for this moment since high school, when I first became fascinated by London, even though I’ve never had the chance to visit. I am overcome by many different emotions, many similar to the…
New adventures
I am having the time of my life here!!! Since I last posted, I visited the Blue Mountains with my friends Lizzie (from Ohio) and Emma (from Russia), went surfing at Bondi, and started some amazing classes at the University of Sydney, making friends of all nationalities everywhere. The Blue Mountains were breathtaking, especially since we…
A few weeks in!
A few weeks have passed, and I feel more than settled in this beautiful city. The English/ Australian accent is no trouble anymore, I can handle the slang, and I already know the transport system like the back of my hand! Two weeks ago we (TEAN group) went surfing to Bondi Beach which was an…
Back in the States!
I have now been back in my own country for a little over two weeks. I have noticed slight differences, but luckily the reverse culture shock has not been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The biggest differences I noticed were at supermarkets and restaurants. First of all, it saddens me to…
My Last Day in the Haven
At this very moment, I have t-minus 11 hours until I leave Florida for Lancaster University, and as I sit here writing my first entry I am full of mixed emotions. My summer is ending. I have finished an amazing research opportunity and I have also come back from teaching at a summer camp. But…
And the adventure begins…
When I signed up for a semester abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand, I had no idea of what I was getting into. We leave Fiji to arrive in Auckland and explore city life. Our “orientation” consists of the Auckland Sky Tower and White Water Rafting over the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall, at 21 feet….
Jordan, Three Weeks Prior
As the summer winds down, I find myself increasingly anxious about my departure to Jordan. The weeks of this summer have passed under ceaseless study of Islam and the Middle Eastern region, however, with a focus toward Turkey. Jordan is different. As the son of an Arab, I’ve been blessed with a first hand insight…
Ready for Israel
So I wrote this a week ago and for some reason it didn’t publish. The wifi here in Israel is a little difficult, so I’ve been here a week but I’m going to re-post it now: I have a 6 hour layover here at JFK and its finally hitting me that I’m about to go…
Classes have started
Classes have started and I am a little nervous for the weeks to come. They are completely different than what I am used to at Rollins. They are much larger and more of a lecture style. I am taking a biology class in which I feel like I may struggle with. I think the main…
Cheers mate!
Since I boarded the plane in Caracas, Venezuela, I knew there was a huge adventure in front of me, specially since getting to Sydney did not take 1, but 2 days of flying around South America. So I finally get to Sydney, and the first thing that amazes me is how friendly and energetic the…