By now, it has been two months since I first arrived. Now I know how to speak a little bit of Italian, I’ve been taking Italian classes every school day. I am able to communicate at the restaurant and at the supermarket and I am able to understand most of what I read. I know…
First Month in Rome
It has been a month in Rome. I have been living with 5 roommates which I get along with very well. This month has been very cool, I have visited all the the historic monuments in Rome which are extraordinary. My life style has changed a bit from what I’m used to, I have a…
Pre-Departure Rome
I have lived in the Caribbean all of my life, bouncing between the Islands of St. Maarten and Puerto Rico. Interacting with Hispanic, French and Dutch citizens has allowed me to develop a culturally diverse identity. Moving to Winter Park proved to be a challenging experience. Campus life proved to be intellectually exciting, but socially,…
Only a week left in Argentina
This morning, I began to pack my suitcases. Next week, I will leave Buenos Aires and come home. It is quite a bittersweet departure, four months seems like not much time here but such a long time away from home. Finals begin on Monday, and I honestly have no idea where my time here went….
Miss Me, London?: The Highs & Lows of Fall Break
Before you begin booking your flights, looking at options for Airbnbs, and picking out your outfits for fall break, beware! Here is a guide on what to do: guard your items at all costs, do not encounter crazy locals, do not run into metal poles on the coastline, do not enter the Mediterranean sea (unless…
Education in Buenos Aires
Description Porteños lack knowledge of their own history. It’s a common theme in the city that has become too noticeable during the interactions I have with the locals. Repeatedly, I notice their ignorance. Some of these discrepancies can be compared to the uneducated American that doesn’t know what the 13 stripes on our flag signify,…
Blog #2: G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S! The Honeymoon Phase in London
The birds are chirping, the Tube rides are uncramped and despite all of my courses and long internship hours, I still have enough time to explore London – I wish! In reality, you hear the noise of the city before you ever hear the birds, the Tube rides are ten minute sweat sessions – where…
Pre-Departure Blog: Identity Crisis: Florida to London
London is a mixing pot of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and experiences. Meanwhile, I grew up in a small suburban town in Central Florida, am Christian, and a white middle-class American. To say I am excited to delve into the ever-expanding cultural palette of London is a vast understatement. Although I have traveled throughout North America,…
Australia or Whoville
Given I have spent about 4 months in Australia already, I can say without a doubt that I have experienced Cultural Confrontation, Cultural Adjustment, Cultural Adaptation, and Cultural Euphoria. I experienced a very intense sensation of cultural confrontation even just upon arrival at the university. It was close to impossible to not feel like an…
Curtis S. Chin
The statements made by Curtis S. Chin are not only broad generalizations, but they are also pessimistic and potentially ignorant in nature (in that this frame of thinking can be applied to any facet of life and/ or education). While studying abroad might not be “essential to a good education”, it is important to define…