Studying abroad has been a goal for me ever since I got to college. I’ve barely ventured outside of the United States, and have never spent any time in Europe. I have spent nearly the entirety of my life in New Jersey, and, as of recently, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While a large part of my…
Introduction: ISA Madrid
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go abroad. Growing up, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to a wide variety of places. Each place my family traveled to, I was always finding that I did not have enough time to fully submerge myself into my…
BSEL Reflection
It’s been a while since I’ve returned from my experience in Berlin and I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given. I feel more capable than every to handle myself in foreign situations, and find my way through any obstacle. The diverse group of people I met are friends that I hope to…
Introduction: CIEE Shanghai
Since the end of the CET Harbin program until the start of my next study abroad program CIEE Shanghai, I have actually not left China and do not plan on going back to the US until December. In total, my whole entire study abroad venture in China is just over six months. Two months in…
Give me a minute…
Reflecting back on the past two months in Harbin, my time in Harbin has completely flown by. Looking back to the beginning of the program where I could barely exchange simple information in Mandarin to now confidently telling a Chinese person who is trying to cut a line to buy a train ticket to go…
Time to Go Home, 我们走！
This is probably the most difficult blog to write because it means the end of my time in China. Before going abroad, I was so worried that I had taken on too much of a challenge by committing to Shanghai, especially for two months. I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to talk to…
Getting to Know 上海 (Shanghai)
The first few weeks abroad were incredible—full of new experiences and new people. The very first week I was so excited to be in Shanghai and I took everything in. It’s funny to look back at the first day in Shanghai, tired after not sleeping on the 13-hour plane ride, but following our roommates around…
The Daily Grind, Ground Beef!
I chose to intern at Heartland Brothers this summer because I wanted a marketing internship in the food industry. They import and fabricate beef and pork which comes from farms in the Midwest of the US. When consulting with our internship coordinator, I also heard that they always make lunch in the office, and if…
Cultural competence all around
This past weekend, I’ve come back from adventuring around more of Ireland. Although I’ve been here for nearly two months, the country’s landscape and even Dublin city is still just as amazing as on the first day. One thing I can’t get over is the greenery. There is an insane amount of greenery basically everywhere…