I’d been home for a week when I met up with two other Pitt students from the FAME group in Pittsburgh. It was summer, so we met in the city rather than on campus. Within about ten minutes, all three of us had said the same thing, none of us prompted by the others: the…
One Visa, Eight Countries
It was my first trip out of France, a bus to Belgium, about six hours. I had my papers ready. I assumed we’d pull over somewhere, everyone would get off, and somebody would look at my visa. That’s what a border is. When I take the Greyhound from Montreal to Pittsburgh, in New York, the…
Learning the Language
One of my ultimate goals of the program was to learn basic, conversational Portuguese. I partially achieved this goal within the timeframe of my study abroad program. While I did not become conversational, I successfully mastered basic daily greetings (such as “Olá,” “Bom dia,” and “Obrigada”) and learned how to confidently order food and drinks…
Reflections from London
As I journey back to the University of Pittsburgh, I have spent time reflecting on the transformative summer I had in London. Living, working, commuting, and exploring in London have taught me more than I ever could have imagined about myself and my career goals. I always knew I wanted to study abroad while in…
An Expedition to Edinburgh
The virtue of being based in London for an internship is that when the weekend comes and you want to escape a heatwave, there are many contingencies to choose from. For one of my roommates and me, the obvious choice was to head north and spend a weekend in Scotland. The cheapest and easiest way…
Tchau Portugal!
It has been 2 weeks since I came back to Pittsburgh after spending the most eye-opening and fantastic summer in Portugal. After taking time to adjust back to my routine schedule at home, spending time with family, and catching up with friends, I still can’t believe that I had such a great opportunity with the…
Reflecting on Portugal: Adventures in Architecture
After working, living, and exploring for two months in Portugal, I am excited to be back in the United States. I am incredibly grateful for all I got to experience while abroad. The lessons I learned through my internship and my travels will stay with me as I move on from Pitt towards the next…
Learning a New Field in Lisbon
Going into this internship abroad, one of my primary goals was to take the leap into a new field of study. Throughout my time studying History and Museum Studies at Pitt, I found myself drawn to the study of architecture. Not only did the field intersect a lot with my own work, but I was…
Adventuring in Madeira
About halfway through my program my friend, Elena, who is currently a student at Rhode Island College and was also a summer intern, felt we needed a much-needed getaway from work and the busy city of Lisbon. Our unforgettable weekend in Madeira would be the first real “aha” moment I had during my study abroad….
Sophie is Flying to Portugal!
Olá from Lisbon, Portugal! My name is Sophie Wyszomierski and I am a senior graduating at the end of the summer with an Honors degree in History and Museum Studies. June and July, I spent my time in Lisbon as a full-time research intern at the Faculty of Architecture in the University of Lisbon. I…