Before visiting Belfast, I assumed the transition would be easy. Same language, broadly similar culture, I wasn’t expecting much of an adjustment. But it didn’t take long to realize I was wrong. The moment that made it real was stepping off the pavement and instinctively looking the wrong way before crossing the road. Beyond the…
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The Best Day Of The Trip!!
Today(5/16), we went on a water hike through the river. Rick and Skip told us that we would get pretty wet, whatever that meant. It all started with a ride down to the trail where we got off, took a short hike through the muddy terrain, and we made it to the river. At first,…
WOW, that water is blue!
Today(5/13) started with the standard breakfast at the Hostel with eggs, bread, and juice. We then went down to Cotacachi to have a ride on a boat on the lake. The view of the lake was absolutely beautiful. The lake was so blue that it was truly breathtaking since I am so used to the murky…
Adios Hershey’s
Today (5/11) was my birthday, so that’s pretty neat. Today started with breakfast, then we went to Yumbos Chocolate in the plaza in Quito. The guy at Yumbos explained the origins of chocolate in Ecuador and allowed us to sample all the different kinds of their chocolate, from the actual fruit to exotic flavors that…
Goodbye USA and Hello Ecuador!
Well, this journey started off a bit chaotic with having to wake up at 2:30 in the morning to go to the airport, but it wasn’t too bad. We flew to the hot and humid climate of Miami later in the morning, and then went to Miami Beach for a few hours after that. Then…
Finding my way around Florence
One of the things that I immediately noticed that was different about Florence was how small and compact the city is. The first thing we did after we landed was take a cab to our apartment, and the roads felt so different from the expansive multi lane highways we have at home. While in the…
Type B Traveler
Before coming to Belfast, I had never been abroad. My family vacations usually consisted of visiting my grandparents in MA or going to Myrtle Beach. As a matter of fact, I had only ever been on a plane a handful of times in my life. So, adjusting from my very limited travel and planning knowledge…
Exploring São Leopoldo
Only an hour’s drive from Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, lies São Leopoldo, a small but lively town where our group spent the majority of our time. We were staying at a small hotel directly across the street from Unisinos, our partner university here. With this proximity, we were able to…
Friendships formed in Hostels
During my time abroad I took many weekend trips to other countries. These budget trips were booked using the cheapest airlines and low rated hostels, but ended up always being an amazing time. One of my favorite aspects of these short vacations was the friendships I formed in my hostel rooms. Sometimes these rooms would…
An Introduction
Hello, everyone! My name is Annelise and I’m studying abroad in Senegal this May through the Research and Culture in Senegal program. In addition to my molecular biology major, I am doing a certificate in global health. Through my global health classes, we’ve talked a lot about health and sociology on other continents, particularly on…