With less than a month left in Canada’s capital, the inevitable goodbyes are fast approaching. The snow from the long winter is melting away and the sun is shyly coming out of hiding. Summer is returning, and there is a buzz in the air, yet our hearts are heavy. Being so far away from home…
A Semester studying in Florence, Italy
In September, I moved to Florence to start my year abroad as part of my Italian and English Literature degree. Moving to Florence not knowing anyone was extremely daunting but from the first week my experience was nothing like I expected. One thing I was worried about was meeting people, as the University does not…
Skiing through the winter blues
Currently, the news is dominated by stories of the “big freeze” occurring across North America. Niagara Falls is frozen, thousands of flights have been cancelled and many people have been severely injured and even killed by the crazy temperatures. In the midst of the hysteria, my host city of Ottawa has been forgotten despite being…
Fall Canoe Trip – the ultimate Canadian experience
I started my exchange year with a fierce determination to blog regularly, eager to jot down memories of my time in Canada before they faded into patchy memories. However, as the first semester flew by, blogging quickly fell down my list of priorities beneath weekend getaways and continuous deadlines. So, to make up for it…
My First Semester at UConn – USA
It was a year ago I decided to apply for a year abroad – almost right before the deadline. It is surreal to think that my first semester at The University of Connecticut is almost over. Looking back, I have managed to fit in a lot. From going to my first tailgate and American football…
Go Abroad!
Hello! Apologies for the lack of blog posts – now that I have a substantial number of deadlines looming it seems like an appropriate time to fill in the gaps of the long silence. It feels surreal that it’s already November, but the rapidly plummeting temperatures (it’s currently around minus 9 Celsius, save me) are…
The first month in Okayama, Japan
So I’ve been in Okayama, Japan for 1 month! It’s been a whirlwind few weeks of paperwork, rules, important letters which I cannot read, and frustratingly inefficient procedures which you might not expect from Japan. Yet: I have emerged from the tunnel of tests – medical and Japanese – and I can’t tell you how…
Thoughts before a year abroad in Hong Kong
My name is Hannah, and I am a law student about to embark on a year abroad at the University of Hong Kong. I am currently up to my ears in preparations for heading out to Hong Kong (i.e. visa applications, learning agreements, figuring out just how many pairs of socks will be required…). As…
What brought me to Ottawa
For me, going on exchange was an inevitability; my addiction to travel gave me no choice in the matter. I could not even contemplate waving goodbye to my friends as they jetted off on exchanges while I was left behind – I had to have my own adventure. The only factor that made me hesitate…
Hello! I’m Jess, as new to blogging as I am to being a Brit abroad so I apologise in advance for my stunted ramblings and irregular posting. I have little faith in my own blog-maintenance abilities but every faith in the International Office politely reminding me that it’s been a while since I posted an…
10 American Clichés (that are true!), by Yaiza Andres
Have you ever heard of the American dream? Well, I’m living it and it’s as clichéd as you can imagine, and then a little bit more… I am currently an exchange student at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, also known as the middle of no-where; it’s picture-perfect small-town America. However, don’t let that deter…
First impressions, by Lily Settari
So here I am, almost two weeks after I headed off to France, trying to put my first impressions into words. I’m taking a break from Edinburgh here in Grenoble, a city in the French Alps with about 100,000 inhabitants. I’m not a language student, so this was an entirely voluntary decision, because living abroad,…
