Missing My Costa Rican Home

Alex Somborn is a student at University of Arkansas and an ISA Featured Blogger. Alex is currently studying abroad with ISA in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I’ve been back in the U.S. for a total of 4 four days now, and let me tell you, it has been no walk in the park. I was warned about experiencing culture shock upon arrival in Costa Rica but there is nothing more shocking than coming back to the American culture as I have recently discovered. The agendas, the pace of life, the “instant gratification” speed of it all, it’s crazy, and it’s definitely something that takes time to adjust to.

The Unforgettable Tastes of Peru

Svetlana Fenichel is a student at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in Cusco, Peru.

Chicha morada, a common Peruvian drink made of purple corn, and picarones, a Peruvian sweet

There are so many things I am going to miss about Cusco: the people, the mountains, the language, the beautiful streets and plazas. All of these things have become so dear to me over the last three months. But above all, I am surely going to crave the delicious meals my host mother has been cooking for me.

Saying “Slan” to Ireland

Elizabeth Hurd is a student at Saginaw Valley State University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Elizabeth is currently studying abroad with ISA in Galway, Ireland.

It’s an odd feeling, really. I’m sitting in my room with my suitcases half packed. I’m organizing my paperwork and making sure everything is in order. I’m cleaning my apartment, to make sure that everything is in order for me to leave.

Saying Goodbye to Sevilla: 5 Things I’ll Never Forget About My Semester Abroad

Kayleigh Fladung is a student at University of Dayton and an ISA Featured Blogger. Kayleigh is currently studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain.

Plaza de Santa Isabel is down the street from my apartment. There are usually people eating lunch, playing music or catching up with friends under the gorgeous orange trees.

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” — Mary Anne Radmacher Hershey

With my days left in Sevilla hitting single digits I can’t help but think back to the very beginning of this journey and how it has changed me. All of the planning, decision-making and nerves about studying abroad quickly turned into the trip of a lifetime once I stepped off the plane in Madrid three months ago. Spain is a beautiful country, and Sevilla is rich in history, culture and tradition. I’ve seen my fair share of Spanish cities over the past few months, and while each has something special to offer, I always find myself thankful for choosing Sevilla. I could list one hundred things that make Sevilla uniquely wonderful, but here are five of the things I’ll always remember about my time here.

South Korea: Learning the Local Language

Bao Yang is a student at Mount Mary College and a Classmates Connecting Cultures Blogger corresponding with the Social Work Club at Mount Mary. Bao is currently studying abroad with ISA in Seoul, Korea.

Can you see the mixture of English and Korean? A clash of the old and new society.

What’s the need for there to be so many different languages in the world? Wouldn’t it be easier if the world spoke only one language? But of course, that would require the people of the world to have the same culture. After all, language distinguish one group from another. Otherwise, we would all be grouped into Asians, Caucasians, Africans and so on. By the way, these race groups (Asians, Caucasians etc.) don’t exist; only ethnicity and culture exist.

Winds of Change in Chile

Samantha McCauley is a student at Miami University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Samantha is currently studying abroad with ISA in Valparaíso, Chile.

View the bedroom window where we watched the first thunderstorm of the winter.

The other day I started to walk from the city of Valparaíso to my class in the neighboring town of Viña del Mar. It takes a little over an hour on the sidewalk that runs along the ocean, but it is a pleasant walk that I like to take every now and then. The other day, however, there was a strong wind coming in from the ocean and dark clouds off in the distance. I was only about halfway to Viña del Mar when the rain came.

It’s Time to Hang My Hat and Leave Granada

I have tried to write this blog post about 12 different times, and I still do not know how to express how I feel about leaving. I’ll admit, although I am bursting with excitement to see my friends and family, the idea of leaving Granada is a bit scary.

My Turning Point in Chile

Molly Sorensen is a student at The College of New Jersey and an ISA Featured Blogger. Molly is currently studying abroad with ISA in Valparaíso, Chile.

“Nothing behind me, everything in front of me, as is ever so on the road,” – Jack Kerouac

Since writing last, my perception of Valpo has done a complete 180-degree turn.  Within the past two weeks, I have had some of my most trying moments, followed closely by some of my best. 

Things I Miss About England: My British Flatmates

Jessica Tierney is a student at the University of California, Riverside and an ISA Featured Blogger. Jessica is currently studying abroad with ISA in Reading, England.

An American sandwich, ya’ll (that’s Georgia in the middle)

I’m not in England anymore. I’m no longer opening my blinds in the morning to see snow, or taking a train into London, or jetting off for the weekend to other countries. I left all that behind almost two weeks ago. I’m not going to lie…I’ve been missing England so I figured I should talk to my favorite Brit that I met while I was across the pond.

Paris: An Interview with My Professor

Emma Lofthus is a student at Luther College and an ISA Featured Blogger. Emma is currently studying abroad with ISA in Paris, France.

I had that chance to speak with with my Cinema professor, Irène Savarit-Ghebreyal, and ask her about Paris. Irène was born in NYC to French parents and moved back to Paris at a young age. She has now been living in Paris for 40 years. Living in the 9^th arrondissement, she is now married to an Egyptian man, her life consisting of 3 different cultures. I asked for her opinions on Paris and France. Here are her responses to my questions, which I’ve translated from French.

Rodin museum, 7th arrondissement – one of my fave places in Paris too