By Maddie R.

Published Feb. 7, 2023

I have wanted to study abroad since I was an eighth grader in geography, a high schooler in world history and then a college student who had the opportunity to make it happen. I had this picture in my mind of what it would look like: the country I would go to, the people I…

By Leslie C.

Published Feb. 3, 2023

Having now been abroad for most of the month of January, I am eager to share a taste of what my life has been like in Alicante, Spain. Every day is an opportunity to gain new perspectives within the plethora of cultural encounters and language breakthroughs that I experience here. One of the primary motivating…

By Jordan M.

Published Feb. 1, 2023

Although I have only been in Manchester for about four days, I already have good information that could be useful to potential study abroad travelers and/or family. The first thing I would like to address is the initial feeling when you finally arrive to wherever you are studying abroad. It can be super overwhelming and…

By Arianna G.

Published Jan. 30, 2023

I have yet to talk about day to day, mundane but necessary stuff. For one, public transportation in Europe is not overhyped. It is so convenient, fairly easy to navigate, cheap and good for the environment. I typically take the bus into town 1–2 times a week. I opted not to get a bus pass…

By Gibson H.

Published Jan. 26, 2023

An outside look over Alicante My first month in Spain has been better than I could’ve imagined. I’m staying with an amazing host mom who has helped me find great restaurants and places to see. For the first month, I’ve been taking an intensive language course, which has really helped me make conversation with all…

By Sarah T.

Published Jan. 24, 2023

I have been in San Jose, Costa Rica, for a little over a week now. I arrived around noon Saturday, Jan. 7, and my experience has been filled with new adventures. The day after I arrived, I toured downtown San Jose and Britt Coffee with the other CIS study abroad students. I LOVE coffee and…

By Lauren H.

Published Jan. 20, 2023

National Museum of Baroque Art in Puebla, Mexico I'm Lauren Hines, and I just spent three weeks in Cuernavaca, Mexico, studying Spanish. My great-grandmother spoke Spanish but didn't pass it down to her daughter after facing years of discrimination. So learning the language that was lost in my family is important to me. Sculptures of…

By Kaitlin J.

Published Jan. 18, 2023

Group of students on Tortuguero Beach My time abroad in Costa Rica is one I will never forget! I learned all about the culture and people of Costa Rica. One of my favorite experiences was traveling to the village of Tortuguero. We saw all sorts of wildlife while we were there throughout the rainforests. There…

By Mary H.

Published Jan. 16, 2023

As a graduate student, I didn’t think that I would get the chance to study abroad again, so I was very excited for the opportunity to spend two weeks learning about social justice and human rights in Costa Rica over winter break. We started the program with an excursion to Tortuguero National Park, where we were woken up every…

By Kerry J.

Published Jan. 12, 2023

As I sit between gates E78 and E79 in Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, it is very clear that my semester abroad has come to an end and I must return to the United States of America. I will be back in my home state of Iowa just in time for…