Did I give Spain culture shock?
By Abigail P.
Published Oct. 25, 2018
As I walk through the streets of Seville, I can feel the stares seeping into my dark skin like the sun that was soaking into my melanin. The stares weren’t unnoticed, and I wondered why they were so persistent. “Nobody has seen hair like yours,” my host mom would tell me as I took down…
Are you ready to go?
By Miriam A.
Published Aug. 30, 2018
No one told me coming back home would be harder than leaving to study halfway across the world. As my plane touched down in Houston, Texas, where I would be spending my summer before returning to Mizzou, I was so surprised at how anxious I felt. I didn't want to be there. At all. I…
I’m blonde, no entiendo nada
By Lane B.
Published Aug. 27, 2018
In the U.S. blondes are sterotypically, well, dumb. They are spacey and smiley and can seem a little lost. In Chile, where I am often the only blonde in a room, my hair means something slightly different. Coupled with my sub par Spanish, it immediately marks me as either a hapless exchange student or a…
Four seminars in 28 days
By Elizabeth G.
Published Aug. 23, 2018
While my time at Philipps-Universität Marburg lasted only one month, it was a exciting and uniquely challenging experience. Through this program, I was able to visit Germany and participate in several condensed classes and seminars. Our topic was "Germany and Europe in a Turbulent World", and I chose seminars relating to capitalism, feminism, minorities and,…
Top 10 things in London
By Fatima J.
Published Aug. 10, 2018
1. Take a picture with a red telephone booth. 2. Have a thali at Masala Zone 3. Buy flowers from Columbia Road Flowers Market. 4. Spot the London Eye. 5. Find the Redemption Wings in Shoreditch. 6. Develop an obsession for Korean food at Jihwaja. 7. Be fancy at Sketch tea room. 8. Go shopping…
Another version of StrengthsQuest?
By Chelsey H.
Published Aug. 8, 2018
In my internship seminar course in London, we were assigned to take an assessment similar to the infamous StrengthsQuest. I have never considered how my own personal attitudes and behaviors aligned with my current work placement and my future career goals until taking the self-assessment from the Cultural Analysis Toolkit. Not only did this assessment…
Moments only meaningful me
By Alexis H.
Published Aug. 6, 2018
I overstayed my program in Spain and yet it still seems too short. I have not even been in the United States long enough to discover if reverse culture shock is a thing. My guess is it is a term used for us who have fallen in love with a country and will now need…
An American’s guide to: London transportation
By Alaina W.
Published July 16, 2018
London’s public transportation is one of the greatest systems in the world. It keeps you from having to Uber to all of the best destinations (I’m looking at you, Paris) and it’s a part of immersing yourself in the culture as numerous people commute to and from work via the great Transport for London vehicles.…
It’s not what you see, it’s who you see
By Kelli D.
Published July 12, 2018
Even when you're a world apart These friends last deep in your heart I know, it's sappy to read and say But I wouldn't have it any other way You throw 18 strangers all in the same place And they build connections that are hard to erase Our majors are different Our paths are, too…
La vie en rose
By Fatima J.
Published July 11, 2018
People often say living abroad changes you. I never really understood to full extent what that meant until my internship abroad this summer in London. Prior to coming to London, I was beyond excited to come here and get away from everything. I did not think about how much of an adjustment it would be…