For this week’s featured blogger, we are excited to introduce you to 20 year old, mid-west student, Hannah.. This year she is not only studying abroad and interning in London, England, but will then be spending a semester in Cairo, Egypt. She will also be visiting Paris and Poland during her stay in Europe. Here are just a few of our favorite segments of her must-read blog.
Hannah is going to LONDON
…it’s starting to feel like rather than traveling, I’m dying. Everyone feels the need to treat me as such. So many hugs. So many goodbye dinners. So much weight gain from goodbye coffee/dessert/slushie runs. Everyone wants to reminisce. Tell me how much they know I will enjoy being abroad. Ensure that they’ll see me upon returning. Which I appreciate but I mean, it’s only two months people. It’s all gonna be okay…We’re going to LONDON, America’s mother country, land of tea and crumpets and croquet. And lots of nonstereotypical but still awesome things I’m sure. What will I be doing there? I’ll be interning for a TV station in London as the social media intern, which will be an experience, as they expect me to build a social media empire from the ground up…….and I have zero experience in social media…I leave in two days. And I’ll be recording everything from now til forever HERE on this Tumblr—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The weird and also the mundane, although probably more of the former. I attract weirdness. Read More>>
Hannah is also going (later) to CAIRO …and even while I’m planning for London, this Cairo stuff is taking over like crazy. I’ll be doing an entire SEMESTER in Egypt, studying Arabic & journalism, soaking in the culture and things. Honestly, London feels kind of like just a primer for that. At least they speak English in London, right? I can’t imagine getting off a plane in Cairo, being the only white person in the airport, and stumbling around stuttering words in broken Arabic. Read More>> Sunset at the Louvre.
- The milk is sweeter. Don’t ask me why. Better-fed cows? More animal rights? I don’t know.
- Crumpets are NOT English muffins. They are thinner & stickier. And quite frankly more delicious, because they’re called crumpets.
- People keep left on the sidewalk, rather than right. This makes sense, as it falls in with the way they drive. But I CANNOT get it right. It’s awkward. I’m so American it hurts.
- Umbrellas are the accessory of choice. I very rarely see someone without one in hand, or in bag as the case may be.
- People tend to eat much healthier. Young guys in America I usually see eating chicken strips, fries, burgers, etc. Here, the young guys in my office eat grapes, apples, sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Explains the whole lack-of-major-obesity-stats thing. Read More>>
- View from the castle in Dover
Today, I explained to my coworkers about going to Egypt. I told them how I’m studying Arabic on top of journalism, how I’ll be taking journalism, Arabic, & politics courses over there. One of them—the one I was mainly explaining to—said, “That’s brilliant. Is this something your school does?”
I said yes, our school’s sending about three kids over to Cairo to study.
“And you’re one of those three?”
Told him yes, but then added my school sends about 30 kids apiece to the Western European countries like France, England, Spain, etc.
“Not to Egypt?”
I told him no.
“That’s funny. I’d think everyone would want to go.”
This made me really pause to think about why it is no one goes. Eventually, I explained to him that Americans are terrified of the Middle East—at least most of them…“That’s rubbish,” he said. “It’s the propaganda they put in your heads. It’s not nearly so bad.”
It’s just really, really interesting to hear that perspective—another country’s perspective on the Middle East. And it made me think.
This is why people should study abroad. I feel like my perceptions just all shifted, even the tiniest bit.
Read More>>
- For those of you that care, this is the REAL LIFE ALLEY that inspired Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. I kid you not, kiddos. Sorry about the quality. Again, my camera wasn’t having any of it.
…I decide I love London and I’m never going back to America again. Okay? Okay.
No, but seriously, I love it here. It’s grown on me so much. And today in class we met with Gary Knight, and he told us the story of how he became a foreign correspondent. Basically, he just up and moved to Cambodia, straight out of college. He didn’t know what he would do there, how he would make money there—he just saved up a bit and DID it.
In all honesty, I’m starting to think that’s what I’m going to have to do. I’m going to have to just get up and do it. Take a HUGE gamble and hope it turns out alright.
The question is, am I brave enough? Read More>>
- Stone Hedge.
Have you also been to London or Cairo? Rate your experience now!
Did this post inspire you to travel abroad? Check out some amazing study abroad locations in England, Egypt or anywhere around the world!
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