Study Abroad Travel Experiences

A Few Of My Favorite Study Abroad Photos

10 of my favorite study abroad photos and the story behind them

This post was prompted by a number of things including a recent feeling of nostalgia, my quickly developing Paint.net skills, and my recent interest in Pinterest. While most of these photos were chosen because they’re tied to an important memory, some were chosen simply because they came out really well (if I do say so myself). Regardless of why they were chosen, here are 10 of my favorite study abroad photos. (more…)

My final study abroad trip to Southern China

Suzhou Administrators Garden Shanghai Hangzhou And Suzhou

A canal in Suzhou near The Administrator’s Garden

I’ve been back in the States for almost a month now, but somehow I still haven’t managed to post about the end of my study experience in Beijing. The list of things I wanted to get done in the 3 weeks before I flew home was pretty long. Surprisingly, I was actually able to check most of it off as done by the time I my plane took off (never did make it to the temple of heaven), but I’ll probably save that for another post. I wanted to take this time to write about my favorite part of those last few weeks – my trip to Shanghai, Hangzhou (China’s post card city), and Suzhou. (more…)

The Ultimate Weekend Travel Packing List

Two Men Backpacking Weekend Travel Packing List

Backpacks – totally superior to the rolling suitcase

Other than your inter-semester break (if you’re abroad for a year) or the occasional week-long vacation, most of your trips while abroad will be for 5 days or less. The common method is to leave Thursday night, skip class on Friday, travel for the long weekend, and then head back to your university on Sunday night. While I’ve written a number of posts in the past about prep and packing for studying abroad, I’ve yet to cover what you should bring on these long-weekend adventures. So, inspired by both the success of 2 Suitcases + 1 Year = Study Abroad Packing List, as well as my recent trip to Southern China, I decided to create The Ultimate Weekend Travel Packing List. (more…)

A little liquid cultural immersion

This probably goes without saying, but most students have a beer or 10 when they’re abroad. If you’ve read “The Ultimate Study Abroad Guide“, you’ll know that alcohol has a different place in cultures outside of the U.S., and that bar hopping and socials (which usually turn into bar hopping) are actually a important part of most clubs, sports, and activities. Not to mention alcohol usually has a connection to a country’s history, so visiting a place like the Guinness Storehouse and having a beer actually has an academic/cultural benefit. Here are my favorite beers and booze from my time abroad. (By the way, this was totally unplanned, but with St. Patty’s day around the corner, it works out pretty well.)
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Why we should be glad fireworks are illegal in America

Happy Chinese New Year from Beijing

Happy Chinese New Year （新年快乐）from The Study Abroad Blog. The actual start of the Chinese New Year a.k.a. Spring Festival (春节） was the 23rd of January, but since it lasts for 15 days, I think I can say Happy New Year and still be in the clear for another 3 days. Knowing both that it’s the biggest Chinese holiday and that the Chinese do it bigger than we do any holiday in America, I was looking forward to my first Chinese New Year experience, and what an experience it was… (more…)