Note: What follows is a work of fiction. While the characters in the story- including I, Pier, the narrator- are inspired by real life, their existence is bounded by the of the limits of the …
Academic Year 2018-2019
Reverse Culture Shock (An Epilogue)
There is no stranger feeling than getting off a plane and feeling like your home is an alien planet. After living in Korea for four and a half months, I felt very overwhelmed and out …
Getting Back to the New Normal
It has been well over a month since I returned to the states from my semester studying abroad in Ireland and then traveling for three weeks post my program ending. During that time a lot …
On the Way to Firenze
Peter Kane Every Italian paesino has a church, a cemetery and a café. We passed through many that were little more than a quiet road with a couple old buildings sagging in the sun. The …
The Beginning of the End
By mid-June in Bologna the air is hot and stagnant. The heat hangs low in the porticoes and by midday it feels too hot to go outside. Italians walk even slower to keep from sweating …
The Epitome of Bittersweet
I left for home bright and early on Friday, June 7th. I had a 20-hour travel day ahead of me, but my excitement for heading home got me out of bed quickly. Not only was …
Three Lists of Threes
I’ve compiled three lists that I think contain information that most people wouldn’t really think about when studying abroad or visiting England or other countries. I only thought/learned about these things because of my experience …
That Was Embarrassing
Before my flight to Korea, I Skyped one of my friends who used to live and study in China. As he too had been a foreigner in Asia, he told me, “you’re going to have …
Schools in Red do Spirit Best
Picture a UW Madison football game; a sea of thousands of rowdy people dressed in red gathered in a stadium. Now, imagine that instead of the game lasting a few hours, it goes on from …
Bella, Act 2
Note: What follows is a work of fiction. While the characters in the story- including I, Pier, the narrator- are inspired by real life, their existence remains limited to the confines of the author’s imagination. …