The first day has finally happened. I was surprisingly calm for the plane ride. Usually I get really nervous when I fly. I flew into Gatwick Airport which is about an hour outside of London. …
year abroad
Read This First
Hello/שלום/مَرْحَبًا and welcome to my blog! I am happy you are here. In this blog, I will be sharing with you my journey of my year abroad at the University of Haifa in Israel/Palestine. The …
Classes, Culture, and Creature Comforts
13th, September 2019 It has been just over 2 weeks since arriving in Sweden and I have encountered plenty of problems. Major appliance failures in my apartment, problems with my residence permit, my student card …
Orientation and Class Preparation
1st, September 2019 We had orientation on the 29th and 30th. Orientation was surprisingly lacking in information. I still have no idea how to access my class schedule, where to find my class web pages, …
An Intro to My Blog
13th, June 2019 This blog was created as one of the conditions for my being awarded the Global Gateway Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. I am fortunate to be studying at the …
Leaving It All Behind, Starting Over… Sort Of
28th, August 2019 I have been in Sweden for 2 days now. I spent them trying to set up my little studio apartment. It never occurred to me just how much stuff I would have …
My “Vacation” Prior to the Program
26th, August 2019 I managed to sell enough of my possessions that I could afford a short, inexpensive vacation prior to my arrival in Sweden. I sold a LOT of personal items to afford this. …
Having the Best Problems in the World
7th, August 2019 The months leading up to my departure were rife with stress and problems. As an adult student, I had to relinquish my apartment of 9 years, re-home my pets, overcome some physical …
Dreaming in Italian
I had a dream I went to Italy and I lived there for a year. I left behind my city and everyone I knew, looking a change in a life that felt the same. I …
The Summer Before It Starts
August 22, 2019 My name is Anna Garcia and the summer before this whole adventure starts has been interesting. I am from Brooklyn, New York but for the past two years I have called Madison, …