As a picky eater for the first nineteen years of my life, I would agree that food is the window to the soul. My particularity about what I eat definitely reflected my stubbornness and specificity for my life choices. Like with my food preferences, I was always a bit rigid and stressed out easily when things outside of the norm occurred. I am so glad to say that this experience in Berlin changed that. I felt that as I grew to be a more open and flexible person, my food palate also expanded. Something that remained the same, though, was my affinity for eating out much too often. Even in... Read More
Pitt Global Experiences Students' Blog
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Looking back at my experience in Chile, I feel like I usually remember many of the big events, like experiences I did not expect to have. Some of those unforgettable experiences are when I hiked up part of a 9000 ft volcano (Villarica), or when I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in my life. I can say these events helped me view life differently, to view it more simply and less worrisome. But, I think remembering them sometimes can overshadow the small, yet meaningful things about my study abroad experience, such as the challenges I faced. Because I was born in Colombia,... Read More
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Ever since I was a freshman in high school, I have wanted to travel the world. That year, I took my first French class, and I started really getting into European soccer. I was already fascinated by Roman and Greek mythology from history and literature classes as well, and I loved my world cultures class in middle school. Freshman year was when I truly recognized how much I wanted to see of the rest of the world.
I thought I was going to get my first chance to go abroad to France in high school with my French class, but staffing changes prevented that from happening. I thought I... Read More -
When planning to travel abroad, the essentials always come to mind first. Whether it's your favorite pair of socks, a specific kind of toothpaste that you always have to use, or a hoodie that holds significant value to you, everything has its place within your suitcase. Things like your passport and ID will always travel with you, but I’ve found that it’s mental preparation that catches you off guard before something you forgot to pack. For example, while traveling to Belgium, I accounted for the six hours of sleep I would lose by staying busy all day and crashing hard onto the hotel bed... Read More
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At the end of sophomore year, I started to feel like I had an idea of what I wanted to do after college. I had already decided my major was Economics, and I was taking Latin American Studies classes to fulfill requirements for my certificate by freshman year. Yet, sophomore year was crucial because I found a way to complement the things I was learning, and I developed a strong interest for economics in developing countries and the role international organizations play in this field. Though I have had a somewhat clear idea of my academic and career goals for a while now, studying abroad in... Read More
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One of my favorite things about Belgium, and Europe in general, is that their cities and towns are largely built around walking or cycling. We spent hours walking around Leuven, Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges, and it was so easy. Sure, you needed to look out for the occasional car or bike barreling down the street, but it was otherwise smooth sailing. You could see any landmark you wanted just by walking around the city.
This is something I wish cities in America were more like. It is not exactly easy for me to walk from Oakland to downtown Pittsburgh. Say I wanted to go eat... Read More -
Not only is food the window to the soul, food is the backbone of culture and will define your experience abroad. Every culture develops a cuisine influenced by the environment and tastes of the people and cultural groups who call the area home. While we often think of things like barbecue and burgers as “American” cuisine, a trip down any street will display a variety of restaurants and eateries with roots all across the globe. Every culture develops its staples based on what is available and can be made into a delicious meal, or what warms the heart and soul while providing nourishment to... Read More
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My daily life in Salzburg was pretty busy because of the intensity of classes and how short the program was. With four hours of classes a day and only four weeks in Salzburg, there was a lot I wanted to do in a short time. My first class started at 9 am, so I would wake up at 7:30 to get ready, make breakfast, pack lunch and walk to the bus stop by 8:25. Making my own breakfast and lunch was a big part of how I saved money during my time in Salzburg. We would normally go out for dinner most nights to see new parts of the city, so I needed to make up for the money spent there. After my... Read More
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It’s no secret that studying abroad can be expensive. Even after the tuition and the program fees, figuring out how to keep track of and save money on your daily expenses while actually living abroad is essential. Here are a few budgeting tips that I picked up from my time in Florence, Italy on the Pitt in Florence program to help you save some money when studying abroad without sacrificing your experience.
- Cook at home
The food was one of the things I was most excited for during my study abroad program in Italy, and it sure didn’t disappoint... Read More
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As a double major in English Writing and Linguistics preparing for my upcoming junior year, my classes back at Pitt were really starting to focus on my majors, with not a ton of variety outside those two disciplines. In contrast, my goal when picking a study abroad program was to find a program that would allow me to fulfill the rest of my general education requirements and try something new. One of my remaining gen-eds was the Geographic Region requirement - what better way to learn about a geographic region than to experience it firsthand?
With Pitt in Florence, the program... Read More