Category Stories: Family Matters
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Finding Heritage in the Highlands
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I felt a deep connection to Scotland before arriving here. My grandfather was extremely proud of our Scottish heritage and made a point to talk about his love for this country and culture as frequently as possible. I was raised in the Presbyterian Church, the roots of which trace back to Scotland. There was even…
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Six Tips for Studying Abroad While in a Committed Relationship
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Studying abroad comes with a lot of challenges: Navigating a new city and culture, learning a new language. Amidst it all, you might also be trying to maintain a relationship back home. From the moment my boyfriend and I started dating last year, we knew this was coming. I’ve wanted to study abroad since high…
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Exploring My Mexican Identity in Mexico
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I am the child of immigrants and a first-generation student. My parents moved to the United States from México before I was born. They wanted me to live where I would have opportunities they didn’t have growing up, to get a better education and live a better life. My mother believed in my future, so she…
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Exploring Family Roots and Exotification in China
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I have always wanted to come to China. Listening to the stories my grandfather told about his childhood here and wondering about the ones he didn’t share, I felt I owed it to my blood to try and understand some of Chinese culture. What did my Grandpa feel on his way to the Philippines and…
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5 Things You Should Know About Living With a Host
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While the idea of living with an unknown family in a remote country may sound frightening at first, it can become an amazing experience and create a memorable study abroad journey. Like most people, I had nerves about my homestay since I would be living with the family for a long period. These nerves continued…
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5 Ways to Get More From Study Abroad
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IFSA students share their game-changing advice for others heading off for new experiences. Start on the Right Foot “Don’t miss out on the orientation events that will be going on in the first days and weeks of the program,” says Shane C., who studied at London’s University of Westminster. “It’s a great way to learn…
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Keeping Connected Across the Pond
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Keeping Connected Across the Pond One of the most difficult aspects of studying abroad is the distance between you and your loved ones. On a typical semester at my home university I was usually able to visit home at least once every month or so. My family is a very important part of my life,…
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Scotts and Greek Thracians
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Scotts and Greek Thracians: Discovering Similarities between the Scottish Past and My Own wile Studying Abroad Dishes Not Meant for the Faint Hearted My very first stroll around Edinburgh felt familiar. It happened on a random Sunday, in the middle of September, on a fittingly gloomy afternoon. While exploring Old Town, I came across a…
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Putting the “Casa” in Casa Particular
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I opened the heavy wooden door of Mama Emma and Papa Vega’s house in Havana’s tree-lined Vedado district with two suitcases in my hands and no idea what to expect. Mama Emma smiled when she saw my oversized suitcases stuffed to the brim and said “No tefalta nada” (You’re not missing anything)! After being greeted with a hug…
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“Mi mamá chilena:” Living with a Host Family While Abroad
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During Fall 2019, I traveled to Santiago, Chile – a city of 7-million people in a part of the world that spoke a language I wasn’t used to speaking. As a lifelong small-town dweller who had never practiced Spanish in a conversational setting, I was nervous about how I could integrate into an entirely new…
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