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Category Stories: Family Matters

  • Staying in Touch as a First-Time Study Abroad Traveler

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    Staying in Touch as a First-Time Study Abroad Traveler

    Like me, many students attend college in their home state, for financial reasons, convenience, specific programs, or to stay close to home. I go to an in-state school that’s ten minutes from home. Fortunately, I live on campus and stay away from home as much as possible to develop independence. Still, I’ve felt that my…

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  • Staying Culturally Connected During Study Abroad

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    Staying Culturally Connected During Study Abroad

    It’s so exciting to get to know the culture of another country when you’re studying abroad—new food, new music, new people, new landscapes, new everything! But sometimes a wave of homesickness can hit you unexpectedly hard. Here are a few things I’ve been doing over the past year to feel more connected to home and…

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  • Rediscovering My Chinese American Identity as a Student in Shanghai

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    Rediscovering My Chinese American Identity as a Student in Shanghai

    Overcoming doubts When I first decided to come to Shanghai, I was filled with doubt. From everything I had heard about study abroad, I knew I should choose a location that guaranteed constant adventure. But I’d been to Shanghai before, and in fact, to China a couple times. As a Chinese American who spoke fluent…

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  • Familia: How Moving 2,700 Miles Away from Home Brought Me Closer to My Family

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    Familia: How Moving 2,700 Miles Away from Home Brought Me Closer to My Family

    Marina, ¿por qué viniste a México? ¿Es porque tu familia es de aquí? I smile and nod warmly at my host mom’s question. Yes, I chose to come to Mexico because my family is from here. This answer seemed self-explanatory, the same way it’s simple to say that I’m Mexican when asked what my ethnicity…

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  • At Home Studying Abroad in Galway, Ireland

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    At Home Studying Abroad in Galway, Ireland

    Blackberries and Basalt When I first arrived in Galway, I couldn’t help but compare the landscape to the trees, tidepools, and basalt I knew from my stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest. Just like in Washington state, blackberries wrap around handrails and riverbanks, and ferns unfurl on a trail near the University of Galway campus.…

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  • Learning To Slow down in the Midst of Adventure in Valparaiso, Chile

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    Learning To Slow down in the Midst of Adventure in Valparaiso, Chile

    During my first week in Valparaiso, after months of backpacking around South America, I was eager to explore and fit as much of the city as I could. My stomach had other plans. An unidentified source—maybe the tap water at my workaway, the eggs in the carbonara I’d so lovingly made as a departure meal,…

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  • Finding Heritage in the Highlands

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    Finding Heritage in the Highlands

    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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    Six Tips for Studying Abroad While in a Committed Relationship

    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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    Exploring My Mexican Identity in Mexico

    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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    Exploring Family Roots and Exotification in China

    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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