Category Stories: Wellness, Health, and Safety
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Learning To Slow down in the Midst of Adventure in Valparaiso, Chile
Jon Erickson
posted on
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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A Foodie’s Dream Experience
Jon Erickson
posted on
Food has always been an interesting topic for me. It was one of the driving factors of my decision to study abroad. The opportunity to experience new cultural diets and tastes all over Europe was hard to pass up. While I knew that I would be able to further my learning and interest on my…
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The Benefits of Cultural Immersion
Jon Erickson
posted on
One day my roommate (and now lifelong friend) Joyce, went out to find a pastry shop to get a treat. We found two rivaling bakeries across the street from one another. One barely had anyone in it, the other was packed. The packed bakery was the one we were planning to go to, but the…
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Five Habits I Picked Up In Sydney
Jon Erickson
posted on
The past five months studying abroad in Sydney, Australia have been the time of my life. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to explore new places, immerse myself in a new country, experience life as a student at a very different university to the small liberal arts college I was used to,…
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What No One Tells You About Study Abroad
Jon Erickson
posted on
You will want to go home. And that’s okay. In my experience, before studying abroad everyone I talked to only referred to it in positive terms, raving about how it was the best time of their life. Now that I’m at the end of my study abroad term, I understand why. There are so many…
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Adjusting to Cultural Norms in Argentina
Jon Erickson
posted on
We may not realize it, but staring is taboo in the United States. Here, personal space dictates a standard halo of two feet, with arms, legs, and eyes inside that bubble. One of my U.S. professors told me Americans can’t make eye contact for five consecutive seconds without getting into a fight or having sex.…
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“Abroad Changed Me” – Mental Illness and Embodying a Cliche
Jon Erickson
posted on
I left the United States for the first time in the summer of 2019 right before my freshman year of college. I had very little travel experience. I could count the number of flights I had taken on one hand. Entering college, I did not think that I would study abroad. As someone who has…
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Rediscovering Myself Through Studying Abroad
Jon Erickson
posted on
Studying abroad in London made me reflect on who I was, who I am, and who I want to be. The sound of “studying abroad” connotes a lot of “news” – at least for me. Exploring new cities and cultures, meeting new people, and discovering new passions. All of them were true, but in retrospect,…
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7 Ways to Stay Mentally Healthy During Study Abroad
Jon Erickson
posted on
7 Ways to Stay Mentally Healthy During Study Abroad Study abroad can be very daunting, especially when you have to simultaneously juggle so many things: staying on top of your academics, making time to explore the country, trying to cope with the cultural differences, making new friends, etc. I find that being a first generation…
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How Cheez Whiz in Mexico Helped Me Find My Path to Medical School
Marisa Braverman
posted on
“Cheez Whiz.” “Qué?” “Cheez Whiz!” I flush from the combined efforts of interpreting the command, understanding what Cheez Whiz could possibly mean in this context, and the lack of air conditioning in the hospital. Soon I will start sweating, which will only cause the latex gloves to stick to my skin and fluster me more.…
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