Category Stories: Wellness, Health, and Safety
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Some Thoughts on the Unexpected Benefits of Traveling Solo
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Traveling During the six-week Easter break afforded to me at Oxford, I accomplished some travel. This was about a month and a half’s worth, most of it alone, as I took trains around the South of France and Alpine Austria, did a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and spent a frankly unnecessarily long time in Bordeaux. There’s something to…
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Women Traveling Abroad
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Many students who study abroad try to make the most of their experience by traveling to different places throughout the course of the semester. In fact, as the end of our time abroad draws closer and closer, I cannot name a single exchange student I met who hasn’t traveled at least once throughout the past…
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How to Reset While Abroad
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As I passed the two-month marker of my semester abroad, I entered a rut: one that can only be described as complacency. I had become complacent with a schedule that did not leave me excited to leave my bed. I went to classes and paid very minimal attention, if any. I just went through the…
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Tips for Navigating Study Abroad as an Introvert
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When I told people I was planning on studying abroad, one of the things I heard most often was, “You’re going to have an amazing time! You’ll make friends for life!” Although it was nice to hear people say this, I also found myself feeling stressed out about the prospect of making “friends for life”…
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What are Seasons? I’m From Hawaii!
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The first time I experienced seasons, I was 17 years old. My whole life up until my freshman year of college was spent on a tropical island where “cold” was 70 degrees Fahrenheit, leaves stayed attached to branches, and the sun never set earlier than 6PM. Nearly every day was a beach day. I started…
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In A World of Possibilities, Why IFSA?
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Choosing IFSA: Why the Program Was Right for Me When it came time for me to choose how and where I wanted to study abroad, the possibilities were quite literally endless. My university allows students to study via a “Duke-In” program, an approved program, or you can petition for a specific program. The infinite options…
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How to Avoid Dairy (and Other Allergens) While Abroad
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As someone who can’t eat dairy, I worried about how this would affect my study abroad experience. I did not know how much control I would have over what I was eating. However, I found that during my my dietary restriction did not hold me back and I want to share some of the ways…
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How to Practice Self Care Abroad
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Learning how to practice self care abroad has been essential for me, as I have severe anxiety and depression and deciding to move abroad scared me more than anything in my life ever has. I was terrified of what was going to happen without immediate availability to my support system (Wow! What a lighthearted way…
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Celiac Disease Abroad
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One of the best parts of traveling anywhere is tasting new flavors of local food and drink. Our human need to eat and gather around meals manifests in diverse, beautiful and interesting ways all over the globe. Yet while the connections gained around cooking and sharing meals are vital aspects of a cultural experience, they…
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Does Toxic Masculinity Exist in London?
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Recently, I spoke with several male friends studying in London, either full-time or with IFSA, to discuss if toxic masculinity exists in London, and how it differs from where they’re from. I was surprised to find so much overlap in their responses! Alex, who attends Pomona College in California but is studying at University College London with IFSA…
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