Story Location: Scotland
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Home Away from Home
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Being a first-generation student in my family, and certainly the first to study abroad, my arrival in Scotland came with many mixed feelings of excitement, anxiety and pure displacement. After orientation in Edinburgh I was taken to my apartment, generously under the direction of the IFSA staff, who also gave me a wonderful initial tour…
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Interning with Parliament – A Digital Story
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“This internship made me want to be more engaged with the community that I was living in. This completely changed and enhanced the trajectory of my time in Scotland.” Madeline had the opportunity to participate in an internship at Parliament, inspiring her to explore the parts of Scotland many political members were passionate about. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PHm6XvwM0E&t=48s[/embed]…
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Coming Back Feels like Culture Shock Too
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Returning home from a semester abroad is a surprisingly difficult and uncomfortable task.You just spent 4 or 5 months living in a new country, with new people, having new experiences on a daily basis.Transitioning back to your home university and suddenly being back with people you haven’t seen in months is going to feel weird.…
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Communal Living Rooms – A Digital Story
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“I learned that amazing things happen when you open things up and go out and share with others.” What’s British pub culture all about? Bethany realizes that pubs are more than just a place to drink… [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JbgpoU0Zjo[/embed] Bethany Campbell is an English student at Hamilton College and studied abroad in Scotland at the University of…
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From Scotland to Israel – A Digital Story
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“Scotland and Israel have both spent years trying to become what they are today, fighting for liberation in their respective spheres and will not stop anytime soon, so to ask them to be anything like the more tourist-responsive cities of Europe would be like asking them to forget everything they stand for.” Rikki Eble’s decision…
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Finding Friendship with the Edinburgh Bhangra Crew – A Digital Story
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“I loved the energy and the music, but most of all, I felt welcomed by past members of the Edinburgh Bhangra crew.” Martine finds community in celebrating a traditional Punjabi dance, Bhangra, even when thousands of miles from home. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiOEBLLDfFc[/embed] Martine Lokken is a Astronomy and Physics student at University of Virginia and studied abroad…
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Discovering My Darlings in Edinburgh
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During my junior year abroad, at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, I recreated myself. Rejecting my previous identity as a Minnesotan, Midwesterner, and American, I became a compilation of nationalities, inspired by a diverse group of people and the ‘City of Literature’ around me.Upon arrival in Edinburgh, I soon fell into a routine of…
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Cheers to Edinburgh
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There is a huge stigma associated with mental health issues in the United States, and this causes people struggling with them to pretend they don’t exist. I was, and am, lucky because I had one of the strongest support systems in my parents that anyone could have wished for.I had people to talk to and,…
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How I Used Fitness to Immerse Myself Abroad
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We’ve all heard that it can be difficult to keep up with fitness routines and stay in shape while abroad. To a certain extent, that’s true.There are so many delicious new foods (and drinks) to try, both in your home city and while traveling; how could anyone resist? This question lingered in my mind for…
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Studying Abroad as a Sophomore
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I’ve always been predictable. From what I eat for dinner to where I sit in my university’s library, familiarity makes my world run smoothly. I could give you a million examples of how often I find my daily life entrenched in routine. And, most importantly, the one decision that completely changed that.No one was more…
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