Week 3: From Hanbok Twirls to Salsa Turns

Hello! 

This is now the 3rd week of exploring Seoul, South Korea and this week have been so fun! I want this week to primarily focus on the cultural exchange I’ve experienced this week. 

I want to specifically highlight Korea’s history. This previous weekend CIS Abroad organized a trip for us to dress up in traditional Hanbok clothing and visit the Gyeongbokgung palace!  The Hanbok place we went to provided different clothing options, with men getting to choose different classes: scholar, soldier, king, or merchant. On the other hand, women can choose different assortments for their skirts, purses, and hair accessories.  

I was given a tour by the King himself, King Dorion, and his entourage featuring personal knight Enzo, scholar Mason, and his 1 sister Yasmine and Liv. I’m glad they didn’t throw me in the river!  

The palace itself was huge, and we were lucky to have made it in time to watch the changing of the guard that occurred during the Joseon Dynasty. The presentation of uniforms and weapons gave us a glimpse into what royal life may have looked like centuries ago. Thanks to careful preservation and reconstruction, the palace is beautiful to walk through, especially the queen’s quarters. 

Experiencing such an important piece of Korean history made me think about culture more broadly, such as how traditions are preserved, shared, and carried across generations. 

It also made me think about my own culture. 

A little fact about me is that I’m Hispanic. My mom is from Costa Rica, and my dad’s parents are from Mexico, both of whom connected through Latin dancing. I started to gain more and more of an interest as I grew older, and now, it's what reminds me of home (aside from the food).  

Now imagine my surprised that Latin dancing was preserved, shared, and carried across 11,000 miles away to South Korea! I went to Club Bonita in the Hongdae area, and it was a dream come true. The minute the clocked turned 9:00 PM, free dancing started and people piled in. Even though I was a beginner, I kept getting asked to dance bachata and salsa. It’s a bit of an older crowd, but the atmosphere was welcoming and safe.  

There was also a student performance showcase that night, and their energy was infectious. Watching them dance with so much passion made me want to start taking lessons myself. 

I was so sad to leave early that night because I had a rehearsal the next morning. Though, the experience stuck with me. It reminded me that even across the world, pieces of home can appear in unexpected places. 

Seoul is a huge city, and whatever your interests are (even if they come from a completely different culture) you can probably find a community for it here. You just have to look. 

Ariana Castanon   

Mechanical Engineering   

Semester in Seoul, Sogang University.   

Week 6 Istanbul and New Friends From Copenhagen

What’s up, brotein shakes. And hello, future travelers. This week I solo traveled istanbul. It was a goal of mine when I came abroad to travel by myself to one country. I think it’s important to do so as you learn a lot about yourself when you solo travel. When there is no one else that you know that you need to please or care about what they think, you are truly free to do the things you find enjoyment in and act the way you want to act without worry for consequence. And so, being super worried, I sent it anyway by myself to Istanbul. I think it’s important to remember when trying new things to keep an open mind. And if it does not work out, you can always go back to your normal life; nothing says you have to keep doing things that way or living that way. Nothing is permanent.

So I flew to Istanbul on a Thursday afternoon flight, and when I landed, I saw the most beautiful sunset from the airport on Thursday evening in the capital city, Ankara. The desert sunsets are just so orange and beautiful with so much color, and it just matches the vibe of like an Aladin arabian nights. I landed in Istanbul at about 2 am and had to take a taxi to my hostel. It cost me so much money, 50 euros to be exact. I wish I had known that beforehand and booked an earlier flight with that 50 euros I spent and taken public transport to my hostel. I would be careful in Istanbul; the taxis do try to take advantage of you. Settle on a price before you get in the taxi. I booked mine through the hostel, so when he tried to change the price on me, I was stern on what we confirmed and gave it to him and left. So be wary, but I personally thought that if possible, take the public transport. It was great! 

My hostel was pretty typical, as usual, people snoring and alarms going off, but you get what you pay for. I think I paid about 15 euros a night, and I stayed for Thursday night and Friday night. I pulled an all nighter saturday night into my Sunday morning flight at 6 am. When I woke up early morning, I went to the terrace to have the complimentary breakfast. There was honestly nothing really to eat. For reference, I stayed at the Big Apple hostel in Istanbul. But I did see 2 other guys up there in the morning, and introduced myself and made 2 new friends. They were Colin and Drew. I spent the rest of my weekend exploring Istanbul with them. It is crazy to think about the things we do just to save 1 to 15 euros. Would some people call it cheap, maybe, but the best memories I have are when I got myself in trouble trying to live the cheapest. 

Colin, Drew, and I explored all the major historical sites in Istanbul. I was surprised to see how expensive the ticket was compared to other places I have visited, including museums and the wonders of the world. It was 25 euros for a ticket to see the Hagia Sophia and another 25 euros for the museum attached to it. I believe the basilica was about 30 euros as well. The problem is that there is so much history because Istanbul used to be Constantinople. It has been through so many empires and periods of time with such a deep history. I find it ridiculous that they charge this much per site when there are 16 to see. I would have loved to see them all, but it would have been too expensive as a college student. The blue mosque is a working mosque that people actively pray in. Honestly, it is spectacular and beautiful. When I first saw the inside, my jaw dropped at how inspiring it would be for people of that culture to pray there every day. I will say, though, my jaw-droppingness faded as I saw more mosques throughout Istanbul. I saw the new mosque and other smaller mosques, and the architecture was just as impressive inside. Unsure if mosques are just beautiful or the ones in Istanbul are just beautiful, but the blue mosque no longer seems like one of a kind. But still an incredible sight overall. The Hagia Sophia was also incredible. It is perplexing to think about how it has been there for 1500 years and has been changed from a catholic building to a mosque. I also found it very interesting that, although it is a mosque now, they cover up the Jesus paintings on the ceilings that were made. The alterations to make it a mosque are incredibly interesting, and I am surprised that it is still intact. The Christian artwork on there is incredible and almost god-like, how the decay of the artwork is around the non-important parts, but the faces and the bible remain intact in the paintings. I am not christian but the coincidences are uncanny. Finally, the basilica was amazing. I wonder what it felt like for the explorer to find that by going down a well. The blue lights they put make it feel magical, and the medusa head at the base of one of the pillars is so unique. It is so interesting how they used to scare off people using rumors and architecture. 

Some more experiences I had there that are less heard about, but I think are incredibly essential to do in istanbul but also show my personality, are watching sunrise on the Atatürk Bridge, watching sunset on a ferry, getting a Turkish haircut in a Turkish barbershop, Turkish hammam, getting turkish ice cream, trying all of the turkish food, and sneaking up onto the rooftop of the grand bazar. 

To start, the sunrises and sunsets in Istanbul were incredible. I also believe I personally just love a water feature and sunsets so much, I am actually a sucker for them. So to see the sun rise and set over the Golden Horn, which is a part of the Bosporus straight with the blue mosque and Hagia Sophia in the background. This was just an incredible sight. I watched it from beginning to end. That would be my tip to reduce your screen time: just get out and watch the sunset every day. The ferry was also extremely cheap, and the wind in my face with that view was incredible. I believe it was a dollar 50 for the ride from the European side to the Asian side.

The Turkish haircut was also one of the coolest things I have ever seen, and also very affordable. I paid 20 U.S. dollars and got a head massage, a face mask, a shave, and an ear candle. I love countries outside of the U.S. because it is normal to get a scalp massage at a barber shop. I wish that could be brought to the USA because it is my favorite feeling. The ear candle was crazy, I did not know I had that much wax in my ear, and my ear felt so empty after and clear, it was amazing. Finally, I got a Turkish bath, which was also incredible. Felt very nice!

I also went to try all the Turkish food I could during my trip. I got Turkish ice cream, and the guy played the game with me, which was funny to see, where he pretended to give it to me and took it away a bunch of times in a bunch of different creative ways. It was fun to do, and I understand why it drums up so much business. People want an experience, and I, being a cheapo, even I paid for it. Some other Turkish food I tried, which was incredible, was the doner kebab, which was my favorite, and I got it so many times. Incredible. No notes. We also tried Kunefe, which was a stretchy cheese dessert that also tasted incredible, and crazy to see how they get the cheese to stretch that much. Craziest cheese pull I have done in my life. We also ate Kumpir, which was very interesting. They gutted a warm potato and filled it up with different vegetables, meats, and butter. It was pretty yummy and filling. Finally, I tried stuffed muscle on the street. Typically, I hate seafood, but I have to admit, the muscle was pretty good. Try it even if you do not enjoy seafood. 

Finally, I love bargaining. I spent some time in the grand bazzaar and I love getting the best deal possible. I do not like the feel of getting scammed or not getting the local price. I do not understand why I should pay more as a tourist for goods that I want there. I understand if it is government-related, like transit, and I, as a tourist, am overpopulating something for the locals. But vendors selling me at an unreasonably high price because they feel they can make more money off of me doesn’t feel right. Therefore, I love to bargain until I get a fair price. I understand the fact that everyone needs to make a dollar. I just enjoy being treated fairly and just. Also, I am a student and am broke. I bought a Turkish rug, which I regret buying. Don’t fall into the trap. Its not worth it! I bought a Zidan jersey, which I actually quite enjoy and will probably use, and so I did not mind that purchase. Finally, I almost bought a pashmina but realized I did not want it at the last minute. This was poor on my part; you should not bargain for something and then, when they give it to you at that price, say you do not want it. That is what I did by accident, and then the guy threatened to fight me, which was strange and slightly funny. These Turkish men like to get into pissing contests over nothing. Some of the vendors are incredibly sweet, though. We bought two watches from this man who invented an American name for himself, so it’s easier for tourists to remember his name and communicate with him. His American name was James Bond. This guy just had a sense of humor and enjoyed life. Even after buying watches from him when we saw him the following day, he still joked around with us and did not try to sell us more; he just enjoyed each other’s company. I read online that you could get on top of the Grand Bazaar, and for us, he went above and beyond. He spoke Turkish to other vendors and helped us ask around for an entrance. Then once he found it, he drew us a map so he would not get in trouble, and we were able to get to the top of the Grand Bazaar, which was an incredible view as well. So many cool movies were filmed up there. It was interesting to see what the top of such a giant bazaar looked like; it also really put into perspective how big this bazaar was, because when you are lost, you don’t realize the sheer size of it. When you step back and see the whole building and the roof’s it is under. It just truly shows how big it is. 

That was about all I have for my weekend in Istanbul. This week was longer because, honestly, the trip was so incredible. Would highly recommend Istanbul as a city to visit! So, to end it, I will tell you a fun fact about Istanbul that I enjoyed. The Turkish government takes the stray cats off the streets and gives them vaccines so that they can roam the streets. You can pet these cats and play with them; they are very friendly. The locals also take such good care of them. You can pet them and play with them, no problem, as they are accustomed to people. You can tell which cats you are allowed to play with and pet by their ear. If the left ear has a small clipping, it means that the government has vaccinated them. This is one of the coolest things about Istanbul, I think, as a city. So unique, I don’t know any other place that has this. To play with the cats was so much fun.

Thats all for now. Signing off, and I will see you next time!

Vivek Patel

Computer and Data Science Engineering

Comillas in Madrid

Week 3: Gettin’ involved

I am officially a member of four clubs at Sogang! This week for the exchange student club, we did the coolest escape room I’ve ever experienced. I joined the K-pop dance club that will have two performances in the streets of Hongdae at night. I had my first soccer practice and met my lovely teammates and coaches. This is the first year Sogang has had a women’s team! I also joined the choir as a soprano, and we will have a big concert at the end of the semester. Lastly, the students in my study abroad program volunteered to prepare food bags and passed them out to the homeless.

During the week when I didn’t have class, Haesue and I visited Namsan Tower. It’s on top of Namsan Mountain right in the center of Seoul, which is a pretty massive city I’m learning. The 360-degree view was incredible.

I’ve definitely been eating good here, and the prices are a lot lower compared to Ann Arbor. Plus, I’ve been cheffing up some meals in the apartment. We just got a rice cooker that I’m in love with, and I bought a huge bag of organic brown rice on sale that should last a while 😎

I truly appreciate this time I’ve spent somewhere so far from home. It really gives perspective on what is important and makes you appreciate what you have in life. Although there are many challenges, it has given me the space to learn about myself with more clarity, too. This week has been a great representation of the new life I’m forming for the semester. All of my decisions were very intentional to embrace who I am and what I want to spend my life doing/learning. I am so grateful for my roommates and the community I have within my study abroad program and Sogang. I wouldn’t be here with them today without the remarkable gifts and generosity I’ve received from the University of Michigan and the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Thank you,

Lauren <3

Emotional Carry On’s I Take With Me

Hello! My name is Ariana Castanon, and I am a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering. I’ll be studying at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea for the winter semester and here is my reflection post!

I’m originally from Houston Texas, so I’m no stranger to change of pace. When I originally made the move, I was so excited as it planted me in a good spot for my professional career. Now going from Michigan to Korea, it echoes my earlier move as this has the potential to educate me in the niche subjects I was trying to target: biochips and nanomedicine. I’m grateful that I can explore a different culture whilst also being at the main hub for the field I want to pursue, but now it’s a little more complicated.  

Upon reflecting on my time here in Michigan from the past year, I realize that leaving isn’t so easy anymore. In fact, it has shaken me how attached I’ve become to my two homes. I used to have no problems moving as I was too excited looking at my future, that I didn’t anticipate what I’d missed in my present. It’s laughable how I thought the world back home would wait for my return, but it kept spinning.  Maybe it’s newfound care or the knowledge that I can’t fly home any time I want anymore, but all these factors have left me sentimental and attached to the homes I have now. I’ll miss my Latin food, my nanny poking me, my dad dancing with me, my mom treating me to facials, and my brother visiting me late at night with my stuff animals. I’ll miss Michigan seasons, hosting socials for UofM Taekwondo Club, playing in the orchestra with Katherine, and dinner dates with my friends. Don’t get me wrong, I’m too ecstatic in reveling in a new culture and viewing sights that I read from my manwhas to regret signing up for this one in a life-time experience. However, this newfound ache of realizing the extent of my absence, and now fully understanding what it means to leave my home has left me with a sense of unease and longing.  

I think it’s important to experience life outside of the comfort zone, and I try to expand this comfort zone with each opportunity I take. My main goal for this blog and trip is to help encourage others to take a leap of faith and expand their comfort zone. Though, I want to be brutally honest about all the feelings that could come up with sudden change. I hope with this honesty that you as well can reflect on the love you have at the homes you have made. I hope you use that love to share with others and engage with cultures by bringing those pieces of home with you. Because you will quickly find out that you are not separate from every other thing, and that the world around you will love you back through sharing its taste, stories, and time. So go out and explore, enjoy the time you have spent, and bring back the love you have learnt. I, in turn, will share the love I have been given, and give you a glimpse of the new home I will carve out in Korea!  

To new beginnings, whilst remembering my roots! 

Ariana Castanon  

Mechanical Engineering  

Semester in Seoul, Sogang University.  

Week 0: Feeling the love

‘Twas the night before departure. What a wild ride life has been to lead to this point – the many ups and downs. I am simply grateful to have arrived at this exhilarating moment. I am beyond excited and intrigued to see how this experience will be a catalyst for my personal growth and gaining wisdom.

I have had quite a while since the fall semester ended to do my own thing outside of coursework and living on campus. I wanted to use this time to focus on being the truest form of myself, which would be a major boost to this whole “living in a foreign country for four months” thing. Hence, I did a lot of activities with friends and family, both fueling myself and leaving them with as much love as possible before my long absence. Overall, I did less external work in order to put more energy into inner work, so I could leave behind the Michigan life in a good place.

I like the feeling of having all my belongings packed up into only two suitcases and one heavy backpack full of excessive books. Once I arrive in Seoul, I will have no history in that physical location; it will be an empty playground to make memories and build a new life – only me, my tiny apartment, and my two awesome roommates against the world :)

I know this may be cheesy, but I have to say what is true and on my mind right now, and that is just feeling so much love. I am leaving the people and places that have had such a profound impact on my life, and it truly makes you realize how sacred life is – and impermanent. I hugged loved ones with a sense of deep gratitude and cherished everything that has been. Who knows what it will be like when I return. Reality is always morphing, and when you look at everything with a fond and devoted sense of “wow”, it really opens your heart; that is the state of being I vow to never forget.

Thank you University of Michigan. Thank you Evans Scholars Foundation. Thank you to everyone in my life who has allowed me to get to where I am today. Words cannot capture the immense emotion I am feeling at this point in my life.

Sincerely,

Lauren <3

orientation week🎈

Hello again friends!!

There was almost exactly one week between my arrival and the start of spring term (equivalent to winter semester at UMich), which was the perfect amount of time to get to know the campus and other exchange students :)

This week we had a TON of little orientation tasks and events, which really made me feel like I was a freshman again in the best way possible.

list of orientation tasks and events (not comprehensive):

• pick up student ID
• secondhand dorm supplies popup
• exchange students’ IKEA trip
• exchange students’ Hong Kong tour
• campus tour
• specific college orientation

and apart from this, it’s been pretty busy just trying to familiarize myself with the new surroundings and socialize with all the other exchange students. I think there are ~250 of us here, and it’s early on enough that it’s easy to just strike up a conversation! I know that it’ll probably wear off soon, so I’m taking full advantage of it by chatting up anyone that will tolerate it 😆

IPE has all study abroad students attend a pre-departure orientation, where I distinctly remember hearing from the girl that went abroad to HKUST last summer that it was built ‘vertically’ and ‘directly on a hill’. Let me tell you — she could NOT have overexaggerated this point; it is almost entirely impossible to traverse the campus without getting on at least three elevators (or as they like to call them, ‘lifts’). 

This does make for some very nice views though, especially since HKUST is located right next to the sea!

It seems that the majority of the campus is contained within one structure called the ‘Academic Building’ (how specific!), which consists of about FOURTEEN (14!!!!) floors, most of the classrooms, a supermarket, the multi-floor library, many of the dining halls (‘canteens’), the university gym, and probably a bunch more. To get to my dorm, you have to go to the lowest floor of the Academic Building and across walkways (as pictured above) to go down MORE lifts THROUGH OTHER DORMS. I think this is about 30 floors worth of lift, not counting the lift ride up to my room once actually in my dorm building.

(the supermarket in question — it’s actually quite well stocked, especially for being smaller than that one Target we have on State Street at UMich haha)

It probably seems extra crazy to me since, as a Wolverine, I’m used to the low and wide spread of dorms, libraries, academic buildings, and gyms across Central and North campus. 20 minute bus drives to get to class are what I consider ‘normal’.

The layout of this campus is genuinely so interesting to me that I could probably go on about it for the rest of this post, but I’ll move on for now LOL

Instead, let’s answer some of those questions from last week!

• How’s the dorm?
  → Honestly? It’s just alright… it’s very similar to the dorms at UMich, though some of the nicer buildings have suite-style bathrooms instead of the communal ones I have the honor of using ^_^ My roommate is a French girl, and though we don’t really talk she’s very nice and thankfully we both seem to be heavy sleepers
• Do you end up hanging out with more fellow exchange students? (vs local students)
  → 100% exchange students, since it seems that most of the locals are putting off returning to campus for as long as possible LOL 

• Can you get away with wearing long sleeves and/or pants?
  → Actually, the weather’s been pretty cloudy and windy so I’ve worn my singular jacket almost every day… Of course it’s nothing compared to Michigan, but I guess it’s still considered winter here too 😆
• misc recommendations + tips
  → As far as I can tell, the two absolutely necessary things to do as an exchange student in Hong Kong are to a) go to the horse races on Wednesdays and b) eat/drink at Mr. Wong’s restaurant, both of which are in the main city area of Hong Kong, about ~45 min public transport away from HKUST. I personally don’t know if I’m a huge fan of either experience, but they seems to be the staples of all foreign exchange students, since the horse races are interesting (touristy)(you can gamble!) and Mr. Wong’s has extremely cheap food and beer, if you’re into that :)

It’s been a very flashy and exciting week❤️ Though classes start soon, I hope I’ll be able to keep having fun while I’m here! 

Jana Ka
Computer Science and Engineering
IPE: Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) in Kowloon

Victoria Down Under Week 4: 1-Month Reflection

To keep it real, this week was definitely not the best. As I said in my previous post, my Summer Term final was this week, which required some studying. It’s not because I procrastinated, but in combination with assignments for my online course, and dealing with some issues in our apartment (potentially more explanation in the future), it became pretty overwhelming. 

Now some words from the heart:

Being abroad may make you feel that you always have to be doing something, and that is definitely not true. There is this idea that you should be on some adventure every weekend, but we are, in fact, still here to do school. And trust me when I say, if you don’t take a break (nap, walk, watch tv, do a bit of schoolwork) instead of running around all the time, you will become exhausted. Yes, there are so many fun things to do, and you should do as much of it as you can, but there’s so much time to do it. I have been in Sydney now for a month, which I can think of as both a long and short amount of time. Some days I’ve had nothing to do, others I have too much school work or activities. Each day abroad is something completely different, which is what makes it such a unique experience. 

The moral of the story is, don’t compare your experience abroad to others. Just because you see someone posting so many pictures of all the trips they have already been on, doesn’t mean your experience is any less meaningful. In retrospect, they might only be posting the highlights, not the boring days spent catching up on schoolwork.

Just remember how lucky you are to be abroad and make it truly your own experience of a lifetime. 

Not everything will be perfect, and that’s okay.

Here’s some pics of some of the things that made me happy in this busy week:

^These delicious tacos I ate while sitting in a park

^Finally seeing Marty Supreme

^This chocolate frog :)

That’s it 👍

Better programming coming next week…hopefully a selfie with a Tasmanian Devil, and some travel tips!

Victoria Joel

Chemical Engineering

IPE: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

January 31, 2026

Week 0 Reflection

Independence and confidence are two things I’m already thinking a lot about. This semester will be the longest I’ve been away from home, so they’re hard to ignore.

I have never been to Europe before, and I really want to make the most of my time here. I want to travel to many different cities and see the sights, but I often hear people describe those cities and sights as just “nice.” The goal is to experience more than nice everywhere I go. I want real adventure and excitement on weekend trips or spring break (while staying safe), similar to what I see many of my international friends doing while backpacking around the world. When I say I want to make the most of my time in Spain, I’m really imagining doing the things I can’t do at home. Even things I’d consider productive at home, like playing guitar or reading, I want to do less in order to do more of running through Madrid, train rides with friends, and hiking in mountains and cities.

And if I do get hurt my apartment is sandwiched between a dental and hearing aid store so I’m in the right spot.

I’m also really going to focus on learning Spanish. It’s always been something I’ve hated in school, and I stopped taking it as soon as I could, which was sophomore year of high school. I think the main problem was a lack of reward in learning. I’m from Michigan, and I think being able to speak Spanish there is about as useful as being able to recite the alphabet backwards. In Madrid, it’s probably one of the most important things you can do. That being said, I’m going to make studying and practicing a priority while I’m here.

Being in Europe for four months, surrounded by other people my age, is a unique experience. In addition to having the opportunity to travel and see beautiful sights, I hope I can share those sights and experiences, and make friends that last much longer than four months. “Happiness not real unless shared.”

I’m looking forward to Spanish culture in terms of slowness and, adjacently, intentionality. Umich engineering sometimes has me living my to-do list. I’ll literally have a worker-boss mentality with myself. I do not want to feel that way while I’m here. I hope the culture surrounding me makes that automatic.

At Umich, although I’ve got a few good meals under my belt, I rarely cook. I’m at the mercy of Bursley dining hall for way too many meals. I believe cooking is one of the most underrated activities.

This summer I worked at a camp that had KPs, or kitchen patrols. Each was made up of a counselor and three 14-year-olds who were in charge of cooking several meals throughout the session for over 30 people. And time in the kitchen making food counts as some of my favorite memories.

It’s an activity that, if you’re going to do by yourself already, you might as well do with a friend, and then you can share a meal together. It’s perfect. So basically, I want to get better at cooking not just to make better food, but to enjoy an activity with others more.

I’m sure this blog is going to force me to get better at photo taking.

Where I’m writing from (the room where it happened)

I think that’s about it for the reflection. I’d like to be a better person than the one writing this now. 

Adiós

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas Pontifical Madrid

Wk0: G'Day Mate! (UNSW)

Priorities first: How am I going to pick up an Aussie accent?!

Hi! I’m Audrey - a Mechanical Engineering junior, studying this semester at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia.

A little bit about me: I was born in America, grew up in Mexico, and lived in the U.K. My accent is a mix of everywhere I’ve lived, so I’m hoping to collect a new Aussie twang while I’m here!

I love cars, Formula 1, and all things automotive, so I am INCREDIBLY looking forward to attending the first F1 race of the season in Melbourne, where my fave driver, Checo Pérez, is back on track and Cadillac Racing joins the grid for the first time ever!!!!

⭐ My Goals While Abroad

1. Personal Growth

At Michigan, I tend to sign myself up for everything - MRacing FSAE, EGL, trying to do a dance minor, keeping a social life, and even working as a DA for Engineering 110.

Because of all that, eating healthy, going to the gym, and learning things outside of class always get pushed aside. (Thank you to the Starbucks on North Campus for being open from 5 AM to 9 PM… yes, I have been there at both opening and closing time. Oops.)

So my goal here is simple:

• Eat healthy
• Go to the gym at least 5 days a week.
  Fun fact - here you pay for the gym per week?!
• Read 3 books in Vehicle Dynamics

Oh… and one more tiny detail… I signed up for a HYROX.
Do I exercise consistently? No.
Do I have 13 weeks to magically become a cardio person so I can run this race with my super fit best friend from the UK? Yes.
Wish me luck currently I can barely run 1 km without needing a moment to reflect on my life choices.

2. Embrace Australian Culture

Part of my personal growth comes from truly embracing the lifestyle here. Since arriving, I’ve noticed how much Australians prioritize their health and the “5-9 before the 9-5” life. People wake up early, go outdoors, and head to the beach regularly.

I knew Australia was full of beaches, but not like genuenly FULL of beaautful beaches. So my goal here is to travel as much as I can within Australia, embrace hiking a bit more than I am comfortable with, and definitely scuba dive as well!

3. Immerse Myself in Australian Car Culture

As I mentioned previously, I love cars! I can’t wait to learn about cars designed for the Australian market, go to car meets, attend races, and feel the energy of motorsport culture here.

4. Pick Up an Aussie Accent

I find it very funny when people think I am faking my accent, when the truth is that’s just how I speak! To the British, I sound American. To Americans, I sound British. So I am excited to hopefully also add a new plot twist now that I’m in Australia

I hope my journey encourages you to step out of your routine and consider studying abroad too. Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery, a new culture, and the bravery to start fresh somewhere else.

Best,
Audrey Zamora☀️🌊
Mechanical Engineering
UNSW, Sydney, Australia

Week 1: UNSW Village Housing

One of the things I’ve noticed at UNSW Village, especially since school hasn’t started back up yet, is how quiet it is. Maybe I got too used to the sound of rushing cars next to my house in Michigan, or the hustle and bustle (and the occasional revving driver down University St.) of U of M, but it feels very peaceful in the morning. At night, you can see and hear other students in their apartments, gathering by their dining table or chilling on the couch. But this is only summer term and there will be more students in February for Term 1.

There are new sounds that I have never heard of, the whoops instead of chirps of birds. I actually saw bats the other day at dusk, hanging in the trees next to the Village, and swooping overhead. 

Today’s blog is about housing! I live in the UNSW Village, the student dorms on campus, so I’ll give you the rundown on what it looks like, what is provided, and what is nearby. 

Apartment Layout

When going through the IFSA Program application, they asked where you would like to stay, in the Village on campus, or the Scape Apartments about a 30 minute commute away. Both locations are apartment style, with around 6 to 8 rooms. My apartment is a 6-person one, with two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining table, living room area, and two balconies. 

Your UNSW ID serves as the access card into your building and room. Just tap and you’re in! I attached my card to a card holder and extendable lanyard. I’m not missing the MCard swipe. 

The rooms are basic but fairly nice, the desk having plenty of shelves and room for all the cute stuff that a student would bring. Unfortunately, as you can see, I packed relatively light so my desk seems a little bare. Theres also an open closet (not shown) with 4 shelves and 2 drawers, and a large hanger space, so plenty of room to store your clothes, towels, etc. Some students were lucky to have their apartment come with leftover clothing hangers, ours was not. Through IFSA, when first moving into our rooms, we were greeted with a box holding sheets, a comforter, pillow case, and towels of various sizes, so thankfully no need to worry about finding those things. Everything was white though, so you have to be extra careful in keeping things clean (I brought a pillow case from home at least). 

The bathrooms are also nicer than the ones I am used to (sorry Martha Cook communal bathrooms), and very simple. The first thing you are going to want to do is stock up on toilet paper, and maybe a small trash can in there. They are very strict with the fire alarms at the Village ($1700 fine for setting it off!!), and the bathrooms are close to it. So, the doors warn of staying closed after a hot shower and to leave the fan on to allow the steam to leave through the window. 

For cooking in the kitchen, our 6 person apartment received 4 boxes of kitchen supplies, including pots, pans, utensils, spatulas, cutting boards, cups, plates, bowls, the like. The somewhat strange thing is we have 4 of each thing, which is useful for things like pots and pans, but not for things like peelerss and meat scissors, which is too much, and plates and forks, which is not enough. But we make do, and frequently wash dishes. Among the additional things you should buy in the kitchen, scrubbers, kitchen towels, dish soap, trash bags, and cleaning spray should be among them. 

There’s only 2 laundry rooms for the around 13 towers of the Village, so I’m preparing myself to wait for machines all the time during Term 1. The laundry closest to my tower, the lower laundry room, is right next to the E-Library (just a normal study space) so it is nice to chill in there waiting for clothes to get clean. 

Grocery Shopping

For shopping nearby, the closest grocery store is the IGA literally next door to the Village. It has anything you would expect, some produce, snacks, single use toiletries, but is a little smaller and definitely more expensive for the convenience. Randwick Shopping Center is the next closest, about a 10-15 minute walk with a Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farm Markets, and even some Asian grocery stores. There are other Asian groceries along the Anzac Parade Street, where the Light Rail travels. The last of the ones that I have been to so far is the Westfield at Bondi Junction, a transit stop if you are headed to Bondi beach. It has everything mentioned before, with the addition of Kmart and TK Maxx (Australian TJ Maxx) for more household products, an ALDI, and tons of other clothing stores that you would expect at a mall. I also went there for the OfficeWorks to print out materials, and Westpac Bank for their ATMs. My personal favorite was Daiso, a Japanese 100 yen shop (but $3.30 AUD here, pricey!), in Chinatown.

(I was a little more excited about the Thai Milk Tea Pudding Dorayaki than the Daiso)

(Credit to Royal Randwick Shopping Centre Instagram royalrandwicksc)

(UNSW Village at my marker. Asian marts in lower left bookmarks, Randwick in center, Bondi Junction top right)

Hope this helped share the living situation in UNSW Village pretty well! I’ll leave you with a few nice pics from my travels this week. 

Cheers!

Angelina

(Wallaby and Quokka at the Taronga Zoo!)

(Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk)

Angelina Burson

Biomedical Engineering

IPE: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Week 0: Arriving in Ireland!

Just got off a red-eye from Chicago and incredibly excited to start this new chapter in Dublin!

I took a cab from the airport to campus using one of Ireland’s local rideshare apps, Freenow. They had an insanely good deal for first-time users of the app, offering 50% off my first ride! This was absolutely life-saving as it spared me from carrying 2 large suitcases transferring buses within Dublin

UCD had staff checking new residents in at the student union center (aka the village) 24/7, which is extremely helpful for me arriving early in the morning. The check-in process was quick and easy, with a volunteer helping me locate my room too!

My first day was pretty much purchasing all home essentials, running back and forth between Dunnes and Mark & Spencer. The university grocery store also sold leap cards, which is the main payment method for public transportation in Dublin, allowing me to go to stores relatively easily.

Took some time to explore downtown Dublin too, which boasts a vibrant food scene and nightlife. I also visited a couple museums (most of them are free!). Overall, the city feels really walkable, with key attractions within walking distances.

It has been a fun first week and I am excited to continue exploring more of Dublin and Ireland!

See you guys next week!

Ian Yew

Industrial & Operations Engineering

IPE: University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland

Week 0 Travel and Orientation

Hey, future travelers. Whether you’re settled on going abroad or looking into it. My job here is to convince you to take the leap and go abroad. Let me tell you about my journey so far so you get some information on what it its like.

I flew from New York to Zurich and then had a connceting flight to Madrid. My flight to Zurich was delayed which caused me to miss my connecting flight to Madrid. But don’t stress folks, when in europe, enjoy and adapt. Every misdireciton is a redirection. I took that 4 hour reschedule to sit in the lounge in zurich and try switzerland beer, coffee, and choclate at 7am which was crazy and made a friend who was also heading to madrid and was on my flgiht. We sat and talked and I got to know her. Each student going abroad is super friendly and just as nervous so take that first step and make conversation.

I then took the metro from the airport to my housing which I found independently through a place called helphousing. Navigating the process was pretty different from what I am used to. Just make sure you know exactly what you are getting into and culturnal norms for your country. For reference my flat is 10 rooms and coed. I was unprepared for the no dryer culture in spain so that will be a new experience.

On a side note the Metro was extremley easy and clean. Insane. Also its incredibly cheap, they have a card you can get and pay 10 euro for unlimited rides per month. Pro tip would be to do it online and ship it to CityLife Madrid office this way its here when you arrive. 

After I moved in I got tapas with friends for dinner. The cost of things here is incredible. I paid 5 euros for dinner for 6 veal meatballs and I was full after. Culture shock for me was trying to figure out what to order on the menu for what to eat since I didn’t recognize any of these foods. Just start trying things. You can never find what your favorite food is if you never try new foods. At one point you didn’t know that your favorite food was your favorite until you tried it. In madrid also it is not neccessary to tip, just a heads up. 

Orientation was fun the next morning, they spoke about the university and its culture, and how they want you to succeed. They really focus on you learning here and helping you do your best. The support is amazing. Unlike American universities, where professors are not flexible and do not care much if you pass or fail, it’s more on you. They gave us free hoodies at orientation, which was awesome.

Now I am finishing up my afternoon at a coffee shop with Herónimo, my Colombian flatmate. We are hitting a study grind for a little bit before going out. By the way, when studying in coffee shops, there is no wifi, it is not like America. So I am writing this on a hotspot, and I don’t have unlimited data. With that being said, that’s all from me this week. See you at the next one!

Vivek Patel

Computer and Data Science Engineering

Comillas in Madrid