Story by Elena Crouch Growing up, I didn’t truly appreciate the opportunity, or the value, of receiving an education. My parents didn’t have to choose which of their two daughters would be able to attend secondary school. It didn’t matter how much money my family had, it didn’t matter that my sister and I were both female:…
Category: Narratives
To Be a Traveler in Your Own Home
Story by Nina Rossiter When we think of study abroad, we often think of going to a place that we’ve never been to before, diving into new experiences and exposing ourselves to new cultures. I, too, had that imagination, but after picking up a Chinese minor, I was led back to China, where I had grown…
Florence & Food
Story by Alyssa Bilotta “If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?” – Martin Scorsese Food was a major part of my experience when I studied abroad in Florence. Eating any type of meal in Italy is an event, and food holds a special place in every Italian’s day. Ever…
Importance of a Global Perspective: United Arab Emirates
Story by Zoe Murphy and photo by Hannah Zaatar Being raised between European and American cultures was a big enough disparity – or so I thought. That was until a complete shift in gears, for now a third time. At the age of fourteen, I moved to Dubai, the global crossroads in the United Arab…
Importance of a Global Perspective: Greece
Story and photo by Zoe Muprhy I was born in Rome, but left just before my second birthday. My first words were a mix of English, Greek (my mom’s native language), Italian and a smattering of Polish from my Warsaw-born babysitter. I was well on my way to becoming a global citizen- little did I…
Importance of a Global Perspective
Story and photo by Zoe Murphy I’ve lived in six countries, across four continents, in the last twenty one years. Growing up cross-culturally has taught me lessons no classroom or textbook ever could. I see people as a collection of their experiences, rather than pigeonholing them based on their ethnicity, assumed cultural norms or traditions….
Job Title: Nursing Assistant or Friend?
Story by Caitlin Do I had no idea what to expect when I landed in Cape Town. The only pictures I had in my head were the ones I had found online, specifically of the hospital in which I’d be interning with, as well as the home that I’d be living in. I couldn’t have…
You Don’t Know Anything, Try to Learn Something: Reflecting on My Time in Burundi
Story by Peter Vaselkiv On my flight to Bujumbura, I had so many things going around in my head I was almost numb from trying to figure out what to expect. Looking back on my time in Burundi, it occurs to me now that trying to frame something before having feet on the ground is…
Apprehension and Excitement in Greece
Story by Max Read As I arrived in Greece for my first co-op at the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), I tried to avoid having too many expectations. I knew little about the country and even less about the organization I’d be working for. The few things I knew about Greece came mostly from news…
Por qué vuelvo: Why I’m Going Back to Argentina
Story and photo by Matthew MacCormack There was no shortage of incredible moments on my Dialogue to Argentina and Uruguay last summer. I’ll never forget my excitement as our ferry approached the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia: the feeling of wonder as the icy, blue monstrosity took shape across the fog-cloaked water of Lago Argentina….
Summer in London
Story by Max Read A couple weeks into my first co-op at an intergovernmental organization in Greece, I decided to apply to the London School of Economics and Political Science’s summer program. When I was accepted, the “Brexit” vote was still half a year away, and campaigning hadn’t started in earnest yet. By the first day…
Family Business in Italy
Story by Illeana Cortessi “Buon giorno tutti!” said the bus driver as he was taking us into the city of Verona. We had finally arrived and, though tired, we were excited for the first day of our journey. We entered the hostel, up to our rooms, and started getting ready for our first traditional Italian…
