One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Prague was because of the courses my program, CEA, offered. Anglo American University (AAU) had a vast list of journalism courses to choose from, so I knew that by studying there, I would not only be growing as a person while abroad, but as a journalist too.

The second week of the program, every student is assigned a family to live with. Most are inside the walls of the Old Medina itself, while a handful are close outside. I happened to be one of those students, residing in a lovely apartment in Hay Hassan, the next neighborhood south.

What does study abroad sound like? Yes, it’s a very odd question… but it has become a rather relevant one in my study abroad experience so far. Let me explain.

I’m currently beginning my third month living in Prague, and it has truly flown by. I can remember my first night here perfectly – I was jet-lagged, scared, homesick, and just entirely overwhelmed. Now, only about seven weeks later, I am adjusted, happy, and Prague feels like home.

When I told my study abroad advisor I wanted to go to Uruguay for my semester abroad, she told me, “I hope you’re prepared to eat a lot of beef.” As a vegetarian, this probably should have been a red flag.

During the months of March and April, Tokyo undergoes a transformation. Neighborhoods, rivers, parks, and temples become shrouded in white and pink. Cherry blossom season is, perhaps, a bit like our Christmas—a time in which people forget time, to soak in the sakura for a few blissful and carefree hours.

Prior to my arrival in Morocco, I was aware that there would be significant differences between the classical Arabic that I had been studying at Iowa and the colloquial Arabic used in everyday exchanges in my host country.

I am so grateful that I am spending my semester in New South Wales, Australia, through SIT’s Environmental Action and Sustainability study abroad program. During my time here, I have learned from leading environmentalists, listened to impactful activists, been exposed to the indigenous Aboriginal culture, and experienced indescribable moments of connection with Earth.

While it’s more fun to show pictures of all the adventures I’m having, the reality of study abroad is that it is, in fact, study abroad.

As soon as we’d settled into our school routine, it was time to shake things up with a seven-day tour of central Morocco. Rabat is fairly far north, so “south” encompasses most of the country. It was our first excursion, and first time leaving the home-base of the Rabat Medina neighborhood.

Lyon used to be just a dot on the map for me. Situated in the east of France and tantalizingly close to Switzerland, this city was my obsession over the summer and fall of 2017.

One day you are tackled by time and realize that you have only a week to go before spending the next semester of your life in another country. Then you suddenly find yourself stuffed in the middle of a Boeing 777, with a stomach full of airplane food and butterflies.