When I decided that I wanted to study abroad, I knew that I wanted to travel as much as I could during my experience. Fortunately, living in Europe is an ideal place to balance school and travel, thanks to the great public transportation system and endless sightseeing spots that fill the continent.

To me, American history feels more compartmentalized than history in Europe. I tended to approach American history as something I would have to travel at least a day or more to find. Meanwhile, in Freiburg, I can see nine hundred years of history a few inches apart.

After living in Montevideo for three weeks, I’ve had the chance to experience the culture a little bit.

After months of preparing and packing, I finally arrived in Fiji for my semester abroad.

When I arrived at the IES Freiburg facility, the program director first greeted me and then asked if my other bags were outside. I explained that those two bags were all I brought. “Ah!” He said, pleased. “An experienced traveler!”

Before you leave for any study abroad program, you’ll be told continually about this thing called “Culture Shock”. Personally, I don’t like that phrase. It sounds like you are going to wake up suddenly in a foreign country and be “shocked” into a panic attack. But, that’s not really how it happens. It’s gradual.

We're excited to announce our Study Abroad Correspondents for the spring 2019 semester! These unique individuals were selected from a competitive pool of writers to tell the story of their destination and represent the voice of University of Iowa students while abroad. Throughout the semester, these students will share their experiences through writing and photography to be published weekly here on International Accents. 

Anyone who goes on an exchange can tell you the last few months of exchange are hectic. The further into an exchange a student gets, the more they understand and navigate the city, make close friends, and start exploring deeper into the city. For me, my favorite part of the exchange is always the end because it’s the part where most people form the strongest bonds and students usually feel very connected and comfortable with the city. It’s so difficult to sum up all the wonderful experiences that I had throughout this last month and a half so I will just mention some highlights.

During Chuseok, a national holiday, there was no school which meant more time for me to wander around Seoul and spend quality time with quality people.

I suppose for me to write about my academics, I should first explain how they’re set up for the semester. I attend a CIEE Global institute, which means my classes are divided up into 6-week blocks, every six weeks, students have the opportunity to travel to a new country or stay where they’re at.

School just recently started and as classes began, it gave me the opportunity to meet so many new people from so many different places!

My name is Taylor Wertheim. I am a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in Italian, International Studies: East Track, and minoring in Korean. This year I decided to take a big leap outside of my comfort zone and study abroad in Seoul, South Korea.