I love words. The paradox of love is it both requires an expression of totality but also one of discernment. When you love a person, the first attribute that comes to mind may be her beguiling smile, the way her voice sounds when she’s flustered, or the beauty mark on her elbow. What I love most about words is their capacity to express exactly what I – who I am in a particular context at that specific moment – would like to communicate. And I think in piecing together these words that contain our truths in their meanings we just may be able to find some kind of ultimate meaning.

Dia duit! That means hello in Irish. My name is Kelsey O’Donnell and I am junior at the University of Iowa studying International Studies and Anthropology. For my entire junior year, however, I am studying abroad in Cork, Ireland at University College Cork. While here, I am taking classes in History, Folklore, French, Literature, and Politics. I chose to study in Ireland because it is a beautiful country with friendly people. I knew that it would be a good choice for my first long-term stay abroad. University College Cork has a great international reputation and the campus is gorgeous.

First, a question for my fellow study abroad students (or potential ones). Is there such thing as the perfect host family? Well, I think so, and they go by the names, Harumichi and Machico. However, they have requested I call them ‘Otousan’ and ‘Okaasan,’ or ‘Father’ and ‘Mother.’ To my fellow Americans back home who are unaware of Japanese culture, this may seem slightly odd. However, in Japan, this is actually seen as quite normal and also, to a degree, respectful. They are an elderly couple who have a few children of their own (who now live elsewhere) and have done everything they can to make me feel like part of the family.

On the first day of class, I can’t tell if the teacher is giving an overview of the course or trying to convince people to drop it. Perhaps the culprit of my confusion is my participation in a rigorous study abroad program at Peking University, known as the “Harvard of China”, through which I am directly enrolled in classes with Chinese undergraduate students at the School of Economics and the School of International Studies.

“Dude, you’re a senior. Why are you studying abroad?” Okay, I haven’t actually been asked this question by another human being, but I have contemplated it on numerous occasions. Now, have I answered this question to myself? Yes. Yes I have.

I've studied Arabic for three years. I can write papers, discuss ideas, give presentations, and I can't even ask a taxi driver what the fare is in Morocco. Or I couldn't yesterday morning, when my fellow international student and I took a taxi with four other people (two in the front seat, four squeezed in the back) to the city of Meknès, about an hour away from campus, for the day. We were lucky– there happened to be someone else in the taxi who spoke English.

Yesterday morning, bright and far too early, I and about forty other students and staff set out for Zaouia Sidi Abd es-Salaam, a nine-kilometer hike through the forest from Al Akhawayn University's campus. Organized by the Interfaith Alliance, the goal of our hike was to see the zaouia, a shrine built over the mausoleum of a famous Moroccan holy man Sidi Abd es-Salaam, and see the limestone caves for which the city of Ifrane was named (in the local Berber dialect).

My name is Luke Bader. I’m a senior at the University of Iowa working towards a major in International Studies, a Writing certificate, and a Japanese minor. This semester (Fall 2015) I thought I’d team up with the study abroad department at the university to give you my experience while studying in Nagasaki, Japan. This will be my second time in Japan and I am so excited to be back! This time I am going through the ‘University Studies Abroad Consortium’ (USAC) and through Nagasaki University’s ‘Japan Studies in Nagasaki’ (JASIN) program.

Many students at the University of Iowa are interested in studying abroad to seek business internships, learn about other cultures or try great food. Similarly, there were many reasons that influenced my decision to study in Shanghai.

In preparation for studying abroad, I was able to cross an item off of my bucket list: I got an international driving permit. It doesn’t matter as much if I actually use it, although that would be great, too. (After two days in the country, though, I’m already more than a little hesitant to get behind the wheel.) It’s just the fact that I could legally drive in Morocco if I really wanted to that is exciting.

I could dedicate much more than one blog to the process of going home, and the reverse culture shock that is often experienced upon returning. I went through a whirlwind of emotions during this time, each coming in different waves and phases. Having now been back in the States for a month, I would like to think I am finally fully adjusted to my old life. Yet, an old life that is so different. Over the past month, I have had a lot of time to think about my experiences, and would argue that returning home has nearly been as much of a learning process as my study abroad experience itself. Here is a list of my top 5 conclusions I have come to during my critical period of reflection

The day I left Newcastle, Australia after 5 life-changing months, was truly one I will never forget. I had dreaded that day since the moment I stepped foot on campus in mid-February. While packing up all of my clothes and stuffing them back into the one suitcase I brought was definitely not enjoyable, and it was going through the souvenirs I had accumulated over the past few months that hit me the hardest...As I took what would now be my very last train from Newcastle to Sydney, I reminisced on those very moments, and began to prepare myself for what lay ahead… reuniting with my family in Sydney!