Forming bonds in Kiyosato


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It is only the end of April, but the sun has begun to rise hot and white in the sky. The new freshmen have begun to settle comfortably into the routine of university life. They’ve finalized their schedules, but more importantly, they’ve begun to finalize their club memberships. Unlike American college students, who can hardly […]

Being there: On performing the “Experience Abroad”


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Each semester, there comes a time when thoughts about the transitive nature of being an exchange student truly consume me. Usually, it’s around the time I should be studying for my first wave of exams and papers, but instead, I just stare aimlessly at the ceiling for hours (and watch Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix until […]

How cycling through Amsterdam connected me back to USC


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  During my study abroad excursions, I’ve traveled to some places that were never on my radar before. Amsterdam in the Netherlands definitely makes it on that list. Quite honestly, before I visited the city this weekend I would not have been able to properly identify Amsterdam on the map. Yet, despite my ignorance, the […]

Berlin takes the cake for most interesting city


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Some people have asked me what my favorite city I’ve traveled to so far is. I can’t exactly say I have a favorite (besides London, of course). Dublin had the friendliest people. Amsterdam was the prettiest. Bruges the most fairytale-esque and Paris the most romantic. And Berlin? Definitely the most interesting. Coming to Berlin (it […]

Strolling through the fairs and festivals of Buenos Aires


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Most weekends in Buenos Aires are packed with unique opportunities in the city, one in particular being the “ferias” or fairs that you can find in almost every neighborhood. These street fair style markets pop up every weekend in the same places and sell everything from food to fabrics. There are stalls that line the […]

When in Rome, experience all aspects of the history


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Who knew that fallen and scattered marble stones and pillars could take your breath away? I surely didn’t. Well, not until this past weekend when I went to Rome, Italy and became the ultimate tourist. I first realized the beauty of a time long past while in the Foro Romano, or Roman Forum. From my […]

Hiking among Shinto deities


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This past Sunday, I found myself wheezing as I climbed the impossible stairs of Mount Takao, located in the city of Hachioji near downtown Tokyo. It had been raining the night before, and the smell of wet loam and bark hung heavy in the air. Once in a while, there was the scuffing of a shoe […]

The perks of running on porteño time


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Time. In the United States, we never seem to have enough of it.  In Argentina, there is always more of it. This was one of the first things I noticed when coming to Buenos Aires, and, at first, it was one of the hardest things for me to adjust to. I will admit that after […]