International economics, student edition


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My third week in Istanbul, I met a Boğaziçi student who had just returned from studying at a Russian university for two years, where he had planned to finish his degree. Prior to that, he had been pursuing a philosophy degree at Boğaziçi when he decided that the subject wasn’t really for him. But after […]

#OscarsSoAmerican


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It’s standing room only in the lobby of our student apartment building. At 5 p.m. on a Monday, we’re all gathered around the flat screen TV watching the Academy Awards live. Thanks to the time difference, the only people watching the red carpet were the ones who didn’t have class at noon. No one really […]

Animals in the House


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The campus of Bogazici University, where I am studying, is remarkable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s situated on the banks of the Bosphorous Strait, above Bebek, a ritzy district of Istanbul, with a sea view that any L.A. real estate agent would kill for. Secondly, the architecture of the 19th century buildings of […]

Things I Realized Going Backward Down A Waterfall


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I still haven’t started school yet. In the Southern Hemisphere, the summer sun stays out until 8 p.m. and Kiwi students are just now flocking back to universities to start their first semester. Meanwhile, I’ve been on the longest winter (summer?) break of my entire life, and I have to admit that I’ve been feeling […]

A Trip Gone South, But Only in the Best Way: Adventures in Cape Town


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“If all I knew about Africa were from popular images I too would think that Africa was a place of beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals, and incomprehensible people, fighting senseless wars.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie In my weeks leading up to my departure, I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice the flick of […]

First thoughts while backpacking through Europe


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Every blog said to pack lightly. Every travel website recommended the max amount of weight should be 15 pounds. Everyone told us to avoid bringing too many clothes. But it’s winter, and we thought it was smart to have many layers. And it’s Europe, where people are always dressed so nicely, and we were going […]

A Closer Look at the “Study” in Study Abroad


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Hello from the other side … of the pond. This spring, I’ve joined the ranks of thousands of students studying abroad in London. But rather than recount my travels through the land that brought us wonders like Adele and Kate Middleton, I thought I’d make my first post about the study part of the abroad […]

Going in with eyes wide open in Istanbul


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The road to studying abroad for me probably involved a bit more twists and turns than for those who opted for more traditional destinations — and of course, I probably brought some of it upon myself for selecting Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey early Fall 2015. First came the email from Overseas Studies that the […]

Home is where your dorm is


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“These have been the best years of my life.” “I’ve met all my best college friends here.” “I can’t imagine living anywhere else during this time.” I lived in a dorm for three years in Madrid, and these are just some of the typical quotes you hear from people who have gone through that experience. […]