An Italian phrase which translates to ‘live a beautiful life’, I have to say that I’m on track for creating a fantastic experience abroad. I must admit, the lead up to embarking on this adventure was nerve-wracking and emotionally charged, with stress and anxiety levels reaching an all time high. The fear of the unknown, all the ‘what ifs?’ and leaving the security blanket of familiarity was hard to overcome, but now that I’m here, all of those worries have completely dissipated. (more…)
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Having just arrived in Lisbon a week ago after a few weeks of travel around Europe, I can say that I’ve had an incredible time so far, and I don’t see that ending any time soon. My classes start on the 15th of September, but my university (Nova SBE) has already organised a week of welcome activities, the first of which I went to a few days ago (casual drinks on the university lawn). Straight away, the biggest tip I can give is to commit yourself to these sessions. I often find it much easier to make an excuse not to go, but I can honestly say I am yet to regret the nights I’ve gone to. I mean, the best time to meet people is right at the start when everybody is in the same boat and nobody knows anyone else yet. (more…)
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In just under a week I will be travelling to Tokyo to study at Sophia University for one semester. It has been a long and arduous process but it will soon all be worth it! This blog will be used to track my journey as I experience Japan for the first time. (more…)
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One week to go and two random emotional breakdown later I now recognise the fact that I am leaving for exchange. When I started planning my exchange a year ago, the day I leave seemed to be a 100 years away. Now the day is approaching, now I actually have to pack my bags and now I actually have to open up that French dictionary I purchased months ago! It feels liberating but equally terrifying to be moving out from the familiarity of home. I will definitely miss enjoying a home-cooked food with my inseparable family. I can’t stress how hard this is for me emotionally, physically and financially. Fortunately I am a thrill seeker and chaser of dreams and just thinking about the culture, the people, the food and the history I am about to experience makes all my hard work worth it. (more…)
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There are many joys in life. Mozzarella is one of them. The small town of Ravello sits 365 mts above the beautiful Tyrrhenian sea by the Amalfi coast. Perched in the mountains, it is home to iconic cliffside gardens and renowned cooking classes. Mozzarella was first made near Naples, a city we also visited which sits in a bay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. Because Mozzarella was originally made from the rich milk of water buffalos and not from pasturized milk and b ecause there was little or no refrigeration, the cheese had a very short shelf life and left the southern region of Italy. That’s what the books say! (more…)
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The first week of my exchange in Tokyo has flown by extraordinarily quickly. As I have visited Japan twice previously I was excited more than anything to experience living here for a semester and further enhancing my understanding of the culture/language & just exploring the city like a local. Of course, it was still a little daunting to realise I’d be away from friends and family (and living away from home for the first time is still something I’ll have to come to terms with) but Meiji Uni has made the process of starting my exchange quite smooth. (more…)
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I arrived in Hong Kong almost three weeks ago and have fallen in love with this fabulous, sweaty city. I’m here for a semester of study at City U in Kowloon-Tong. (more…)
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By the time this blog goes up it will mark my first week in Tokyo, Japan for exchange at Meiji University. In all honesty, I was a little scared when I first stepped onto my flight as it was around 7+ years since I last flew on a plane, in addition to being that this time around I was flying alone. The flight was quite comfortable and I was surprised that I did not get a migraine like I remember previously when I flew. After a long 9 hour flight, I finally arrived at Narita airport and was greeted by a blast a hot humid air. (more…)
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Any new city is daunting to an outsider. No matter how well organized, its layout will elude any confused and tired traveler. It takes focus, time and a smidgen of common sense to become comfortable and to begin to build a new home wherever you are. (more…)
