Two weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to explore Iceland and learn about its unique energy policy through an 8-day Adventure Program on Renewable Energy and Sustainability offered through the GREEN Program. Although it was only eight days long, we were able to attend lectures from professors at the Iceland School of Energy in Reykjavik University, tour geothermal and…
This past summer, I had an amazing opportunity to go on a 10-week study abroad program in Europe, learning about the European Union, US-EU relations, European security, and human rights. I spent 6 weeks in Brussels with a host family, and about a week each in Ireland, France, Germany, and Poland. Needless to say, it was an…
Read more 10 Valuable Lessons I Learned from Studying Abroad
After staying for almost a month in Brussels, Belgium, spending a week in Dublin, Ireland was quite the change. All the chocolate shops and Belgian waffle stands were replaced with barber shops and Irish pubs. Suddenly my ears had to adjust from hearing French to English, a language that I was more familiar with, but being spoken in an…
After seven weeks of discussing security issues and matters of US-EU relations, it was a pleasant change of pace to begin learning about human rights. There were several topics that we discussed in the first two days of comprehensive lectures that were very interesting to see play out in our site visits, including the tension…
Read more Reflection on Human Rights from Brussels and The Hague
One of the most fascinating things that I have been able to see on this study abroad trip across Europe learning about the European Union and various policy areas has been the intricate intersections between culture and policy. Culture. Culture is absolutely fascinating and so incredibly influential. If there is one thing that I have learned…
Yesterday, after we all took a challenging exam testing our extensive knowledge over the different institutions and important actors of the European Union, their functions, and their influence (or lack thereof) in Europe, we had the pleasure of hearing from a Special Advisor to the NATO Secretary General. With over 20 years of experience, he had…
I’ve always been told that it’s important not to live in the past. But I’ve also been told that it’s important to learn and remember history in order to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes. This apparent contradiction between having to live in the present and yet immerse yourself in the past creates an interesting tension.…
As I make my way through a crowded walking trail in Brussels, Belgium, I feel free. No one talks to me or gets in my way, and I don’t get in theirs. For a moment, I am nameless. And in that beautiful moment, I am allowed to forget myself. I can shed my identity and embrace the world. I am everything…
For those of you who do not know, I am currently on a study abroad trip in Europe! I was given this wonderful opportunity in part by the President’s Scholarship Program and the Stamps Leadership Scholarship at Georgia Tech, and of course, my parents. The program is called the EU-Brussels study abroad program, which is a 10-week…
Perpetual Change 