With over 80 programs in 30 countries and 80% undergrad participation, University of San Diego is currently #1 in study abroad participation, and our Panhellenic sisters certainly did not miss out on this incredible opportunity! Approximately 20% of our Panhellenic community is currently studying abroad!

We are truly missing all of our abroad sisters and think about them every day as we patiently await their return, but we love seeing them live their best lives all around the world! This newsletter edition serves to show a little glimpse into what some of our sisters have been up to this semester, including daily life, challenges, and favorite experiences. Keep reading for more!

PARIS, FRANCE

          Danielle is spending her semester studying abroad in the beautiful Paris, France. She takes the metro to class in the morning and typically grabs a coffee on her way. After her class she grabs lunch with friends and then sits at her regular cafe to do some work for the week before her next class. Afterwards, she wanders around Le Marais, explores the streets of Paris, grabs dinner with her friends and then heads home. Since she lucked out on no Friday or Monday classes, she has been able to travel a lot, which she says has been amazing, but also exhausting! Some of her favorite memories have been wandering the streets of Paris because she never knows what she'll run into. She has found farmers markets, hidden cafes, beautiful lookouts on the Seine and various other spots she wouldn’t have found otherwise. Danielle highly recommends "...immersing yourself into French culture rather than always traveling because it’s truly an amazing city and you for sure won’t want to leave! Become a local at a cafe and get to know the city better while you’re there, definitely don’t take Paris and all that it offers for granted!"

ROME, ITALY

         Lauren is currently studying abroad in Rome, Italy! She says it almost feels like she's living two lives: one in which she's going to school in Rome on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and another in which she's constantly visiting different countries and meeting new people.  One of her favorite memories was this past weekend when she went to Croatia solo after a friend had gotten sick. She says that at first she was freaking out, but then one word kept being shouted at her from her head and her heart: provide. She knew that no matter what happened, God would provide for her and she would be so glad she went, so she did.

           During her adventure, she ended up meeting an amazing girl on the plane ride from Rome to Split, Croatia, and she spent the entire weekend hanging out with her and her friend, who are both backpacking around Europe for a few months, as well as a guy living out his gap year in the country. The four of them explored Split, had a sunset hike and picnic at an epic overlook, went through a crazy ordeal in order to visit Krka National Park and see the beautiful waterfalls. Lauren says, "To round off an incredible and spontaneous weekend, I went zip lining in the rain with the girls the morning before my flight back to Rome. It was ridiculous (in the best possible way) and it was definitely worth the wet clothes on my plane ride home. 'Provide' could not have been a better word for this weekend, and I am endlessly grateful for the friendships and experiences I was provided." Lauren is excited to bring back this spontaneity with her when she returns to USD!

CORK, IRELAND

          Anna is studying abroad this semester in Cork, Ireland! When asked about her day to day life abroad, she says "Every morning I get up, get ready and walk to class! At least once a week we go to our favorite coffee shop down the road from our apartment before heading to class. I am usually done in the early afternoon most days. Sometimes my friends and I stop and grab lunch on the way home or go to the library or a coffee shop to catch up on homework! I don’t have class on Friday’s so those tend to be travel days! This weekend I am going to Amsterdam and meeting some USD friends!" Anna also says that because her living area is far from school, she has grown in her time management skills. All together, she says study abroad has been amazing and has allowed her to meet so many Panhellenic women she might not have otherwise met!

          Just like Anna, Charlotte is also currently studying abroad in Cork, Ireland! 

Two of her study are weekend trips she took to Italy and Paris. In Italy, she met up with her mum and step-dad, and went to Treviso and Florence. She got to see many amazing museums and landmarks, and she says the food was incredible. In Paris, she met up with her friend Alli, who is studying in Vienna, and finally saw the Palace of Versailles, which has been on her bucket list for six years. They also got to visit the Museum D'Orsay, which has amazing work by both Van Gogh and Monet, two of her favourite artists!

           Charlotte says, "One thing that I have learned from being abroad is the Irish attitude of urgency, or lack thereof. It was so different moving here and being told "everything will fall into place", and "it'll happen in it's own time", but now that I have adjusted, I really have an appreciation for the calm lifestyle. It really forces you to live in the moment and not stress the little things. Going abroad is never exactly what you expect (with classes, culture shock, homesickness, etc.), but one thing that I think is consistent for everyone is that is pushes you out of your comfort zone and is worth it because it lets you experience moments that you would never get to experience any other way. It is unique and should never be taken for granted."

OXFORD, UK

          Emily is currently doing her abroad studies in Oxford, UK! Emily says that her day to day consists of classes for two hours each day, which gives her plenty of time to write endless essays, explore the city, and relax too! Her favorite memories so far have been the magical experience she had on her trip to Paris with friends and the experiences she has had in her accomodation Logan House with her fellow residents. With being challenged in her studies more than ever before and getting to see so much of the world, Emily is returning with a completely new worldview that she will bring back to the states.

MADRID, SPAIN

          Kaitlin is currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain at USD's Madrid Center. From learning a new language and experiencing a new culture, Kaitlin says that everyday being abroad is an exciting adventure. Kaitlin currently lives with a host family alongside two other Panhellenic girls! Everyday, they take the metro to the center of Madrid where the USD Madrid Center is located and she gets to see so many familiar faces. After class, she heads to her marketing internship where she gets to learn more about businesses in Spain and she then returns to her homestay where her host mom cooks a traditional Spanish meal.

           Her favorite memory from studying abroad has been the travel seminar program through the Madrid Center, a two week period before school begins where over 90 USD students traveled to famous landmarks and got to know Spain. Kaitlin says, "I have learned the importance of creating relationships and enjoying life to the fullest. Here in Spain, there is no need to be busy or in a rush. People spend hours together at every meal and are never in a hurry. There is less stress and busyness of life. Oftentimes back at home, everyone is always constantly moving. In Spain, people take time to enjoy life and just spend time with friends. I want to bring this lifestyle back with me to San Diego." 

          Meg is also studying in Madrid, where she takes classes at both the Madrid Center and at a Spanish university called Universidad Pontificia Comillas, with other Spanish students. She lives with a Spanish host family and every day they eat dinner together and practice the language! Meg says that living in a foreign country for four months has allowed her to become extremely independent. Her favorite memories have been traveling to many different countries around Europe with friends, including Germany, France, Ireland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and more! She has also learned how to manage her time so that she can balance her schoolwork while still traveling on the weekends. Meg says that every day she feels so lucky to have this opportunity to explore not only Madrid but all of Europe and learn about other students' study abroad experiences. 

          Alex is also currently pursuing her abroad studies at USD's Madrid Center. She  currently lives in a homestay with 3 of her friends near the Real Madrid soccer stadium. Her all time favorite memory of her study abroad journey has been visiting Malta, which is the country that her grandparents are from. She had never been before so there was a lot of family that she had never met. When talking about this experience, Alex says that meeting her family in Malta for the first time was so special and she feels so lucky that she got to experience that while abroad, and felt even luckier with her friends by her side. 

          When talking about her overall experience, Alex says, "Study abroad is great, but it is also hard. You miss home, you miss your family and you miss your friends. You're tired and always traveling and probably spending way too much money. It isn't always sunshine and smiles that you may see on people's Instagram's. It's exhausting, but it's also so worth it. It has given me so many cool experiences and stories to tell, and some of my favorite memories that I will always remember. I've experienced more than I ever thought was possible and I am incredibly grateful for being able to study abroad."

SEMESTER AT SEA

Marie Lawson

Kappa Delta

Year: Junior

Major: Marketing and International Business double major

Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI

          Marie is studying abroad on the Fall '19 Semester at Sea voyage, where she's visiting 11 different countries, and is currently in Brazil! On the ship in between ports, Marie says her day to day looks like a normal (floating) campus. It's very scheduled with classes, meal times, and clubs. Once in port, their day to day consists of new adventures while engaging in experiential learning through field programs and classes. Her favorite memory has been riding a camel through the Sahara Desert during sunset in Morocco and sleeping in a nomad camp under the stars! She says that the sky was so clear that she could see the Milky Way! Marie shares much in common with many others currently abroad, saying "I have learned that I create the best memories by being open to new experiences and people. It has been quite a wild ride sailing across the Atlantic Ocean but I'm currently loving experiencing South America!"

Abroad Sisters,

We love and miss you all so much and are counting down the days until we reunite back at USD! Continue to enjoy and soak up every bit of your experiences. We'll see you so soon!

                                      With love,

                                                     Panhellenic ♥

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

-Maya Angelou

STAY I N  T O U C H!

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