Working abroad is one of the best ways to experience a different culture first-hand whilst developing a new professional skillset. If your current job does not offer the opportunity to travel, or if you are simply looking to try something new, there is a wealth of employment prospects to be explored the world over.

Clara Dorfman is a senior majoring in philosophy and Italian at the University of Pittsburgh. She spent the summer of 2014 interning at Vatican Radio in Rome, and then the following school year studying at the University of Bologna. Before coming back to Pittsburgh this year for her final year of college, she returned to Rome for another internship, this time at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.

Brianna Gasgonia grew up in Southern California and is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, double majoring in German and Russian and pursuing certificates in Russian and Eastern European Studies and European Union Studies. Her interest in international affairs began shortly after high school graduation, when she had the opportunity to study abroad in Germany as a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholar.

Florida Culture for the Week of January 18, 2016 by Josh Garrick

The cliffside hike from Monterosso al Mare, the most northern seaside village of Italy’s renowned Cinque Terre, to neighboring Vernazza is extraordinarily scenic, but it’s also arduous—the two colorful, ancient towns are connected by an endless series of steep stairways that overlook the rugged coast. “I can’t endure another step,” I breathlessly told my thirty year old daughter after a few minutes of strenuous climbing. She suggested I turn around and take the train back to our rented apartment in Riomaggiore, the southernmost village, while she continued on. 

One look out my window, and there was no mistaking where I was. The early morning sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds and buildings. I lay there watching the light show thinking, I MUST GET UP.  The sun was shining and I was in San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world - but I did not want to get out of my bed. You may be thinking I had a wee bit too much wine the night before, or perhaps there was another, more seductive reason to linger. But no, it was the bed itself that wooed me.

Costa Rica has a lot to offer when you visit this amazing place. Its natural beauty gives visitors a unique holiday experience you can’t find in most other holiday destinations. It’s the perfect holiday location for individuals and groups of people with differing interests and requirements. Some people like a quiet peaceful vacation, while others are interested in a more adventurous holiday. Others want a combination of relaxation and adventure. Costa Rica gives you all of these options. Here are some of the most popular things you can do in Costa Rica.

It seems impossible, I know. Enjoy traveling over the holidays? Really? As you brace protracted lines at the TSA checkpoint and your car crawls at a snail’s pace along the Interstate?
Even when everything goes according to schedule, the sheer volume of fellow travelers can exponentially magnify our level of stress.

You already know the basics. Keep a positive attitude, drink lots of liquids (the non-alcoholic kind), feed your body nutritiously, listen to music that makes you feel good.

Florida Culture to Help You Say Farewell to 2015 by Josh Garrick

NOW to Dec 27 – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Musical 
The beloved classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is on-stage this holiday season with all your favorite characters in a new production at the Orlando Rep. Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, and of course, Rudolph are all there in this beloved musical adventure that teaches us what makes us different can be what makes us special. Call 407.896.7365x1 or visit orlandorep.com

Originally from Ashburn Virginia, Kiara Lee is a junior bioengineering student minoring in Spanish and Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. Her study abroad experience began the summer after her freshman year, when she studied abroad in Chile with a program called Plus3. This program was a partnership between the engineering and business schools at Pitt where students learned about the economy and various businesses in Chile.