Hello! My name is Danielle Weber and I am currently a student at Grand Valley State University through the University Center in Traverse City, Michigan. I am 25 years old and I feel I am finally discovering my passions. I had always dreamed of traveling abroad, but never thought I would have the chance due to my financial situation. My life was changed by attending an event at Grand Valley and one of the many discussions was studying abroad.
Truth: international experiences change your life. That's why we do it - why we travel, learn new languages, try different foods, fall in love with colors and textiles, walk beaches and ancient paths, explore, make new friends, and keep traveling. International experiences can come in a plethora of forms - study abroad, gap year, weekend travel, year-long RTW trips, cooking classes, couchsurfing, sporting events - the list is endless, which is exciting!
It’s easy enough to make sure your good time isn’t making someone else’s life tougher if you’re aware of the culture you’re visiting. Don’t limit yourself to the suggestions in this chapter, as ethical considerations should inform all your travel. Volunteering is another way you can make a difference to the places you visit, even if you just help out for a few weeks.
Florida Culture for the Week of June 1, 2015 by Josh Garrick
June 4 – 1st Thursday at OMART Goes Dreamy
I'm an American expat living in Istanbul, Turkey. I teach English at a private university which I commute to intercontinentally by ferry. A commute which is probably the calmest part of my day, where I am able to stare out at the majestic panorama of Ayasofya and all of her historic surroundings. It's the part of my day which gives me a chance to remember why I moved to this chaotic, often very stressful city. I'm an observer, and Istanbul - Turkey - and the complex region as a whole, gives me an amazing opportunity to do just that.
India - it’s almost a dream, isn’t it? The enormous territory, and the even more enormous population. The religions, cultures, languages, foods, and people are as much a draw as the history, which is storied and ancient. Want to study abroad in India? You’ve researched flights to India, looked into programs, and are getting excited…
It must be known by all and sundry by now – I’m in love with Turkey. A recent trip highlighted to me what many of my friends and family already know – that Turkey is an amazing country to explore, and that Istanbul is just as magical as one can imagine.
From my weekend trip to Offersøy, Lødingen/Vestbygd, Nordland, Northern Norway. may 22, 2015, the sun shining, and clouds came in now and then, some rain came over us, but still, the sun wasn`t far away.
Linda Moore lives in Philadelphia and writes fiction. Six months a year she travels the world. She writes about her experiences in a blog: www.lovearttravel.com
What motivated your decision to go abroad? How/why did you choose where to go?
I just returned from a trip to a place that I can't seem to let go of, and ALL THINGS TURKEY are calling to me. This is when I reached out to one of our Wandering Educators, Emily Johnson, who lives in Istanbul (lucky!) for some Istanbul goodness. Even more luck: Emily's our new Istanbul Editor, and will share more as time unwinds (yay!).
Emily notes: