Capilano University Students Blogging Abroad

Learning to become a more individualistic person can lead to worldwide friendships and incredible personal growth. As an only child, I quickly learned the importance of making friends as well as how to manage situations independently. From my travels, I have learned to lead myself down my own personal desired path of interest. Having the power to go outside your comfort zone and travel to a country or city by yourself, even if it is for a day before your friends arrive is incredibly thrilling and life building experience. Traveling independently really forces a person to go out of their comfort zone and meet new people.   Hostels are great for this as good hostels provide a very social atmosphere that allows people to interact. Besides, if you are traveling alone, why not go up and talk to some attractive people of the opposite sex? Seriously guys or girls, it’s one of the easiest situations to spark up a conversation so go for it! Being independent does not have t...

Arriving in Caen after being in Greece for ten nights was quite the adventure.   Excited to start our study abroad experience but sad to leave the Greek sunshine, Thanh, Kimia, Sian and I arrived in Caen at approximately 5pm the day before classes started. Lee and one of our student mentors, Grace-Ann, met the four of us at the tram station. We were very happy to be greeted by a familiar face.   Arriving on a Sunday, Caen was a very quiet city and we were starving. Our student residence is newly renovated, and we were placed in rooms on the same floor of the building, which was a relief. After a much needed pizza delivery dinner and some sleep, the next day we started our first day of school. Being the only five Canadians amongst seventy Indians, we immediately felt out of place. They spoke loudly, interrupted the teacher, had yelled in the hallways until 2am the night before, and were all around unfriendly to us.   The instructor stood in the front of the...

Berlin has been a great place to study abroad.  In a big city you have everything you need from culture to food, clubs and music.  Everything is always moving and it seems like everyone is from somewhere else.  English is the unofficial second language of the city, but it's not so prevalent that you won't have to learn a thing or two in German.  You definitely won't be bored in Berlin since there is something happening 24/7.  Yet for such a big place it has a local feel.  For instance it seems like everything is just a 30 minute u-bahn ride away, most stores are closed on Sundays and the streets are lined with family owned stores, cafés and restaurants.     If you plan on studying in Berlin it might be tempting to take off and see other countries - and you certainly will, however we've had the best time by renting a car and seeing what Germany has to offer beyond Berlin.     Bavaria is really cool! With its co...

Pardon in advance for the terrible English. I am not certain when it started to go downhill but it has and I am sorry. I would also like to apologize for my French, it has improved but lets just say I speak in French and the French respond in English, with a confused smile. So my semester in Bordeaux is over and I am enjoying my last week in the sunny, amazing city I’ve called home for the past 3 and a half months. It is a strange period to be in, everyday what I consider to be a good friend leaves for different places for different reasons all around the world. Yesterday I said goodbye to two Germans and a Frenchie who showed me, with a level of hospitality I did not know existed, his homeland in Basque country. If you don’t know what that is Google it and go there, as thus far has been my favourite place in France excluding Bordeaux.   half of Basque country   These new friends depart for places like Hong Kong, Bali, Amsterdam and Brussels not for vacation b...

How can we use emotional intelligence, attitudes, and sharing to better immerse ourselves in another culture? From tourist to integration.   I had the chance to sit down with one of the directors of an Austrian international development organization who was generous enough to issue me a grant for conducting research on the European sharing economy and study out of a Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences) . When we talked about my ambitious plans for my stay in Europe he reminded me that the primary reason I’m here is for school. I disagree. The reason I’m here is for education. I’m conducting research on the sharing economy and going to a great school but the sole purpose of this trip is based around adventure, experiential learning, and most of all awareness .   I think there’s no better way of traveling and learning than to experience your surroundings everywhere you go like a local. From my experiences, I’ve put together what I believe to be the top 1...