By: Emily Roberts Rainbow on my walk home While at work, hearing loud crashes from the roof could mean two things. It could be the wind rattling the trees, and the branches are hitting the building, or it could mean monkeys are jumping around the roof. Monkeys, motmots, kinkajous, tarantulas, and agoutis all surprised me…
By: Jenna Boccher During my internship in Costa Rica, I encountered a culture that challenged my preconceived notions of time and productivity. The beauty of Costa Rica extended beyond its lush treescapes and vibrant flora and fauna—it was deeply rooted in the local tradition of “Tico Time.” This concept of deliberate slowness and the relaxed…
By: Paris Ye Dear Pre-GRIP Paris, It’s funny now to think about how you were so sure you didn’t want to apply for GRIP this summer. I remember how you declared to Rachel in December that you definitely weren’t going to apply (and she also said she wouldn’t) – and look where you both are…
By: Rachel Wang Angels Place Sydney, a stunning art installation right outside of my office This summer, I worked at a fintech startup in Sydney, Australia. It was my first full in-person intern experience and my first experience working abroad. I’d always heard of Australia’s flat working structure and was excited to get my hands…
By: Luca Thorson GRIP: Engineering Research in Grenoble My first weekend in Grenoble, I decided to do a hike, since that is one of the city’s biggest draws. I’m not the most avid hiker but I enjoy it and figured I could handle most anything fairly easily, so I found a hike in a nearby…
By: Guadalupe Espinoza, CAS ’26 SA: SIT International Honors Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Barcelona, Spain Guadalupe, one of the Semester Abroad Global Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Fall 2024 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. I remember watching my dad sitting in the living room,…
By: Josue Ruiz, CAS ’25 SA: CASA Barcelona: Spanish Universities Program, Spain Josue, one of the Semester Abroad Global Correspondents, shares his experience abroad during the Fall 2024 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. When I decided to study abroad in Barcelona, I anticipated that language would…
By: Maya Ballerstedt GRIP: University of Minho Law School This summer I had the opportunity to conduct legal research in Braga, Portugal, and worked with Minho University’s JustGov center to expand my interests in public policy, international human rights, and international law. One aspect of my experience that I loved was feeling part of the culture…
By: Rindha Sudhini GRIP: University of Minho Law School I experienced a mix of excitement, curiosity, and early anxiety during my first few days as an intern at the University of Minho Law School. The internship promised autonomy in research—giving me the chance to make decisions and engage deeply with my projects—which I believe it delivered…
By: Cady Wang Learning a language can be a bit rocky. But still, it rocks! GRIP: Keru One of the most surprising challenges I faced when interning and living in China was the language barrier. A little background on me: I am Chinese-American and grew up in a Chinese-speaking household. In fact, I learned Mandarin…