By: Emily Zislis, CAS ’21 Emily wrote this vivid account of a day with a family of Bajau fishermen in Indonesia. It originally appeared on the Where There Be Dragons “Yak Board” in 2016. This morning we were awoken in our separate houses before the sun broke the horizon. Between the yelling, incessant roosters crowing,…
By: Lizzie Youshaei, CAS ’21 Lizzie wrote this post reflecting on the value and purpose of a gap year in 2017, half way through her own gap year. It appeared originally on her blog. This most difficult part about deciding to commit to a gap year had nothing to do with taking a year off,…
By: Elana Burack, CAS ’19 My Peruvian friend and I studying Elana wrote this post in 2015 while in Peru during her gap year. Her musings on power and privilege, intercultural understanding and misunderstanding appeared originally on her blog. It’s hard to believe that I have been in Cusco, Peru one whole month now. It…
By: Rebecca Schleimer, CAS ’20 Cadence Translate – Beijing, China The fact that I’m studying Chinese language at Penn has certainly enhanced my experience interning here in Beijing this summer. I personally think that in choosing to intern abroad, knowing a bit of the language of the country in which you are interning allows for…
By: Mary Tilyou, CAS ’19 LAVA Project – Galápagos, Ecuador It may not be immediately apparent why I chose a photo of me cuddling a rooster as the best representation of my time in Galápagos. However, the moment this photo was taken is one of my best memories from the summer. It exemplifies the way…
By: Kevin Yang, CAS ’20 On top of a mountain where Sanhuali are harvested Keru – Shanghai, China Rural China takes mountain climbing quite literally. Three steps up and I realized this was going to be different from what I or my mentee had expected. Our steps were soil and mud. Small plants with razor-sharp leaves…
By: Sonia Gandhi, Wharton ’19 Mota-Engil – Porto, Portugal Being a vegetarian while traveling is not typically easy. Spending the past couple of weeks in Porto, Portugal has been no exception! At work, whenever people hear that I’m from the US, they immediately ask if I have tried francesinha, a traditional delicacy, or other typical…
By: Quratul-Ain Qaiser, CPHI ’19 UNESCO – Paris, France Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood: this is the France that I experienced. Steeped in history and rich in culture, it was a beautiful country to spend 14 weeks in. From the escalator etiquette to bread that sits directly on the table, there were many unique…
By: Benjamin Weimer, CAS ’19 U.S. State Department – Rome, Italy When someone uses the word ‘diplomat,’ it conjures romantic images of black-tie galas and suave Americans sipping martinis while rubbing elbows with kings and presidents. This summer I learned that this idealized image isn’t completely off target. On a scorching Roman summer night in…
By: Sarah Jacobs, CAS ’19 Guatemala Health Initiative – Santiago Atitlan During my time in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, I’ve done a great deal of traveling and immersing myself in my host culture. I’ve learned to weave, make tortillas, and the proper way to put on a Huipil, the traditional dress of the women in my community.…
