By: Benjamin Weimer, CAS ’19 Rome, Italy GRIP Intern, U.S. State Department – Rome, Italy Here are five tips for making the most of your time abroad: Wander the Streets – This summer when I first got to Rome, I didn’t know a single person in the city. Instead of staying in my apartment, I…
By: Anders Zhou, Wharton ’21 Skyline of Shanghai Diversified Agency Services (DAS) – Shanghai, China In two words, Shanghai was both an experience and a throwback. When people ask me how my summer went, those are the two words I usually base my answer off of. I’m really thankful that Penn Abroad allowed me the opportunity…
By: Stephanie Tian, Wharton ’21 Stephanie (center right) with fellow interns in Mexico Ashoka – Mexico City, Mexico My internship this summer has been an experience that, now sitting on my couch at home, I truly miss. The first few days back I kept doing the thing where I wake up and am confused by…
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: Jacob Faber-Rico, SEAS ’20 CAUH – Buenos Aires, Argentina “So wood really is quite good. Back before we had all this steel technology, people were pretty well off with wood. They knew what they were doing. You might laugh at a wooden bicycle, but it’s not that bad,” remarked my material selection professor last…