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Backpacking in Ecuador and Colombia

 

In 2013, I spent one month backpacking alone through Ecuador and Colombia. I stayed in hostels, joined other traveling groups from time to time, and experienced the excitement and difficulties of traveling independently as a female.

 

Working in Italy 

 

In 2014, I spent five months working in Italy as a nanny and housekeeper. I enjoyed being fully immersed in Italian family life, and being surrounded by the language and culture day and night. Working with children is one of my passions, and having the opportunity to work with Italian children teaching them English, attending their daily activities, and being a member of their family, was both interculturally challenging and extrememly rewarding. 

 

Volunteering in Peru

In 2013, I spent four months volunteering In Cusco, Peru and the Manú Biosphere Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon. In Cusco, I volunteered at an orphanage and a daycare center. In Manú, I volunteered on an eco-reserve and participated in reforestation, trail cutting, and organic gardening, among other tasks. Volunteering in Peru spurred my interest in international service-learning and alternatives to traditional "study abroad" international education programs. This experience also largely motivated my decision to attend graduate school and acquire a Masters degree in the field of International Education.

Backpacking in Panama

In 2012, I spenting one month backpacking through Panama with a close friend. This trip enhanced my Spanish language abilities, my international travel confidence, and spurred my interest in Latin America as a region to further explore and study.

Backpacking in Mexico and Belize

In 2011, I spent one month backpacking through Mexico and Belize. This was my first experience traveling alone internationally, without the guidance of a third party program or family members. The experience was both stressful and exhilerating, and I returned home with an elevated level of personal confidence and global awareness. This trip inspired my interest in further international travel, and resulted in my subequent trips abroad for the next four years. 

In 2009, I spent four months living in Alicante, Spain as a high school exchange student. I lived with a Spanish-speaking host family, attended a Spanish high school, and spent my time fully immersed in the Spanish language and culture. This experience pushed me farther out of my comfort zone than any previous experience. Those four months in Spain sparked my drive to seek further international and intercultural experiences, and broaden my knowledge of the world and of myself.

Studying Abroad in Spain

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