Post-Program: “Coming Home” by Kylund Prior

A view of small boats beached at the edge of the water in Sulawesi.

I posses a much better awareness of the cultural differences between my culture and that of Thailand and Indonesia which has helped me reevaluate what I have assumed are “norms”.

Thailand & Indonesia: Mid-Program: “Dancing with Macaques: A Survival Guide” by Kylund Prior

A shot of the mountains through tall skinny trees in Kuraburi.

Being awoken by massive geckos and learning how to properly avoid monkeys is not your typical class experience.

Thailand & Indonesia: Arrival: “Prepare for Takeoff” by Kylund Prior

A shot of a Thai building at dusk in Bagkok.

The next six weeks were going to expose me to the ecology and culture of two tropical countries, and I was sitting amongst people who would share in this experience with me twenty four hours of the day. It was an exciting and daunting thought.

Thailand & Indonesia: “Sunscreen and Bug Spray” by Kylund Prior

A view over the water of from the top of Adang Island at sunset.

For future students who might find their excitement overshadowed by anxiety, I would recommend focusing on the aspects which led you to apply for your abroad program in the first place.

Thailand & Indonesia: Pre-Departure: “Getting Involved in Study Abroad” by Kylund Prior

A view of temple spires in Bangkok, Thailand

I am a believer in global citizenship, the idea that people belong to a broader community than that created by political or national boundaries.

Korea: Arrival by Brooke Chong

My favorite things to do so far are hiking around campus, studying at different coffee shops, and simply walking around the city because no matter where I seem to go, I always stumble on something new.

Korea: Mid Program by Brooke Chong

Honestly, the most surprising part of my experience thus far has to be how much I love being here.

Pre Departure: South Korea by Brooke Chong

I’ve been wanting to travel to South Korea most of my life as it encompasses my Korean culture and heritage that I have been longing to learn more about.

Pre Departure: Japan by Michelle Nguyen

As I’m writing this, it is officially 11 days until I depart for Japan for a whole year.

5 Tips for Applying for the Freeman Scholarship by Alicia Prokopenko

South Korea: Internship: Pre-Departure by Tara May

I write this post as I wait in the airport (SeaTac Airport, that is) – I think it’s funny that everyone recommends showing up three hours before an international flight, just to ultimately wait two and a half hours until you can actually board and leave.

Thailand: Teach Abroad: “Sa Wa Dee” Post Grad Teach Abroad by Katie Warner

I am so grateful for moving to Thailand. Feeling my way through its culture and natural beauty has been rewarding beyond what I could have imagined.

Sa Wa Dee! A Thai greeting meaning: “May goodness be with you”.

API is thrilled to highlight Katie Warner: a graduate of Western Washington University teaching currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand! Katie arrived to Thailand in May 2018, and will be teaching in Chiang Mai until October 2018. She is excited to share her experience with you!

Japan: KCP Program “Pre-Departure,” by Simone Hansen

have always been told that the fastest way to get better at using a language is to go to the country of origin, and use the language there during your stay. In order to create a stronger foundation for my ability to use the Japanese language, I will be going to Japan for a study abroad program.

China: “Reflections of Studying in China” by Matthew Horn

Reflections of Studying in China

Published about 20 hours ago by hornm2

Taiwan: ISEP Exchange: Pre-Departure: “Hey Taiwan” by Molly O’Meara

Hey Taiwan

this is me, my thoughts, my experiences during my year abroad in Taiwan

Asia: “How I Planned for Travel Outside my Program” by Rachelle Spencer

One of the best things my grandfather ever had me do was make a budget sheet for my study abroad program to Japan. I knew when I studied abroad that I definitely wanted to see other parts of the country because at the time I didn’t know when or if I would have the chance to go back. However, I am also a very spontaneous person and I don’t often plan things out beforehand. So when my grandfather first told me about his conditional contribution to my cause, my first reaction was “Ugh, what a pain!”

South Korea: End of Program: “I’m Almost Home” by Allison Ogle

I’m Almost Home

I think that in coming home, I might experience a bit of reverse culture shock. I feel that I have grown a lot as a person and as a teacher. One thing that will be interesting to readjust to will be eating all of my meals with a fork instead chopsticks and a spoon. I’m not overly concerned about reverse culture shock as I have maintained connections with my family and friends back home but I will have to wait and see how or if reverse culture shock will really affect me and to what degree. I’m hoping that this blog as well as the reflections that I kept during my teaching will support me in both sharing my experiences and transitioning back into my home culture. I also took many pictures to document my daily life so that I can share this experience with both my family and my friends.

In order to keep my study abroad experience as a key factor in my life, I hope to continue to foster the relationships that I have developed here both in professional relationships I have made in the school and the more personal relationships that I have maintained with family of my friends in the United States. I also hope that in the next 5-10 years I can return to Korea and teach again. There are many programs to facilitate this within Korea. I think that it would be a great way to continue to grow as both an educator and as a person. I also hope to continue to develop my Korean language skill. I am able to read Hangul (written Korean) and I can understand a small amount of what I read. I can also understand more that is said to me particularly in regards to food but I am not particularly skilled at speaking or writing Korean. My productive skills are lacking but I would hope that by the time that I might return to Korea my skills would improve a bit! I also plan to find ways to incorporate what I have learned particularly about English language learners in my school into my own future classroom and to use that knowledge to better my skill as a teacher.

South Korea: End of Program: “Things I Do and Will Miss” Allison Ogle

Things I Do and Will Miss

Korea and the United states have several things in common but there are a lot of things that are different. There are things I can get and do in the United States that I cannot get or do here as well, there are things I can get and do here that I cannot get or do easily in the United States.

South Korea: Mid Program: “My Neighborhood and a Day in My Life” by Allison Ogle

My Neighborhood and a Day in My Life

4/11/2017

In Korea, there is a large population and very little space. This means that there are many apartment complexes with many floors. I live in a small apartment complex and I am on the third floor in this walk-up. My apartment building is one of many in the neighborhood that are all sandwiched together. The streets are also quite small. They can fit about one car! I’m also quite close to a subway station. I am probably a 1 minute walk away from the subway! Overall, my neighborhood is pretty quiet and very chill, even though we are very close to a busy main street.

South Korea: Post Program: “A Year Later” by Taiya Brown

A Year Later

I often look at my Facebook feed and can’t believe that it’s been over a year since I first arrived in Seoul. It feels like only yesterday that I took hundreds of pictures with my new and adventurous friends. I often feel like it was a dream because the whole experience was surreal, and the only thing that reminds me that it really happened is the fact that I’m still paying for it a year later (that and all the pictures). Thinking about going back makes me feel nervous all over again for the same things I was nervous for in the first place, but then I have to just laugh at myself because nothing was ever as big of a barrier as I expected it to be. I thought the language barrier would be scary, and if anything it’s nice not knowing what everyone is talking about all the time. I miss the experiences I had in Korea and I miss being able to experience something new every day.