Building Resilience and Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Hello! My name is Adeon and I identify as a queer first generational non-traditional student studying Spanish at the University of Oregon. In relation to my identities, I found that studying abroad here in Oviedo was a bit of a relief as Spain overall tends to be more inclusive to queer people. Keep in mind, however, that while Oviedo is considered a city, the overall feel to it is more of a small town with not a lot of variation in terms of the different kinds of people. Being an American will put you more outside of the norm than being queer.

Addressing Mental Health Abroad and Gaining a New Perspective at Home

Hi friends, we’re back for blog #3. This time I’ll be writing about coming back to the U.S. and readjusting to the culture to see if I might be able to prepare you for what you might experience returning to your home country. I will also cover some brief thoughts on the GEO exchange experience.  

Experiencing the Intersection of Race, Religion, and Sexuality

Hey everybody, Abraham here back with another blog. I want to continue some of my thoughts from the last blog, as I spent most of it introducing myself. Specifically, I want to write about my relationship with Catholicism and religion. After, I will offer some thoughts on race and ethnicity in relation to my White appearance. 

Bringing Multiple Identities to Queretaro, Mexico

Hi everybody, my name is Jacob Abraham Munoz and I’m happy to be writing for you as a Diverse Duck Ambassador! Before I get into my experience in Mexico in contrast to my expectations of the trip, I’d like to give a little bit of info on myself so that you can know what kind of perspective I’m writing from. 

Reflections After Coming Home

Coming home from such large experiences always trigger a period of required rest for me. I tend to return and collapse into a minimum of a week of recuperation, sometimes longer. This adjustment period is a mix of many things: recovery from burnout, culture shift, and just the sheer need to process the beauty and magnitude of my time abroad. Thankfully, I know this about myself and am able to make the return home an easier process than my arrival in a foreign country. My biggest recommendation for students returning home is to be kind and honest with yourself.