Challenges and surprises in Vietnam

Introduction and Identities

My name is Pierre Tran, and I am a recent finance graduate currently interning in Vietnam. As someone deeply interested in finance and eager to immerse myself in Vietnamese culture, this opportunity represents a significant step in my professional and personal development. My identities as a finance professional and a Vietnamese expatriate shape my perspectives and experiences as I navigate this journey.

Pre-Arrival Considerations

My trip to London comes to a close

As the study abroad trip in London slowly came to an end, I found it really important to reflect on all the experiences, especially with the amount of things we did throughout the trip. Overall, the London in a Global Context trip is one of the most special school trips I have ever been a part of, and the people are really what made the experience so great, apart from being in such a cool city like London. During the return to the U.S., it was hard to just pack up and leave especially after being so adjusted to the people and lifestyle in another country only after a month.

Adapting to cultural differences in Siena, Italy

Ciao! My name is Mallory Kent and I am a soon-to-be graduate here at UO! As a former student-athlete at UO, I had the privilege of competing on the Acrobatics and Tumbling program. Upon completing the Siena program, I will earn my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and will begin my MBA at UO this Fall. In addition to my athletic pursuits, I've been heavily involved in campus activities, and staying actively engaged has been a remarkable privilege. Balancing work, academics, social life, and sports was challenging but immensely rewarding.

Settling into life in London

Throughout the first two weeks of studying abroad I have had so many different experiences throughout the city of London. Being able to experience so many variations of museums, attractions, and for me architecture especially has been the most special aspect of studying abroad. There is never a dull day with the amount of exploration that is possible. For me it has been difficult to navigate the amount of exploration alone because it is hard to understand what is easily accessible and affordable while entertaining at the same time.

Reflecting on my time in the Galapagos

I got depressed a few days before leaving San Cristobal. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t feel like I had seen enough, experienced enough, or done enough research. My trip passed in a dream like state and the assignments were so time consuming that I didn’t have the opportunity to process enough. On the equator the days are divided in half with sunlight: 12 hours of sun, 12 hours of darkness all year round. This lends itself to a dreamy, out-of-time feeling.