June 16th 2022 This trip has taught me a lot about myself, especially when it comes to what I want to do with my career. Although I am a marine biologist major, I had little to no boat exposure or experience and this trip has shown me that I can not only handle living at sea, but that I love it. It is an ultimate conservation teacher, as you have…
June 6th, 2022 Being halfway through my trip abroad with MANTA in the British Virgin Islands, I have already had some of the most amazing experiences of my life. The way in which we are learning is unlike any other, as half of our class has taken place under water. I have worked the first few days of the trip earning my Open Water Scuba Diver Certification and have already…
After spending two week straight on a boat with 14 people, there is definitely some advice to give to future students. It was an absolutely amazing experience but it is something you need to really make sure you are up for and passionate about before signing up. It is not just a tropical island vacation, you have to be ready to get immersed into a lifestyle in which your “normal”…
After a few days back in the city, in the comfort of my own apartment, I have had some time to reflect on my study abroad experience in Panama. Even while I was still there, I knew that this trip was something I would never forget, and I had already been mentally cataloging the main takeaways. My study abroad trip to Panama reinvigorated my sense of adventure, sparked a desire…
My name is Emma Koessl I am a senior this year at CofC, this is my last semester here, certainly a bitter-sweet feeling. I am double majoring in International Business and Accounting with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Sustainability and 21st Century Business Solutions. I am participating in the Costa Rica summer study abroad program where we will be traveling throughout the country, touring and working with…
To get to the ITEC Biological Field Station where the fieldwork for our study abroad program was to take place, the main method of travel is by boat. In fact, the main method of travel in Bocas del Toro seems to be via boat. In Bocas del Toro, a province of Panama off the Caribbean coast, water taxis are ubiquitous, and you can’t forget that you are on an island…
When we flew across the Caribbean sea into Panama City, I already felt a change in the air. I could smell the ocean and the diesel fumes pumping out of cabs, I could feel the heat radiating from the Tropics sun; we were clearly on an island, in a new country. We spent the first night of our study abroad trip in the capital of Panama, staying in a hotel…
While studying in South America in Santiago de Chile, we traveled around the continent as well as within Chile. The study abroad program organized by the College of Charleston included a week-long excursion to Peru at the beginning of October, consisting of Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Lima. This was by far one of my favorite trips I have taken so far and also where I came to learn so…
In Costa Rica, one of their typical meals is called Casado. It is a simple dish of rice, black beans, plantains, salad, and optional protein such as chicken or beef. It is my favorite food I’ve tried because it has a little bit of every flavor and every food group. You can find it at restaurants and most households in CR, it never disappoints. We have been able to connect…
This post goes out to my peers who want to move past the tourism sites in their new home and truly experience the local culture. Odds are, if you’re going to study abroad somewhere you probably have had a class that at least referenced that region. Whether this is true for you or not, what’s true for all of us is that our professors are cool. You’re probably thinking, okay…
