1: Introductions

Hallo! My name is Andrea. It seems I've ventured into this dialogue a little on the late side and I've been in Berlin for almost 3 weeks now. Luckily, scientists seem to be coming to the conclusion that time is less linear than sort of malleable (hooray physics!) so let's just appropriate this idea for the purposes of me “going back in time” and writing my pre-departure introduction! Luckily again, I started a tumblr a couple weeks before leaving, which I will draw from right now, quote it even, to make it quite authentic.

The first and only time I’ve moved cities was from Phoenix, Arizona to New York City. This seems somewhat important because I’m under the assumption that moving from most places to NYC has got to be the grandest shock and lifestyle change one may encounter. The desert is beautiful, I miss it, but generally I find that home is where you eat your ramen and NYC quickly became the only place I'd dare to call home. Moving to Berlin is a mixture of excitement and apprehension. As elitist and uneducated as this may sound to others, once you’ve lived in New York, everything must seem like it’s going at snail pace. (THE PEOPLE ARE WALKING TOO SLOW, WTF YOU HAVE A CAR?, 5 SHOTS 5 MINUTES, HOW DAMN LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A DIRTY CHAI LATTE)

So essentially I have no idea what to expect when moving to Germany, but I expect it to be a familiar experience if wild adaptation and education, but perhaps more relaxed, or at least a little less dirty. As for apprehensions, I am really dreading moving out of my apartment here in Brooklyn. This is most likely the most homey place I have ever lived- cluttered and covered in tapestries, music always on. Cutting ties with this apartment is the hardest thing to think about right now. I just want to fast-forward to Berlin past the mind-occupations of worrying about adaptors, packing, returning NYU students' parties, etc.

My academic experiments in college have hardly been a linear story. I began pre-med with the idea of being a journalist, moved on to Anthropology and Comparative Literature, and then on to Gallatin to finally embrace my indecisive nature. Once there, and having come to terms with not-knowing, my path sort of came together and I realized hey! Magic of representation plus science equals artistic science! I would like to make installations that motivate/educate/entertain out of biological life-forms. I've done a little work with synthetic biology and playing Dr. Moreau sounds fun (without the horrific details), not to mention perhaps a good way of increasing awareness on how beautiful the world is in which we live.

I can't wait to figure out how sojourning actually feels, what shocks to my heart I may encounter, or what bruises to my dignity. As some sort of wild (but nonetheless well-thought-out) beginning, I just went and got my first tattoo, scheduled two days before my flight. It is a foot-long sweep of moths flying from my hipbone up to my shoulder-blade. It suggests a lot of representations, but one related in symbolic nature to this topic is that when I think about something, and think about it, and think about it, I will not do it. Step one is thinking and soon afterwards there must be a step two, or I will never get anywhere outside my head. Signing up for NYU Berlin was a second step for me. Perhaps I am learning how to get somewhere.

Growing up, my mom gushed about the semester she spent in Florence as a college student. By age eight, I was convinced that I too would spend a semester retracing my mom's experience in Italy. After confirming my spot in NYU Florence, I suddenly began to panic--how would I survive an entire semester in a
foreign country? Not only would the ten-hour time difference be a challenge, but I also don't speak a word of Italian! However, my mom nudged me to embark on this journey, encouraging me that my ability to speak Spanish would make learning Italian a piece of cake. And of course she was right; my first week of Italian class has been challenging, but definitely manageable.

Not only am I fortunate enough to learn a new language, but I am also constantly absorbing the beauty surrounding me. I live on Via Ricosoli, which is a block away from the duomo, a historic landmark filled with beauty and culture. Living in the center of town is amazing. Although the building I live in houses all American students, the moment I step out of my front door, onto the cobblestone streets, I am surrounded by local Italians.

The first time I walked through the gates of the NYU campus, my jaw dropped. Propped up in the hills, surrounded by lush greenery, are four astonishingly
beautiful villas. Not only is walking to class fun, but I also look forward to my classes. In addition to the Art of Travel, I am enrolled in Intensive Elementary Italian, Introduction to Marketing, and History of Italian Fashion. I am most looking forward to the History of Italian Fashion course, which is based in the center of the city, rather than a classroom. Weekly field trips are scheduled in an attempt to really expose and immerse us into Italian culture. Furthermore, this course fit
perfectly with my concentration, which is business and design. Ultimately, all of my professors are warm and friendly and it seems as though they make an effort
to get to know each student. I guess it makes it easier that the classes are small, which is definitely something I am enjoying.

Overall, my first week in Florence has exceeded my expectations. Living in Europe seems so surreal. Although I definitely miss home, I know this is a once in a
lifetime experience. Even though I don't necessarily miss the super fast paced, pushy lifestyle of New York it will definitely take time to get used to the slow
paced lifestyle here in Italy. I also thought I was escaping New York's snowy winter, but I guess I was wrong; my first week has been filled with hot chocolate as I try to keep warm from the snow!

I can't wait to spend the next four months exploring this amazing country.

Thanks Mom!

Try as I might, I can no longer skirt the inevitable. In a mere three days I’ll be off to Buenos Aires for the spring semester and won’t return to Los Angeles for nearly a year. Vague plans and daydreaming about a country I’ve never before entered are now being eclipsed by the creeping panic/excitement of trying to pack everything I want to bring in one suitcase and a slight pang of regret for not having seen more, done more, eaten more, over winter break.
 
My name is Emily. Though I am technically from Los Angeles, I grew up in the northeastern edge of the county in a small town called Sunland that straddles the foothills of the Angeles Mountains. My parents are both immigrants from England and since all of my extended family still lives there, I visit often. I feel that I must have travel in my blood, having started at such a young age and being a member of a family so passionate about traveling. At four (which hardly counts I know), I went to Belize and Guatemala. Since then, and besides England, I’ve visited Mexico, Germany, France, and Spain, where I spent a month in Madrid at sixteen on my own.
 
By no means a seasoned traveler, Argentina is the next step for me. I could have easily studied in Europe, but it all seems to easy because of my family’s central location. I’m a believer in the philosophy that traveling should be somewhat challenging, and involve constantly putting yourself outside of your “comfort zone.” That being said, my Spanish skills are not the best and my most important goal while abroad is to improve my command of the language. This also factors into my concentration, which I’ve deemed “Creative and Cultural Identity” (working title). Having an artist as a mother and being exposed to art so early on, I am interested in learning how to expand and hone my creative capacities in the areas of Creative Writing and Photography, while also studying various aspects of cultures that interest me through Anthropology, Language and Art History.
 
Writing this post is definitely making me feel more at ease about leaving, and I’m excited for the semester to finally begin. Especially since my plan isn’t just to study abroad in Argentina. I have to get my British citizenship this summer, which requires staying in the UK for six solid weeks. Since I wouldn’t have enough time for a summer internship or job, I decided to travel my entire summer. Once the semester ends in Argentina, I plan to bus the length of Chile, going north into Peru and then into Ecuador, where I can hopefully go to the Galapagos Islands. From there, I plan to spend a week in Miami at a very good friend’s house. Then it’s off to the UK for the rest of the summer, meaning I will fly straight back to New York from London. Only three more days till the adventure begins.

(Image by Emily Tugwell. Taken in The Angeles National Park)

All my life, I have always gotten interesting reactions when I introduce myself as Bianca Bianchi. Most people don’t believe that my first name is almost identical to my last! However for my first week in Florence, every Italian I’ve encountered has not been phased by this common Italian name. I feel proud to be among my family’s culture, until someone starts speaking to me in Italian. This is because, other than restaurant conversation, I cannot speak one word of my heritage’s language. I have never needed to speak Italian until now. I grew up in San Diego, where the most popular second language is Spanish. My high school never offered an Italian course, and the most I learned about Italy was in AP Art History my senior year. Although I have visited Rome, Florence and Lombardy when I was young, I knew all my life that I wanted to learn Italian and spend some time there. Therefore studying abroad through NYU couldn’t be more prefect. 

When I was accepted into LSP, I almost anxiously choose the option to study here for my freshman year. However I am happy with my decision to wait because my first three semesters helped me select Gallatin for my Junior year to study Media and Entertainment in a Global Environment. Like I predicted, I immediately noticed that Italy’s and Europe’s pop culture consists of a lot of American music, while America listens no Italian music. I still have time before I declare my concentration but I want to study what it takes to become an international superstar like Adele. A long with this blog course I am taking an Italian Culture course, Introduction to Marketing, Experimental Photography and Beginner Italian. 

To really get to know the Florentine lifestyle and challenge my Italian skills, I also chose to live in a home-stay with an Italian family. I was so nervous about this type of housing, but I wanted to bring myself out of my comfort zone. Being in the safety of NYU, around my peers speaking english all the time, would lower my chances of achieving my goals here in Florence. Therefore living with my roommate and 3 Italians was the only way to go. I couldn’t be happier! I was prepared for the worst. I knew there was a chance I would have to stay in a old building or small home; I was even prepared to share a bathroom with the whole family. Although it was a pleasant surprise to I met the Rotelli’s and see that they live in a gorgeous two story apartment. My roommate, Marah and I have already grown close to Mario, Sarah and his 20 year old daughter Stephania. We are lucky that they speak good English, but they will take the time to teach us Italian at our 3 hour long AMAZING dinners. Ive already seen so much in my first week thanks to them and cannot wait for more to come. This post could go on forever with me listing all of the food I have eaten, or clothes that I have bought but I'll keep it to 500 words for the first blog. Living in another country has brought me out of my comfort zone and although I already miss certain parts of home, but I hope the next four months will help achieve my goals in studying Italian and the Italian culture. 

Hello from San Diego! I am Dana, a Junior in Gallatin studying Visual Communications. I am going to Buenos Aires next semester but won’t be arriving there until February 6th. I must say I am super excited for my journey, as well as nervous. I feels like I first did as a freshman before leaving from California across the country to an unfamiliar NYC.  
This winter break I have been debating a lot if I should go abroad, and furthermore if I chose the right site. I always knew I wanted to study abroad, and especially with the ease that NYU allows me to make this happen I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Since I studied Spanish all of high school, I also always knew I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country to do so. However choosing what to study in college was hard for me and took a long time, and after I had just recently chosen an academic path I felt that going abroad would be a deviation from that path. So I started thinking, why not go to a site that offered more visual communication and studio art courses? Berlin? Florence? Or maybe Paris instead? In the end I stuck to Buenos Aires.
This was where I truly wanted to go from the beginning. I wanted to have the experience of living in a country in which they speak a language I had spent so many years studying in books, and in which the culture is completely different from my own. I hope I made the right choice! I know that no matter where I go the experience will be once in a lifetime, and this will be the true education. Just as when I came to NYU for the first time I am scared, excited, and unsure of my decision. However  unlike then I have more life experience now, and I know  that whatever decisions I make in my life I can’t go wrong because there just doesn’t exist a “best” decision.
I leave on Sunday and am now busy getting ready! Hasta luego. I am excited for this class and for hearing about everyone else’s experiences abroad!Hell

As is expected of all students going to Berlin, I am currently watching the clock in a daily apprehension of what is to come in a day and a half. I have never embarked on a trip like this before, and I am both terrified and exhilarated at the opportunity to prove my coming of age in yet another way that being a college student offers me. Definitely, there are some apprehensions that I am facing, as being in a whole different world is not necessarily the easiest thing, or accessible thing for most people around the world. The expenses, the planning, the learning of the new language, all is a very expensive and time consuming enterprise that I find myself incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy. It is thus with an intent spirit of gratitude that I am currently preparing for the best semester of my life to date. 
As for myself, my name is Theresa Akers, I am studying Spatial Psychology and will be studying (if it is not obvious) in Berlin for this semester. I am originally from Minneapolis, MN, so New York was a big feat for me, and this is just another huge step outside of my hometown. I hope this course in some way helps me gain more of an appreciation for Berlin and all it has to offer me.

 
I’m hotly anticipating my return to Buenos Aires. As a Global Liberal Studies major, we spend two semesters abroad in the same site. Therefore, my approach and perspective coming into my second semester is completely different than when I first arrived in August with mediocre Spanish and an embarrassingly low knowledge of the city for someone who’d visited before. My family traveled to Buenos Aires when I was fourteen and I fell in love with the city and vowed to return in college for study abroad.
 
Many find it strange to spend two semesters abroad in college, at the same site furthermore, but I very happy with my decision to do so. Even after spending four months there, I feel as if I’ve only skimmed the surface of the rich, mysterious and vibrant city that is Buenos Aires. Like NYC, it’s incredibly easy to stay within the nearby neighborhoods, Recoleta and Palermo. Now I’m familiar with the city and finally have the collectivo (bus system) figured out, I hope to expand my horizons into the more colorful areas such as San Telmo and La Boca. Beyond Buenos Aires, I still have many places I want to travel including Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Rio de Janeiro and return to Punta del Este and possible Chile.
 
I’m allowed great flexibility with my classes this semester. Since I am now “proficient” by NYU standards through the completion of Advanced Grammar and Composition, I am taking three electives in Spanish. I expect my schedule to change once I attend classes during our shopping week. Since coming home, people are eager to know if I’m fluent. I think that’s a difficult concept to determine. In short, I know all the tenses and have an extensive vocabulary. However, I feel that I can’t genuinely express my emotions in Spanish and that I don’t always say things in the best way they can be articulated. I feel that taking electives in Spanish will help to improve this. Learning whilst abroad isn't all in the classroom. I'm making a firm committment to learn to draw and improve my tango (the picture is one attempt from last semester). 
 
The most resounding difference between Buenos Aires and New York City is how people use their time. In NYC, we’re always rushing around and micromanaging every second. In Buenos Aires, punctuality means nothing. At first, this bothered my type A nature intensely, but I’ve come to embrace the fluidity of the day and the four-hour dinners. Even back in the United States for break, I’ve been much more patient and casual with tardiness and changes in plans. I think a balance can be struck and I’ll perfect it only over time and appreciation of both cultures. 

This entire winter break (so far, a month and three days in) I’ve been the poster child for apathy.  After a rough fall semester, it is too nice to sit around and not think or do anything involving due dates and specific formats.  And just like any other college kid with too much free time, I’ve become a slave to the couch and the almighty revered Netflix.  This degree of apathy has been okay, however.  I’ve actually really enjoyed it.  But it’s crunch time.  In a week and three days I’m moving myself to a different continent for Pete’s sake.  I think it’s time to switch emotional gears and potentially use my brain again, before it turns into couch potato mush (that is, if it hasn’t already, considering my break is literally a month and a half long).
 
¡Hola todos! My name is Meg and I think I’m finally ready to get in the mindset of ‘I’m about to start school again.’ Wait, scratch that… more like ‘I’m about to move to Argentina, live with a random family, explore a whole new city and lifestyle, and, oh yeah, take classes on the side.’  My semester in Buenos Aires will complete my sophomore year at NYU.  I’m in CAS, with so far an undeclared major, but studying something that will hopefully involve foreign languages, my true loves (I speak Spanish, French, and a little bit of Irish Gaelic, and am eager to teach myself / learn many more).  I will most definitely be receiving my minor in Latin American studies, especially with the courses I will be taking this semester (which I am very excited about. Three out of my four classes will be conducted in Spanish!).  An inevitable goal for myself, as is with many others traveling to places of a different language, is to improve my Spanish.  I really hope to be fluent by the end of the semester.
 
Beyond Spanish being my first foreign language and the desire to improve and use that language, there are other reasons to my deciding to travel to Argentina.  For example, why not Madrid?  I’ve never even been to Spain, but have always wanted to go.  I have been elsewhere in Europe, however (France, Belgium, Ireland), but never to South America.  Notorious journalist and author Thomas Friedman has noted that South America is rising to be made up of ‘second world’ countries (The World Is Flat), and I do not plan on missing out on its rise to glory, while also discovering just exactly why this is the case by learning more of its history, politics, culture and people.  Also, as much as I loved New York my freshman year of college, it was a fantasy.  Sophomore year hit reality, and I was close to falling out of love with the city with an anxiety to go elsewhere, for perhaps a new fantasy to begin.
 
My education at NYU thus far has taught me the importance of ways of looking, seeing things in as many ways as possible.  I am prepared and truly excited to see the Spanish language and Latin American culture through the eyes of its citizens, as a member of their community, but still as a scholar pursuing this new path of vision.  In the very birthplace of the tango, I long for a dance with my body, mind and spirit partnered with the history, culture and people of Argentina, where no doubt together we will grow and develop to become a symbiotic force where I absorb my adventures and education and I do all I can in return for Buenos Aires, the city I hope to come to know and love.  And now, at the end of this post, I think I’ve decided that I am definitely ready for this semester to begin.

Bonjour tout le monde! Je m’appelle Audrey  et j’étudie à Paris ce semestre!

Whew, so glad that after five years of French classes I can at least tell you that my name is Audrey and that I’m studying in Paris this semester.  I’ve been in Paris for about three weeks now and I’m happy to report that my French has already improved!  Sort of.  The primary reason that I chose Paris as my study abroad site is that I constantly have opportunities to practice my French.  That being said, I’m here with a bunch of Americans and it’s so easy to speak solely in English with them that there are days when I can go almost all day without using any French.  This is the blessing and the curse of going to an American University in France.

Living in a French household has been helpful though.  My host mom, Madame Raynaud, speaks mostly in French except for when I make my confused “I actually have no idea what you are saying” face.  (Unfortunately, that face is a reflex at this point…I have very little control over whether it appears or not).  Ultimately, I hope to speak as much French as I can to become as close to fluent as possible in the months that I have here in Paris.
 
When it comes to food, however, my French is impeccable.  I am perfectly able to order a baguette from a “boulangerie” or a crêpe with nutella from one of the many stands that grace the streets of Paris.  And although I am normally vegetarian while at home in the U.S. , here in Europe I have decided to be more adventurous and eat meat.  (I tend to not ask what type of meat it is when I am eating it and just enjoy the taste…)  Madame Raynaud makes wonderful meals for my roommate, Emily, and I twice a week and thus I have tried many different kinds of meat (some mysterious and others not).  At these dinners, Madame Raynaud speaks lots of French to both Emily and I. At the end of dinner, we always make sure to tell her how good it was and ask if she needs any help with the dishes (she never does).  She tell us not to worry and that she will do it.
 
Madame Raynaud is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.  It has been and interesting adjustment to life in her house as opposed to my apartment in New York where I am completely independent.  She does my laundry for god’s sake!  When I thanked her for vacuuming my room the other day, she seemed surprised and said “C’est normal!”  It’s amazing but guilt-making at the same time.  
 
I can’t believe it’s already been three weeks, so much has happened (the above picture is from a trip to Montmarte which is a beautiful city on a hill).  Yet there is so much left to learn and discover (and lots of baguettes in between)!  I hope everyone is settling in nicely and enjoying being abroad as much as I am.  À toute à l’heure!

I’m warming to Ghana- or should I say, Ghana is warming to me, whether I like it or not, because Ghana grows hotter by the day.

I was born in the Northeast, born and raised just outside of Boston, right on the ocean.  Now I stand on the other side of that ocean, and I’m finding it just a bit disconcerting.  Far from the familiar faces of my tiny town, and the easy grid lines of New York City, I’ve put myself in the interesting position on being abroad for a semester in a place I know absolutely nothing about.

I’ve always had a case of serious wanderlust, whether in my feet or in my head.  I voracious reader ever since I can remember, I used to wander through the library stacks of my small town, devouring everything could get my hands on- language books, poetry, novels, travelogues.  It was all the better if that took my dreams to faraway places. 

Despite my wandering mind, my feet didn’t leave the country until I begged and pleaded with the Rotary Exchange Program to let me into their program.  When they asked me where I wanted to go during my interview, I said anywhere- just as long as you send me.  

They sent me to India to live for a year, and changed my life.  I flew to India thinking I wanted to be an artist of some sort, with no clear direction and a vague inkling of what life after India would be like. But the experience redirected my life, and when I was spit back out into the western world, I had the mother of all identity crises. The next year I shuttled my battered heart between New York and Massachusetts, dreading the packing and unpacking of suitcases, and the inevitable tears as I tried to figure out where home was located.

And when I figured out that all I really wanted was to travel, and document the experience, I realized all the things I loved fell into place: art, culture, language, history, photography, writing.  Now I’m less like a person running and more like someone on the chase.  

I knew, or thought I knew what I was getting into.  I needed a break, cleanly, from my life in New York, which felt like it was getting away from me.  I needed to spend some time honing skills and thinking about when I wanted while existing outside of that constant drive of the city.   And so I find myself in Ghana, feeling as though I’ve stumbled into half a dream.  I have a feeling its going to be an interesting semester.

My family was pretty puzzled when they found out I had not only applied but been accepted into NYU Accra. The only form of congratulations I received was a simple, “Why?” Can I blame them? Not really, it’s understandable. They weren’t against the decision by any means, and I have to admit this decision came without a hint of warning. Why would I want to go from luxurious New York City where I have every amenity at my disposal to third world Ghana?

Hi everyone, I’m Maggie and I’m spending my semester in Accra, Ghana. Not because I’m studying public health or social justice (my concentration is the opposite actually, Graphic Design) and not because I want to join an NGO in hopes of changing the world one orphan at a time (though it would be nice). No, I decided to come to Ghana mostly because of the culture and beautiful photographic landscapes. I would be lying if I didn’t mention that putting myself in such a vulnerable and extreme situation was also incredibly appealing. Being a Native American I have always found myself being pulled towards other cultures and digging for the comparison it might have to my own, which I am pretty far removed from. It wasn’t until two summers ago when I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and really integrated myself with my Navajo half that I realized how similar third world living conditions are to the living conditions of the reservation.

So here I am in Ghana and I’ve got to say it hasn’t been as hard of an adjustment as I thought it was going to be. Little things like the multiple power outages every single day, and the lack of a stable internet connection are what have been getting to me the most. I’ve had the power go out during my shower twice in the week that I’ve been here. Everything here is much easier when you have a good sense of humor about it and just let it roll off your back. It’s also hot and humid, and I’m convinced the mosquitos are out to get me.

A little about me: I’m (almost) 21 years old and I’m from Shawnee, Kansas. I think that answers the question as to why I wanted to so desperately to come to New York City. I’ve always enjoyed traveling and while I’ve only been to Ireland, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada (if those last two even count) I still like to consider myself well-traveled for my age. I love just about every subject I take and I finally landed in Gallatin with a concentration in Graphic Design, Photography, and Creative Writing. Overall, I really enjoy digital art and communication. I’ve been married for about eight months to the guy I grew up across the street from. We’re used to long distance (usually seeing him about once a month when I’m in school) but this will definitely be an adventure! He has a job in the Navy teaching the math and physics of nuclear power. A lot of people find it a little weird and shocking that I’m married at such a young age so I thought I’d get it out in the open!

Anyways, I’m really excited to be here in Ghana and I’ve already started noticing lots of differences and similarities to home. I’ve heard that patience is the key to surviving here and that has already proven to be true. With so much free time on my hands I’ve really turned to my journal and reading as a therapeutic way to handle such a dramatic change. I finished the first Hunger Games book in 2 days and I’m off to start to second one now. Team Peeta all the way!
 

Deciding to take a second semester in a row abroad was not easy.  It was sad to tell all of my friends that I wouldn’t be coming back, my family was upset to go an entire 12-months without seeing me, and I knew that I was taking risks by not being in New York, the academic hub of my field- development, and the location of countless opportunities.  However, when I saw that NYU- Abu Dhabi was opening up to students from New York, I knew it was an experience I should not miss. 
 
Abu Dhabi appealed to me because I was already in the Middle East, studying at NYU- Tel Aviv, and I wanted to see the other side of the regional coin.  I learned a lot about one of the main issues: Israel / Palestine, and was interested in learning about some of the others, such as, oil and cultural sustainability.  I was also eager to come for the semester because I knew that the demographics of the student body here would make me feel at home. NYU-AD is largely international, which reminded me of my boarding school experience at the United World College.  There we had 200 students representing 85 countries.  Here in Abu Dhabi there are 300 students and 70 nations.  Furthermore, of the 300 students here, 10% are from the United World College movement and so I knew I would immediately have a group of like-minded peers.  My biggest reservation to coming was the fact that we would be the first group of study-away students on the campus.  The admissions and administration produced no façade that we seven students are a test group, the guinea pigs.
 
In some ways I’ve felt the insecurity of being trailblazers for the program.  To the faculty and staff, many questions are left unanswered, and often it seems that no one really knows what to do with us.  The students however, have welcomed us with open arms- excited to know what the “real NYU” is like and eager to integrate us in their activities and friend groups.  That said, for the first time in my life I feel like the new kid.  I’m unfamiliar with how the campus runs, who does what, where things are, and how to situate myself within it. 
 
Unlike Tel Aviv where we were all only there for one semester, understood life back on the square, and knew we would return there, here in Abu Dhabi it is an entirely different NYU.  The people, the traditions, the expectations- are all altered. . . at least for the NYU-AD students.  We study abroad guinea pigs lie somewhere in the middle, but no one knows where.  That is what we are going to figure out in the next four months.
 
It seems strange that I’ve been in Abu Dhabi for five days and the main cultural difference I’ve focused on is comparing the NYU I know in the States and the infant campus here.  In some ways that speaks to how strong of a bubble this campus is, but more importantly, it shows that culture goes beyond political borders, languages, and religion.  This semester will be a huge exchange and cultural experience for me, both learning about the Gulf region and the many problems it must address, but also understanding the interactions and similarities between the United World College, NYU- Abu Dhabi, and NYU-  New York.