Study Abroad South America

During our stay in Buenos Aires, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the beautiful, historic Colonia, the oldest town in Uruguay.  Our group boarded the Buquebus the morning of August 7th and relaxed in oversized, cushioned seats during the one-hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata.    Though overcast and quite chilly, we all warmed our spirits (and stomachs) by touring Colonia’s historic district, shopping for authentic Uruguayan gifts, and enjoying traditional... more

This was my first time actually studying abroad in another country, but I have to say that it was by far one of the best experiences that I have ever had in my life. Throughout the whole process of filling out applications, paying down payments, delayed financial aid, ordering visas, and preparing us mentally for the trip to dealing with unprompt students, late nights, and two weeks of responsilibity for 20 other people; our professor we’re nothing but wonderful. I had a class prior... more

I can say with 100% confidence…that I will never be a tango dancer.  Apparently, 8 simple dance steps are beyond my rhythm-less comprehension, even after a little liquid courage.  Watching the dancers at Viejo Almacen walk us through the basic tango steps, I thought, “Easy, I can do this!” No, no I can’t…just ask my dancing partner Enrique, whose toes I crushed on more than one occasion.  Oh well, just one more thing to cross off the list of “Potential Future Professions.”... more

Brazil is by far the largest and most populous country in South America and shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.  In total land mass, it is almost as large as the United States and about twice the size of the European Union.  In fact, led by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil’s economy was the 10th largest in the world in 2007, producing $1.892 trillion in GDP (PPP).  As a member of the emerging... more

Every Fourth of July, my family and friends pack up the folding chairs, dust off the paddle ball set, and attempt to sit in a congested car and head to the beach.  Growing up a southerner on the Gulf Coast, I was lead to believe that there is no better place to vacation than the crowded shores of Destin or the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores.  Then I went to Rio de Janeiro. After two weeks of company visits, cultural awakenings, and several encounters with the dreaded blood sausage (not my particular... more

It’s the second day in Brazil, and where better to go than to the infamous Maracana Stadium to catch a football/soccer match? This stadium is among the top three most popular in the world, but all the facts don’t prepare you for what is in store within. We were quite fortunate to be in Rio on the weekend Flamengo (the most popular local team) was playing Corinthians (a team from Sao Paolo). This is among one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football, and those of us who went had... more

An Overview of Activities in B.A Wow! What an amazing experience. When I attended classes in the summer I had no idea what to expect of this trip. Most of us just attended class and then left, we did not take advantage of the time to introduce ourselves with one another. The first time that we all began to get to know each other was at the airport before we boarded our first flight to Dallas, TX. The trip to Buenos Aires was extremely long. Mostly everyone had a partially bad experience from little... more

So if you know anything about me, then you know fitness is a huge part of my life.  Believe it or not, part of my excitement for this trip centered around me being able to run in the city streets of Buenos Aires and along the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.  Unfortunately due to our packed schedule, the cold weather of Argentina, and the safety concerns in Rio, I was not able to run as much as I planned.  However I was able to complete 2 amazing runs in both cities. B.A. RUN (view B.A. route) My run... more