LUCAS O’BRYAN – SÃO PAULO

MEET LUCAS.

He studied abroad in São Paulo, Brazil during the semester of Summer 2018.

IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: A good pair of shoes that you don’t mind taking off the beaten track! You never know where your trip might take you and it’s always good to be prepared to jump into any adventure.

ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Honestly beyond your wallet, phone and a few comfy outfits there isn’t much else you’ll need! I’d recommend packing as light as you can, your time will be full of exploration and immersing in the local culture so it’s best to not be keeping track of too many things. Not to mention you’ll probably bring home a few things from your trip so it’s always good to leave space for neat purchases.

WHERE TO LIVE: We stayed in a hostel, something I’ve never done before. Living with our hosts and getting an opportunity to eat and talk with them was awesome, it made the experience feel much more authentic than staying in a hotel that’s the same no matter where you are.

BEST PLACES TO EAT: There was one night where we were walking around Vila Madalena, a neighborhood in São Paulo, and the restaurant we were thinking of going to was packed so we picked a random spot down the block. I couldn’t tell you the name of the place but the food ended up being awesome and we all shared it family style which made for such a fun experience. I’d recommend trying any random place that looks good and being as adventurous as possible, you never know what sorts of fun foods you’ll come across. Not to mention everything is better when you’re with friends so bring a few people along with you!

FAVORITE CULTURAL ACTIVITY: We had a Capoeira workshop one night that was a blast. Capoeira is a traditional Afro-Brazilian martial arts that incorporates music and dance. The whole workshop pushed everyone out of our comfort zones and it was really awesome to see the group be so supportive and carefree while we all tried something new. Plus the Capoeira itself was a lot of fun!

BEST PERSONAL HIDEOUT: The last two days of the trip we spent in Ubatuba, a beach town in Brazil, and one of the days we took a boat tour around some of the small islands right off the coast. It was pretty empty because it was “winter” there (the weather was in the 70s and we all swam so it’s nothing like a Midwestern winter) so we basically had the beaches to ourselves. Swimming in the ocean and exploring some of the islands felt like we were in paradise, I can’t wait to go back some day.

FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY: In the hostel there was this table downstairs that we all sat around and worked on the project. We didn’t work for long though because the conversation always turned into joking around or telling stories, it was great to bond so close with the other people on the trip with me.

MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: Our guide, Talita, was actually a trained chef and she taught us how to make Dadinhos de Tapioca, which is basically deep fried tapioca cheese balls. They were so good and Talita sent us the recipe so we can make them anytime now!

BEST PHOTO OP: In Vila Madalena there’s a place called Beco do Batman (Batman Alley) that had these incredible graffiti murals. It was one of the most colorful places I’ve ever been and it was awesome to see local artists and styles.

BIGGEST FAIL: When I first got to São Paulo I was surprised that I didn’t immediately love the city. Everyone always talks about how great study abroad is and how much they loved the places they were at but for the first day or so I didn’t feel that. What I didn’t realize is that it takes time to fall in love with a place; I had made a judgement without actually experiencing anything. After two incredible weeks of food, friends, and fun I definitely fell in love with the city and now I can’t wait to go back! Don’t feel like study abroad has to be amazing from the start, it’s the experiences you’ll have during your time there that will make it so worthwhile.

BEST PURCHASE: We bought these churros from a street vendor that were absolutely incredible. I think the best thing you could spend money on is food because it brings people together and how many times are you going to have the chance to eat authentic food like that?

BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: Getting to work on a project with Brazilian students was fantastic! They were so kind and excited to work with us, I immediately felt welcomed. The whole group really came together and I know that when I go back to Brazil for my next visit I’ll have amazing friends to catch up with!

BEST LOCAL EVENT/HOLIDAY: There’s a weekend market in one of the neighborhoods in São Paulo that we got to visit. Walking around the different vendors and seeing the cool items they were selling was so much fun, I bought some gifts to bring back for my family.

FAVORITE LOCAL WORD/SLANG: Obrigado! It means thank you and it was like the only Portuguese word I could remember the whole trip. Everyone we met was so helpful though so I wasn’t completely lost and I was at least able to thank them for their kindness and patience!

IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… I’d go for longer! There were so many places we didn’t get to visit during our short trip, I’d love to go back and see more of São Paulo!!

ANISH BHATTACHARYA – CUSCO, PERU

MEET ANISH.

He studied abroad in Cusco, Peru during the Winter semester of 2016.
IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Sunscreen. Peru is very close to the Equator, so you’ll be getting a lot more direct sun.
ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Bugspray, if you are staying in high-elevation cities such as Cusco (it’s at 11,000 ft!). If you go to lower cities such as Lima, however, you might need it.
WHERE TO LIVE: Since I pursued a short-term study abroad in Cusco and surrounding cities, I stayed exclusively in hotels. There are plenty of Western-style hotel that won’t break the bank.
BEST PLACES TO EAT: In Cuzco, any restaurant around the Plaza de Armas is almost guaranteed to be great! My professor suggested to head for any restaurants that had tourists within.
FAVORITE CULTURAL ACTIVITY: Indulging in the local bars was a pleasure. There are a number of local drinks, such as the Pisco Sour and Chicha, which are a huge part of Peruvian culture.
FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY: Most of our studying was while traveling, through guided tours and hiking.
MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: Lomo Saltado is near and dear to almost every Peruvian, and I could tell why — it’s delicious!
BEST PHOTO OP: Macchu Picchu, without a doubt.
BEST PURCHASE: Alpaca sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves!
MOST INTERESTING CLASS: The class I went with was ANTH199 HS1 Peru Heritage & Study Tour, with Professor Silverman. The class was stimulating and it was a joy to be guided by Professor Silverman and her expertise.
BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: Visiting the city of Ollantaytambo was incredibile — we were surrounded by mountains with Incan ruins on almost every side. In the afternoons we could go hiking to visit them, and we even found an old Incan cave!
MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: Macchu Picchu is stunning and absolutely incredible. Pictures struggle to do it justice; if anything, make sure you visit the site!
IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… I would try to spend more time in Ollantaytambo. This city, though relatively small, offered so much to the adventurous tourist. You can easily go hiking multiple days, to different ruins each afternoon!

ELIZABETH SANDERS – SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

MEET ELIZABETH.

She studied abroad in São Paulo, Brazil during the Summer semester of 2018.

IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: A battery pack, a water bottle, a good pair of shoes, and a rain coat. These three items will get you through any adventure! (As well as your travel documents and extra cash, obviously…)

ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Any worries, stress, or anxieties you may have. Any trip should be thought of as a new adventure for you to learn about yourself, learn about others, and have the absolute most fun! Trip to look at everything with an open mind and fresh eyes. (Also, just pack lightly – who knows how much you’ll have to lug around your big suitcase.)

WHERE TO LIVE: We stayed in a hostel and it was a much better experience than staying in a hotel in downtown Sao Paulo! You can stay in a big hotel that may look very similar to one in the states, but staying in a hostel (or something similar) will give you a much more immersive experience. And that’s what you’re there for, right!?

BEST PLACES TO EAT: “That Empanada Place.” Honestly, I have no idea what this place was called (and I even tried Google Maps-ing it.) Moral of the story: try little places that look interesting – they can be such gems! We all walked into this place, which was owned by a woman and her family and they had the BEST empanadas. By the end of the two weeks we had been there a few times, and she even invited our group to have special dessert empanadas!

FAVORITE CULTURAL ACTIVITY: I loved the dancing lessons we had at the hostel. I am by no means a dancer, but it was so fun to hop out of my comfort zone and try something new! Our group shared lots of laughs as the instructor said “it’s easy – just watch,” which was followed by us trying to do the spins and crashing into each other. Definitely one of my favorite moments of the trip!

BEST PERSONAL HIDEOUT: My study abroad group of 11 students was ~literally~ inseparable. Given it was a short trip, we all wanted to take advantage of exploring and being with friends as much as we could! No hideouts needed! <3

MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: ALL. THE. AMAZING. FRUITS.

BEST PHOTO OP: The gorgeous beach in Ubatuba. (But really anywhere – who knows when you’ll be back??)

BEST PURCHASE: Leather bracelet from an art market. I wore the bracelet the duration of the trip, so every time I look down and see it, I am flooded with the happy memories that it holds!

MOST INTERESTING CLASS: The most interesting component of our project time, class-wise, was the co-creation session that we had. This session was designed to facilitate brainstorming for the process development and facilitate constructive collaboration between the different project groups. The most interesting part of this session was the group decision to revamp the project to combine the brains of 22 engineering students to create a more detailed solution, instead of creating 5 different solutions in smaller groups.

BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: I love how quickly everyone on the trip became such great friends. Come the second night, we all were staying up way too late talking, given how early we had to be up. We all bonded so quickly, making all experiences that much more memorable! It’s one thing to experience something with other people, but it’s another to experience something with friends.

MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: The final few days in Ubatuba were amazing. I really got to see how close our whole group became and it made me appreciate every second I got to spend with all of these amazing people. A big group of us walked to the beach before we left for the airport and we promised ourselves that we wouldn’t get all sandy/ocean-y, but we couldn’t pass up the offer and I ended up walking through the ocean in my jeans. We all climbed some rocks and took some final pictures with the beautiful mountains in the background, and I can’t do anything but smile when I look back at them.

FAVORITE LOCAL WORD/SLANG: 🤙🤙🤙

IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… I would stay longer!!! I loved the opportunity to study abroad for two weeks, but if I could go back, I would stay longer (or do a longer program) in a heartbeat! Brazil DEFINITELY stole my heart.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MATT LINDEEN

MEET MATT.

He studied abroad in Sydney, Australia during the Spring semester of 2017.
IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Essential beach things like sunglasses, hats, and bathing suits.
ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Sunscreen. The sun is very different in Sydney, so they have a specialized sunscreen that does a lot better than ones you get here. 
WHERE TO LIVE: Maroubra or Coogee. Both are close to UNSW campus. Coogee is more of a nightlife, where Maroubra is good if you’re interested in surfing.
BEST PLACES TO EAT: I never had a bad experience with any local places, but I will say I did not have a good hamburger anywhere so watch out.
BEST PERSONAL HIDEOUT: The end of the Bondi to Coogee walk in Coogee has a lot of benches in a park and it is very peaceful.
FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY: UNSW library was pretty good.
MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: It’s not that foreign for Australian Pizza is interesting just because of egg on a pizza.
BEST PHOTO OP: Anywhere in the blue mountains
BIGGEST FAIL: Plenty of times, I took the wrong bus trying to get to class.
BEST PURCHASE: Personally, I bought a surfboard so that I did not need to rent, and that forced me to go surfing more.
MOST INTERESTING CLASS: MSCI0501
BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: The program does a lot of events for you to meet other people studying abroad.
MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: I camped in Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains, and it was beautiful.
BEST LOCAL EVENT/HOLIDAY: They had a vivid light festival where everything around the harbor was lit up and very cool.
FAVORITE LOCAL WORD/SLANG: Something I still say is “no worries” as a response similar to “no problem” or “forget about it.”
IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… I would try to find different housing. I was in a rented home with other foreigners, but not other students so it was annoying to not have that outlet to also meet people.

HONG KONG – AVANTIKA MURALI

MEET AVANTIKA.
Avantika studied abroad in Hong Kong during the summer of 2017.
IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: An umbrella! It gets so wet.
ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Your hoodie. Trust me when I say it gets hot.
WHERE TO LIVE: I think campus is a good place to live in.
BEST PLACES TO EAT: I’m a vegetarian so local foods were not my thing. I mostly went to Tsim Sha Tsui / Central / Wan Chai.

FAVORITE CULTURAL ACTIVITY: Fortune telling at local temples!
BEST PERSONAL HIDE
OUT: Temple street night market. Do go to ‘Manakamana Nepali Restaurant’ and sample their excellent momos! It’s addictive.
FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY: In my room.
MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: Dim sums!
BEST PHOTO OP: Go up Victoria peak.
BIGGEST FAIL: Reached the metro station a minute after the last train for the day.
BEST PURCHASE: All my souvenirs! You can’t stop shopping in Hong Kong.
MOST INTERESTING CLASS: Astronomy.
BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: All of it!
MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: Hiking up the dragon’s back trail.
BEST LOCAL EVENT/HOLIDAY: Hong Kong SAR Day!
FAVORITE LOCAL WORD/SLANG: Meimei. It means sister, and that’s how I got discounts from most woman shopkeepers!
IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… If I could do it again, I would go on so many more hikes!