Dear Readers,

You also get to read the bi-weekly column of our new world correspondent, Gunnar DAP Larson III. He is attempting to travel to as many countries as possible before he turns 21, and with a year to go he has already been to more countries than most international businessmen. Read his thrilling stories right here in this newsletter.

Meanwhile, enjoy the inaugural blogs of our four new students. Some information on them is included below, as is an article on choosing the perfect study abroad program, just like the bloggers did. This issue of Express also features part 2 of our series on volunteering abroad.

And finally, perhaps the biggest news of all, if you go to http://www.blogabroad.com/studyabroadlive.html you can witness the very first episode of StudyAbroad.com LIVE. Nothing like this has ever been done in the world of education, so hold on tight. It's going to be a crazy ride.

Sincerely,

The BlogAbroad.com Team

Four elite students have been chosen to share their study abroad adventures with the entire world. They must be smart, they must be funny, they must be able to write, and they must be ready to experience the unknown. They have received their mission. They are ready to go. They are:

Blogger #1 File
Name: Jeff Samotny
Home: Northbrook, Illinois
School: Emory College in Atlanta, Georgia
Destination: Prague, Czech Republic
Foreign School: Charles University
Field of Study: Cognitive Sciences with an emphasis on psychology or neuroscience
Classes: Economics and Anthropology

Reason for Going Abroad: "After years and years of textbooks and pictures, movies and lectures, I'm finally going to see central Europe, really see it. Sure there will be the hundreds of students I will meet while studying in Prague and the dozens more while I am traveling throughout Europe on the weekends and after the program, and of course the great beer the Czechs are famous for, but all that, for me, just adds to my 'Ah-ha' moments. You see, from these people I will meet and study with, and from the people I live with in Prague, I will learn the most. Not from the classes or the museum tours, not from the Rick Steves books I've been going through on this winter break, but from the people is where I will learn about Europe and about myself. There is nothing more important to me than self-discovery, and while I look forward to the 'Ah-ha moment' in a painting or a lecture, I am most excited for the 'Ah-ha moments' in which I learn about myself."

Reason for Blogging: "I've been eager to study abroad since I entered college and am very excited to be able to share my experiences with students all over the world. If my travels and pictures inspire others to sightsee a little more and learn a new culture, then I have accomplished my goal with this project."

Blogger #2 File
Name: Taylor Benjamin-Britton
Home: West Chester, Pennsylvania
School: Temple University in Philadelphia
Destination: Tokyo, Japan
Foreign School: Temple Japan
Field of Study: Political Science and Asian Studies

Reason for Going Abroad: "I've been waiting for this all my life. Finally, Japan. I've been studying Japan and its culture since I learned as a little girl to use chopsticks. I love Japan, and I haven't even been yet. But since I started my career as a student of international relations, a lot has happened in the world, and changed it. Ideologies and cultures are colliding. Wars are being fought. I've been thinking: The world sees me, as an American, a lot differently than I see myself. Some people, who have never met me already hate me--and there's something wrong with that."

Reason for Blogging: "To show both sides of the story, to help clear up misunderstandings, and, really, to show that we are all in the same boat. None of us really understands the rest of the world. If I ever hope to be a diplomat, the very first step is to start bringing people together and bridging the differences. I think the best place to start is to expand communication between students around the world. We are the future generation of world leaders, and if the problems of today are ever going to be solved, we have to start bridging the gap today."

Blogger #3 File
Name: Sarah Berkowitz
Home: Baltimore, Maryland
School: Barnard College, Columbia University, in New York City
Destination: London, England
Foreign School: King's College London
Field of Study: English with a concentration in theater and a minor in Psychology

Reason for Going Abroad: "Like all girls of a certain age I've reached that quarter life crisis stage of my life. I have no idea who I am or what I want to be, a predicament that might be interesting if it wasn't so common. In order to cure my malaise, I've turned to that age-old college panacea for feckless drifting: Study Abroad."

Reason for Blogging: "I'm looking forward to having a venue for chronicling my experiences, and I'm psyched to have people who care about what's happening to me on this side of the pond."

Blogger #4 File
Name: Tamara Newcomer
Home: Baltimore County, Maryland
School: University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Destinations: Costa Rica, Nicaragua
Foreign School: Boston University's School for Field Studies
Field of Study: Environmental Science

Reason for Going Abroad: "For me, the rainforest has always been a distant fantasy. Something mysterious filled with wonderful endangered species, vast canopies with insects that have yet to be classified, and plants that can be used to cure disease. I am a little bit afraid that I was born too late and it will already be like a mini United States; my study abroad advisor told me he was very disappointed to see a Taco Bell the last time he went to Costa Rica. But maybe through being kind and humble, I will have the chance to learn about Costa Rican customs so that I can share them with others via BlogAbroad."

Reason for Blogging: "I told everyone about the BlogAbroad.com competition, and I was really hoping that I'd get selected so they could keep up with me and see what I'm learning. I'm so thrilled to share my study abroad experience with the world. "

By Gunnar DAP Larson III

I was not the smartest guy going into college, not the best looking, and far from the richest. I grew up in Culdesac, Idaho, population 300 and something, at last count. And yes, it is true, I raised pigs and was a member of the Culdesac Livestock 4-H Club. They said I would never get out of Culdesac. It all sounds like the lyrics of a mediocre country song. There are many people out there just like me, I found. Possibly you.

No matter who you are, or where you are, you have the great opportunity to travel and see the world. Most people say, "I cannot afford it." Neither can I, but somehow I have been to fourteen countries so far and by the time you read this, I will be in Europe on a twelve country tour.

"How did he do it?" Is the most common question. Well, I worked my rear off. People made fun of me raising pigs. Heck, I kinda thought it was a bit dodgy, too. But those experiences in Culdesac, those opportunities that were available, well, I took advantage of them all. Never say no to an opportunity. Always say yes, and then figure out how you can do it.

Maybe you are young and want to see the world, but you are in a relationship with someone. I tell you now, break up with that guy or girl and travel. Maybe you will find someone else even more amazing. If not, you will be back soon enough. If the person you are dating now is that "into" you, things will pick up where they left off. Better yet, maybe your mate will come along. I will tell you that the stars are far more romantic on a ship that is sailing across the equator than in Idaho, California, or Florida for that matter.

Someone once said to me, "I don't want to miss out on my family." You are young, my friend. Your mom and dad will be fine while you are abroad. If you miss Christmas because you are backpacking through Australia for the holidays, your family will not be sad, they will brag about you, "Do you know what my kid is doing? Isn't that neat!" they will tell their friends. Travel now; experience the world now, and be home when your parents get old. That's when they will need you the most.

How am I traveling? Well, first I have an amazing scholarship and I go to a school that is flexible that allows me to travel so much. At night, I have walked the streets of Shanghai, sang with the locals in Hong Kong, jumped off a boat into the Bay of Bengal in Vietnam, I saw atrocious acts against humanity in India, went on Safari in Kenya, swam with whales in Australia, and dancedÉoh did I ever dance in South Africa. So can you.

It does not matter where you are from, how good looking you are, or how much money you have. You can do it, just figure out how. And once you do, you will look at life in a way you never have before.

So get on out there and see the places you have dreamed of. Oh, and send me a postcard and let me know how you are doing.

Planning to Volunteer Abroad?
Questions You Should Ask

By Carleen Kunkel, retired teacher and eight-time international volunteer

So, you're thinking about volunteering abroad?

Here are the final five of my top ten questions to ask when considering an international volunteer program. I've found these questions to be very useful in my own search for an organization that's right for me. I hope they'll help you as you choose to volunteer abroad. Enjoy, and good luck!

6. How will I travel between my accommodations and volunteer work site?
Some volunteer organizations will provide free transportation; others may expect volunteers to travel on their own and at their own expense. If the latter is true, be sure to investigate the costs, availability and reliability of public transportation.

7. What can I do if I don't speak the language?
There are organizations that do not require that you speak the local language to volunteer. You may want to learn some words or phrases before you go abroad. If you aren't fluent yet, don't despair Ð ask if the organization offers language instruction or other activities to immerse you in the local culture. And while you're in-country, seek out opportunities to communicate with the local people; this will help enhance your experience volunteering abroad.

8. Why does the organization charge a program fee? Is it tax-deductible?
Ask the organization about their program fee, what it covers, and how it is allocated. All short-term international volunteer programs charge a fee so as not to burden local communities with providing lodging, food and transportation for their volunteers. Tax-deductibility will vary depending upon your citizenship and the status of the organization, but nonetheless you may want to consider fundraising ideas.

9. When can I volunteer abroad?
Some organizations offer program start dates year-round; others have projects available seasonally. Ask how long you can volunteer for, and confirm that the dates to volunteer fit your schedule. Be sure you know how far in advance to enroll so you have enough time for processing your application, securing your flight, and obtaining a visa, if necessary.

10. Is it possible to speak to someone who has volunteered with the organization?
Get a first-hand account whenever possible. Contacting the alumni of the volunteer organization is extremely useful when assessing whether the program is right for you.

Part two of our two part series on first hand volunteer abroad experience:
I Found My Career in Guatemala!
by Peter (Pedro) Hasiakos

"He's 5 years old, can you believe it?" whispered a Guatemalan woman in broken English about Pedro, a young boy in the Fundacion Pediatrica (Pediatric Foundation). The English-speaking Guatemalan nurse caught me off-guard, as I had not yet heard English spoken at the clinic, my volunteer placement during a recent six-week medical internship in Guatemala City through Cross-Cultural Solutions. What made Pedro's age so unbelievable was his mere 20-pound, malnourished stature and his inability to walk, talk or stand up. By the time Pedro entered the clinic, he was desperately in need of medical attention.

Pedro was one of many eye-opening and heart-warming patients I encountered while working at the Fundacion Pediatrica. Each child contributed to my education, enrichment, and world perspective, and each one reminded me of how fortunate I was. This was made possible because I dared to venture out of my comfort zone--this "bubble"--I have lived in my whole life. While many of my fellow college students pursued domestic summer internships, I was able to experience an international one--service and cultural immersion all at the same time!

My goals in embarking on an Intern Abroad program with Cross-Cultural Solutions were: to gain an understanding of Guatemala's health care system (both its strengths and weaknesses) as I consider a career in medicine; to learn Spanish, a language I knew could be useful in my future work at home or abroad; and, most importantly, to provide a helping-hand where needed, in a culture from which I could learn. The Fundacion Pediatrica in Guatemala City was a fabulous place to accomplish these goals.

As a health intern, I was an active part of the clinic's daily tasks, taking the height, weight, and temperature of the children, while observing the daily routines of a bustling medical facility. I shadowed nurses and doctors, gained an appreciation for the administrative demands on a clinic in a low-income neighborhood, and developed a sense of the integrity and character required of such dedicated medical practitioners. I recorded my insights in a daily journal, charted my progress in meetings with an Intern Supervisor, and tapped the clinic and Cross-Cultural Solutions staff at every turn for additional enrichment opportunities.

In addition to learning a great deal about Guatemala's health care system, I also learned an enormous amount about their unique culture. I observed and experienced Guatemalan social interactions, cuisine, and traditional dress and dance (the nurses were always willing to help me with my Salsa moves). My co-workers, mostly local Guatemalan women, typified the warmth of Guatemalan people by their encouragement of me, the patients, and other health care workers. I have never been in a more loving environment.

When Pedro entered Fundacion Pediatrica in mid-August, I remember feeling so powerless; I could barely move to take his measurements. I was overwhelmed by what seemed like the insurmountable physical and emotional obstacles he surely faced in his life. What could I do to help him as an American college student who was only beginning to understand his culture and language, much less his medical needs? After speaking with the nurse for a short time, she turned to me and said, "Thank you for helping my country." It was then that I realized I was helping, and that stepping outside of my comfortable American life and venturing to Guatemala for this internship was the first and most important step toward doing so.

My experience in Guatemala has lit a fire in my heart to inform others about their capacity to help, specifically in Guatemala. Most importantly, it has inspired me to resist the tendency to remain in my "bubble" of a comfortable home and routine. There is, in fact, too much to learn outside of that "bubble" to risk staying inside it.

Article courtesy of Cross-Cultural Solutions. Contact Cross-Cultural Solutions for more information about international volunteer or intern opportunities at www.crossculturalsolutions.org or 1-800-380-4777.

Choosing the Perfect Program
By Brian Freedman

Making the decision to study abroad is almost as big a decision as deciding to study abroad in the first place. And depending on what you want to get out of the experience, the programs from which to choose are almost limitless. Do you want an educational experience similar to the one you've gotten so far at your home university, or would you prefer something totally different? Do you want to live in a dorm with other American students, or does living in an apartment sound better? What about staying with a host family? Each one of these options will affect your overall experience, and none of your decisions should be made without serious thought.

Your Destination

Geographically and culturally, it's a big world out there. Sure, the Internet and cell phones have made it possible to communicate with someone on the other side of the planet almost instantly, but the fact still remains that "over there" could be very different from "right here." The question you need to ask yourself is this: How different do I want over there to really be? A semester in England or Ireland will certainly provide you with a lifetime of memories. And the British, though our earliest Colonial ancestors did come from that big ol' isle up there in the North Atlantic, absolutely do things differently. But their culture is still recognizable and comprehensible to Americans. And in that sense, studying abroad in England or Ireland might be considered the perfect balance between approachable and completely culturally perplexing.

On the other end of the spectrum are places like Japan or Egypt or India. These are countries that might seem to exist in a different universe than the United States. The languages are different, the writing system looks nothing like ours, and the cultural and political norms might seem to have no resemblance whatsoever to what you're used to. In Egypt, for example, it is totally inappropriate to eat with your left hand. In Japan, you may find yourself eating miso soup and rice for breakfast.

The advantage of studying in places like these is that your experience will be truly exotic, and once it's all over, you will have experienced more of what the world has to offer than the vast majority of people you'll ever meet. On the downside, you may find yourself totally confused at times, or just plain uncomfortable at others. Studying in exotic locales will challenge all your resources in ways they may not have been before. The rewards are great, but so are the risks.

There is also an entire realm of gray in between. There are countries like France or Spain in which different languages are spoken but, at the same time, remain culturally similar enough so as not to seem incomprehensibly exotic. Reading a menu, for example, may be frustrating, but it's still likely that you will recognize some of the words. The bottom line is this: Where you choose to study abroad is just as important as deciding to study abroad in the first place. Wherever you go, you will come home a more well-rounded and interesting person than you were when you left. Just pick the place that's right for you and head on over. No matter how hard it may seem at times, you will survive. And you'll be a better, more interesting person when you arrive back home than you were when you left.

To Stay or Not To Stay--That Is The Question Not in the country, of course. You already made that decision when you decided to study abroad. But the first big question that comes up after that is whether or not you should enroll in a program that's sponsored by your home university. Most schools, after all, offer some sort of study abroad option. The advantage of this is that all your credits and grades will transfer, the paperwork will be minimized both before you leave and after you get back, and you'll be guaranteed the same level of instruction you've grown accustomed to over the past several years at school. Also, you will likely be put up in a dorm with other students from both your own school and from other universities that have relationships with it. The good news is that you'll probably be surrounded by people exactly like the ones you've grown used to. But this is also the bad news.

Some people would argue that studying abroad is about expanding all your horizons, and that if you live and study with people who have similar backgrounds as you, then you won't get the full effect of living in a foreign country. Really, it all depends on your comfort level. Some students choose to enroll in programs that are not affiliated with any America-based university. The downside of this is that you won't necessarily be able to transfer all your credits that easily (check with your own school about this before you make any decisions about specific programs), you may have to apply for semester- or year-long admission to the foreign school, and the other students may be very, very different from you. (Remember, students from all over the world will be enrolled at the foreign university; your circle of friends may grow to resemble a mini-U.N. by the time you're settled. This is a good thing. And it will give you the opportunity to practice your foreign-language skills with other non-native speakers of the tongue indigenous to the country in which you're studying).

Either option has the potential to fulfill all your study abroad dreams. Just choose carefully, and assess your own needs with honesty. As long as you make the decision that's right for you, you'll have the time of your life.

What, Me Study?

It is, after all, called "study abroad" for a reason. If there were no classes involved, it would just be known as "partying abroad," or some other such ridiculous thing. So, yes: You will be spending a part of most weekdays in class. Of course, these classes are often quite different from what you're used to. So once you've decided where to study and what kind of program is right for you, take a look at the course selection books published by the schools you're considering. Page through them with the following question in mind: What kind of stuff do I want to learn while studying abroad? The truth is that, just like at your home school, if you don't like the work you're doing, then you won't enjoy yourself as much as you might have otherwise. And studying in a foreign country offers an entirely new perspective on the lessons in your textbooks.

Have you chosen to study in Paris because of all the great art and architecture there? Are you considering Geneva because of your love of international politics? Is Auckland, New Zealand, calling your name because of your obsession with environmental issues? When looking through the course book, ask yourself whether the classes in the subjects you love offer anything out of the ordinary. Many programs in Paris, for example, feature courses that meet in the Louvre instead of a regular classroom. Some schools in Rome have art classes that afford students the opportunity to set up easels along the Tiber River. So despite the fact that your time abroad will involve some amount of studying, it could potentially be a totally different kind of schoolwork than anything you've ever experienced before.

Once you've made up your mind to study abroad, chosen a country that's right for you, and committed to a specific program, you'll have gotten past the hard part. And though you'll still have a fair amount of work ahead of you, it won't seem all that difficult. Because from this point on, you will probably be so excited about what the future has in store for you that any of the preparatory work that remains will have an air of anticipation about it. And you won't mind it at all. In fact, you just might enjoy yourself.

Once again, this train isn't called the Express for nothing. It continues moving whether you hop on board or not. So make sure you get in before the doors close. Uh oh, I think I hear the whistle. All aboard!