I’m currently half way through my semester abroad in Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University! All of my experiences so far have proven to me why it is such a good opportunity to study abroad. I’ve done things I never thought I would do and made friends with over 50 other internationals living in the I-House block on campus.
I’ve currently touched 25 out of the 50 states in America with more to come. Swum in the beaches of Florida, conquered one of the world’s biggest cities in New York, jumped out of a plane over canyons, and visited the national parks of Arizona and Utah for fun! The people you meet and memories you share with them make these experiences all the more enjoyable!
I share a two bedroom apartment with two gents from Italy & China. My bedroom is shared with the Italian, Andrea, who I can proudly call a great mate! My Chinese house mate Ian, is a good lad but its fair to say there’s been some cultural differences along the way. Despite this, we get along perfectly fine, and in all honesty it adds to the many life experiences I’m having in the U.S.
Studying Hotel & Restaurant Management at the 8th best HRM program in the country has been amazing! I’ve been lucky enough to listen to some inspirational guest speakers! Lots of late nights, quizzes and assignments due almost every day, studying sure is very different here! I managed to find a part-time job on campus in my field with NAU Athletics which has also proved a great experience working at NAU Football games.
Finally, weekend trips are everyone’s favourites! So far the trips have consisted of Southern Utah, Page (Arizona), Grand Canyon and Sedona. This weekend is Los Angeles followed by Fabulous Las Vegas! November & December will include weekend trips to El Paso (Texas), San Diego (California) and Las Vegas (again)! A concert from MKTO at NAU should also be pretty good I think!
The snow will be arriving in the mountains of Flagstaff very soon, so it is time to rug up! Can’t wait for what’s ahead, here’s some photos 🙂
Matthew Milne, a Bachelor of International Tourism student, Semester 2 2016 exchange at Northern Arizona University, the United States
- Check Matthew’s pre-departure post here
