Wow! Time flies as I am now nearing the end of February and more than halfway through my semester abroad! Due to the shorter term, I’ve been trying to keep busy and ensure Im continuing to explore new things. I feel like after the first few weeks its easy to get comfortable and in the grove; however I’ve been trying to keep branching out and avoid continuing to go to the same spots and places, no matter how good they are. I think the biggest thing I learned during my last ter

Being back in the great old US of A was awesome, but damn, it was expensive compared to Egypt. I got to see just about everyone I was hoping to see in the month I was back, and share my experiences, but also listen and hear about their summers, which I think is important for people to remember when they study abroad. Although your summer or semester may have been life-changing, make sure to listen to what has been going on in your friends’ and families’ lives and don’t just d

With one week to go in my summer program, three of my friends and I rented a car and headed up to the North Coast along the Mediterranean. Known for its teal-colored water and white sandy beaches, the beach itself lived up to the hype. Beautiful beaches of the north coast However, our Airbnb had no Wi-Fi, no AC, and only one working shower (or more accurately, one working hose). That, combined with our rental car, which, after passing a pack or two of wild camels, decided to

When you see your friends on Instagram while studying abroad, you may see them in a different country at a different club every weekend. And while that does look like one hell of a time, I am almost a little happy that being in the Middle East I am not afforded that luxury. This past summer however, I did take one trip abroad with my previously mentioned group of friends, where we went to Istanbul, Turkey. This had been at the top of my bucket list for places to visit for yea

My first few hours in Egypt were quite hectic, I must say. My bus driver, who was assigned to me by the university I was studying at, dropped me, along with my two duffel bags, off on campus. But I soon realized my dorm was not on campus. After getting an Uber (man, Ubers are so cheap in Egypt, it’s amazing) and reading off the extremely unclear address that I was provided, my new friend and I were driving around for, I kid you not, an hour trying to find my accommodations. M

Where should I even start? Through the International Business Middle East and North Africa (IBMENA) cohort in the Darla Moore School of Business, I have been abroad for nine of the past 10 months. Pretty crazy. My name is Josh Pasternak, a current junior studying International Business and Finance with a minor in Arabic, hailing from “the ville” Rockville, Maryland. If we rewind the clock a little bit to May of 2025, I was getting ready for my first of three stints abroad, th

It is currently January 19th and I have been here for roughly two weeks!! I landed on January 4th with all of my luggage in stow. It helped that it was a direct flight, despite my family and I driving roughly two hours to the airport. I definitely recommend looking at different airports to see which has the best deal and shortest flight! I arrived in the morning and received airport pickup with a local student through my university. They were super welcoming and definitely ca

I have never traveled to a Muslim country before, and to be honest, I had only met a handful of Muslim people back home before coming to...

It has been two weeks since my last update and so much has happened. At the end of January, my first visitor came to Morocco. My friend...

One of the most rewarding parts of my time in Casablanca has been everything happening outside of the classroom. With no classes on...

On the morning of Friday, January 10, my group of 14 international students and I, along with my Moroccan friend Badr, headed to...

Monday, January 6th, was the first day of class at ESCA. I only had one class, scheduled from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, with a 15-minute break...

After over 12 hours of travel from Boston to Ponta Delgada to Lisbon, I arrived in Casablanca on January 2nd around 4 p.m. I had placed...

Today is New Year's Day and the day of my first of three flights to end up in Casablanca, Morocco. To introduce myself, my name is James...

A Student's Guide for Dietary Restrictions A big factor in the decision process of where to travel abroad is the food of that country....