Stories from Abroad

By: Matthew Rosenthal, Royal Roads University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Lund, Sweden

By: Matthew Rosenthal, Royal Roads University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Lund, Sweden

By Mariam Ali, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team

Study Abroad Destination: France

By: Trisha Bhamra, Camosun College, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Mexico

Rachel Abma, Langara College, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Italy and London​

Liam Grigg, University of Victoria, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Sophia Antipolis, France

Waking up and starting out at the white snowflakes is one of the last things I expected to see in Southern France. Living just two blocks up from the Mediterranean, I had become accustomed to ocean storms, but snow was not in my forecast. This was also the worst day this could happen, as my roommates and I were renting a car and going on a road trip to Western Italy today.

By Gigi Lin, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and member of the BCSA Writer in Residence Team.

Study Abroad Destination: England, United Kingdom

Wow, time really flies. Life for me on exchange pretty much operated on a standstill. I’d manage to see so much in one day, landing and exploring a city from top-to-bottom in what 14 hours a day provided. As of late, I’ve been thinking of how I’ve been back for almost one year already, and small remnants here and there remind me of my travels:

By Cheyenne Rode, Vancouver Island University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Melbourne, Australia

By Alice Wang, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team

As I sign off on my time being a Writer-in-Residence for BC Study Abroad, I am thankful for this opportunity to reflect, so profoundly, about my travel abroad. This prolonged self-reflection has allowed for a soul-searching that yielded more meaning-making than I could have ever anticipated. It was Andrew Solomon who once said to overcome adversity, one must “forge meaning and build identity.”

Liam Grigg, University of Victoria, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship