​I hope you are all doing well! I hope Columbia’s warm weather is treating you all well!
 
Studying Abroad has been an incredibly rewarding and challenging experience. I have been studying abroad in Paris since January and have already grown so much. Paris is amazing – I always have something to do or see in probably the most beautiful city I have ever laid my eyes upon. I have beautiful gardens and monuments and museums in my backyard; it is almost too perfect to be believe.
 
But studying abroad is not all fun and games -  I struggled quite a bit during the first half of the semester.  Taking regular classes in French is far more of a challenge than I expected it to be, especially when your professor is speaking French and it is his second language. Before coming to Paris, I had never been in an academic situation where the language hindered me from understanding and it made me feel a bit helpless. However, after about two months, I remember sitting in one of my lecture halls and thinking “wow, I actually understood everything.” It honestly felt so amazing. If any of you are considering taking classes in your foreign language, go for it! It may be difficult at first, but you will improve so much.
 
What’s funny about studying abroad is that I am always exploring. I just got back from my first solo trip to Bratislava and Prague. I travelled to the Netherlands for Carnival. Even in Paris, I rarely go one day without visiting one of Paris’s many museums, monuments, or beautiful picnic spots. While being here, I have come to the realization that I am exploring so much of Europe, but haven’t even really explored South Carolina or other areas of the United States. I think we should all look more to the areas around us and be tourists in our own cities – it is certainly one of my goals for when I come back to the States. During my stay here, I have also developed a greater appreciation of the US, especially when it comes to anything convenient. I now cherish free bathrooms, free public water fountains, free restaurant tap water, and the abundance of fast-casual dining.
 
I am going to intern in Paris this summer and will return to the States in the beginning of August. I’m planning to head to Columbia to visit you guys for a few days before heading to Chile in the fall!
 
Looking forward to seeing you all soon! :)
 
-Audrey

​Dear Brothers,
 
I hope you are all out enjoying Columbia’s lovely Spring weather. I just returned home to the sun city of Madrid from my spring break trip through Central Europe. I think I can safely say that no jacket in my Columbia wardrobe would be fit for the chilly weather up there—props to brother Olivia surviving up in Norway.
 
Studying abroad has been nothing of what I expected but everything that I had hoped for. It sounds cliché but often I wake up high on life, literally smiling to myself as I open the doors to my balcony overlooking Madrid’s city center, excited for where I’m going to go, who I’m going to meet, and what I am going to learn that day. I live with one friend from USC and 7 other flat mates from all over Europe. Every Sunday, we have a tradition where one flat mate cooks a meal from their home country and we all sit down at the table together to eat and catch each other up on our weeks. Although so simple, seating nine people in our shoebox apartment has made me some of the best memories laughing around a table of different languages, personalities, and interests. Perfect places are not always physical, they are a mindset of doing what you love and loving what you do. “Ama lo que haces.”
 
So here’s my advice to you wherever you are…get out and create your perfect place! This advice can be applied both in and outside of the classroom while abroad. Challenge yourself to take a course like Age of Globalization or Geopolitics taught in a foreign language and I promise you will be amazed at your progress over the semester. One of my favorite ways to spend my free time in Madrid is to find new running routes with my flat mates. Even if running isn’t your thing, put in music and just walk around alone for a couple hours. Don’t have a destination in mind or even glance at a map, literally just wander wherever the streets take you and you’ll be surprised at the new cafes, parks, shops, views, people and other things you find. Abroad is one of the only times in your life where academic/work responsibilities are not priority, so unsubscribe from Netflix for the semester and use your time wisely.
 
Lastly, document your travels and experiences in a way that makes sense for you. Take time to record your thoughts and feelings as you grow throughout the semester so that you have something to look back and reminisce on—whether it be a journal, blog, or even an infamous finsta. For me this meant updating a weekly blog for close friends and family. It’s time-consuming to keep up with people back in the States, so offer them a way to keep up with you that won’t take away from your precious time abroad.
 
To the seniors: I sincerely wish you the best in your future endeavors. As you know, SOU won’t be the same without your graduating class but I am so excited to see what you move on to accomplish as SOU alum.
To the new pledge class: I look forward to getting to know you all and I hope that you’re just as excited to meet the brothers abroad as we are to meet you (some of them are pretty great if I do say so myself).
 
See you soon,
Ally
 
P.S: Three of my friends from England will be visiting America for a South Carolina GAMEDAY this September. They’ve heard all about you, so I expect everyone to bring their business professional and show them an appropriate SEC tailgate at the SOU tent.

​Beloved Brethren,
 
First, I miss you all and second, thank you. I remember one of my last days in Darla last semester and talking with a brother (@Sophia) and her telling me she would do absolutely anything to be in my shoes about to go abroad. With only my final three weeks remaining in this beautiful and humbling experience, I finally can understand what all of you meant when you said this was an experience of a lifetime. So thank you to each and every one of you who answered my endless questions.
 
Prague is the most fascinating city I have ever been, you could say I’m biased but it is one of the most breath taking places with incredible architecture and endless places to explore for the restless traveler. While I have had my fair share of travels while abroad, Prague never ceases to be my favorite. The rather snowy and dark atmosphere was a lifestyle shift for me initially, still I fell in love with Praha every day. At first, I contested studying in such a place that I thought would have the living conditions of a tundra. Per my mother’s advice to “simply buy a coat Mace,” I luckily ended up in this magical medieval city. Honestly, my parka became my best friend and the snow just seemed to fit this Game of Thrones-esque city. Right as that happened, spring came to Prague unveiling unexpected warm temperatures, flower gardens, and even more things to do just as I thought it couldn’t get any better. Our favorite days now include paddle boating on the Voltava River and finding the perfect park to sit with our friends overlooking the city until sunset.
 
The school aspect? Not bad. But I still find myself sometimes staying up until very unreasonable hours in the night to complete my school work after spending a long weekend in Amsterdam or potentially hypothetically booking a flight to Barcelona cutting it close to my very last exam.
 
I know you guys had a great St Pats because it’s Cola, but I can’t even begin to describe to you all the pure joy of seeing 20 of my closest friends (brothers) in Dublin. Waking up at 6am to “the lit Irish song” to sprint to the train in a blizzard in Laytown to make it in time for the St Pats Festival in Dublin was beyond worth it. Especially for that one moment when both of the SOU houses in Ireland united and a solid 20% of this brotherhood took over the train into the city for every Gamecock’s favorite holiday.
 
So we’re all about cultural awareness and wow Czech culture is something else. First of all, the language itself is a wild ride and it’s been really fun getting to learn a somewhat exotic language; where it seems like someone tossed a bunch of consonants together with endless accents. I now can pronounce a few words (yes I’m looking forward to my trip to Spain to whip out some Español) but taking the Czech language class was definitely one of my best decisions abroad. Czech people certainly don’t cater to the whole southern hospitality situation that a North Carolina girl is used to. Quite the contrary. At first, I took a lot of their cultural habits as rude until I truly understood that they’re just forward in every interaction, an aspect I’ve actually grown very fond of. You always know where you stand.
 
The best advice I can give to anyone wanting to come abroad is to go out and do things. Sounds simple but my best days have been when we started out wanting to grab that $1 slice of pizza beside our dorms and thankfully made the journey into town and got blissfully lost for the day. Hang out with anyone and everyone. It’s amazing how close you can get to people exploring a continent and how many interesting stories you can hear from that Swedish professional snow boarder someone invited to join your squad at dinner so they didn’t eat alone. My recommendation for planning your trips is to pick a few places that you absolutely must see and then wait and learn what other opportunities present themselves in your new home. Never did I ever see myself (not to mention, barely heard of) journeying to South Moravia or Cesky Krumlov but these trips have offered me surprising views of astonishing castles and a greater understanding of the region I’m studying in.
 
I miss you all daily, probably just as much as I miss Chick-fil-A… maybe more. I can’t wait to catch up with everything USC and SOU related! Good luck on finals as we approach that time! And seniors, don’t go too far.
 
 
Na shledanou,
 
Maci 

​Dear Brothers,
 
Hello from Switzerland! It’s crazy to say I only have a month left here, but my time abroad so far has been absolutely incredible. When trying to recap briefly my semester, I find it difficult to focus more on the places than on the people who have brightened my life since I arrived in Europe. Through my exchange program, I have made friends from all over Europe, South America and even Southeast Asia. My best friend is from California, and I have a trip already planned to visit the Canadians next semester. In class, I’ve been working with German and Swiss students who consistently leave me in awe at their knowledge and worldly experiences. Finding similarities and differences between such a diverse pool of perspectives and that of mine has not only been a fascinating learning opportunity, but it has also provided me with unique friendships that will last a lifetime.
 
With that being said, my best advice is to, first of all, study abroad (duh) and secondly to push yourself far out of your comfort zone. If you’re a big city person, go somewhere small. Live on a different continent if you know the European culture. When you travel, do it alone or meet a friend in a new city. Stay in hostels and listen to the stories of backpackers that decided to spend a few years just meeting people and traveling. Also, another lesson that I will carry with me forever is that it is okay to have bad days and for things to not go perfectly. Isn’t that the point of all of this – to learn something? On some of the toughest days, I’ve learned so much about my strengths and weaknesses. Instead of becoming consumed with the imperfections of life, embrace them. Lastly, and most importantly, take time for yourself during your study abroad experience. Read a new book, hike through the mountains, go skydiving! Of all times to focus on yourself, take the opportunity to do it in a beautiful place when there most likely isn’t a worry in the world for you. 
 
Overall, I’ve been to Munich, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Interlaken, Budapest, Berlin,  Zurich, Marrakech and Prague. Each city was absolutely amazing especially because most of the trips included meeting and exploring with some of my best friends from school or home. It’s weird that I’ll be coming back to reality soon, but I cannot wait to return for senior year and tell all of my crazy stories. I miss all of you and am looking forward to meeting all the new brothers! Congrats to those graduating – I can’t wait to see all of the incredible things you guys accomplish. See everyone else in the fall !!!
 
 – Gianna 

Dear brothers,

It seems like it’s been ages since I’ve seen all of your lovely faces but also feels like I was at usc just seconds ago. Abroad has flown by and I am not ready to accept the fact that is more than halfway over. My experiences so far have been nothing short of extraordinary. I started out my journey with a trip to London and Paris before reaching my home city of Florence. Starting abroad out with a vacation makes this whole experience feel like one. Since being here I’ve got the chance to travel to many different countries and cities and be forced outside my comfort zone. For example yesterday we went zip lining through the mountains of Croatia on a whim. I’d have to say my favorite trips are ones where I get to meet up with other brothers and experience their cities (special shout out to jordan for showing me the very warm Seville just when I needed sun in my life). However, the most legendary trip of all was when almost all the brothers abroad( with special appearances from Joe and Kat) were able to meet up and celebrate St. Pats in Dublin! It was the most incredible experience and it genuinely felt like a piece of home was with me there in Ireland.
Each and every city has been a dream there is something unique and special to all of them. I’ve learned something about myself on every trip. But, there’s nothing like home and I’m forever grateful mine is Florence. The people I’ve met, the sites I walk by on a daily basis, and of course the FOOD. Seriously if you ever find yourself in Florence feel free to @me for some food recommendations. I have an extensive list as well as a gelato rating based on a preference matrix. It’s not just the food that blows me away but the people that make it. We’ve made best friends with the boys at the panini shop and the girls at bakery close to home. The locals are are always willing to help me with my attempts at Italian.
I don’t know how I’m ever going to transition back to regular diet or if I ever will. But for now I just admire the views and eat gelato at least once a day( that’s not an exaggeration you can ask my roommate or my bank account). I miss Italy and am still here. But all I can say is this experience will impact every part of who I am and I hope each and everyone of you gets the chance to go somewhere out of your comfort zone and learn how to make it your home. I know you are all doing amazing things and I can’t wait to come back and see your growth. Miss you endlessly hope you’re having a great semester!!

P.S. seniors please feel free to not graduate I already miss you too much!

Ciao for now,
Megan Mulder

 

Hello Brothers!

I hope the semester has been off to a great start and I can’t wait to see you all again in August! I have been in Italy for over a month now and it feels like I just got here yesterday. Being in a new, unfamiliar city is a crazy, yet exciting experience. My trip started out rocky when my flight got delayed four hours in Boston and then cancelled! I had to fly out the following night and I ended up missing my program’s entire welcome event/ orientation- to say I was stressed out would be an understatement. The rest of my trip has thankfully gone much smoother and each day I continue to find new things about Florence that I love. Although it is not always fun to walk in the cold, I signed up for a class called Florentine Art Walks and I am seeing so much more of the city than I ever would on my own. If you have the opportunity, take a fun elective abroad!
​
One tip that I would share to you all is to take your time. There is so much to see when you come abroad and so many places to go, especially when you can reach so many other cities by bus or train. But it’s important to move at your own pace and create your own schedule in whichever city you end up in. It is easy to get caught up in all the beautiful countries you could visit but it’s still important to explore your own city and see all that it has to offer. When I first got here, all anyone could talk about was where they wanted to go which weekend or how stressed they were to plan their spring break trips. But you have four months abroad, and so much time to see the places you want to go. Some of my favorite weekends so far were spent enjoying Florence!
As grateful as I am for this experience to study abroad in Europe, I still have a piece of me left in Columbia and I can’t wait to see you all again.


Ciao!
Nicole
 

Hello from Oslo!​

I want to begin by saying that I miss each of you, and I hope that this semester is wonderful for everyone!
Things are going well here in Norway; it’s a little chilly, not gonna lie, but I’m all settled, and my classes are off to a good start.  Nothing has come easily, though.  My first day in Oslo, I nearly stressed myself to death trying to navigate the public transit and get to my apartment before it got dark (which is about 3:30 PM here).  It’s also a challenge leaving people and places I love behind in another hemisphere, especially since FOMO real, but I’ve learned to live with BOWMO—Being Okay With Missing Out.  The thing that matters the most for the next five months is being resilient and internalizing every meaningful experience I have.  I know that while I’m here, I have the chance to do great things like getting a unique educational perspective, seeing beautiful works of art, and adventuring into the vastness of Europe.  More importantly, though, I’ve learned to love the little things about being abroad.  To name a few—finding Norway’s version of Nutella, FaceTiming with my roommate in the US to watch SNL because I don’t get NBC here, and seeing the beautiful sunrise on my commute to class.  The little things that remind me of home have helped me find a home in Oslo.
That being said, being abroad is awesome, as many of you already know.  My school has a significant number of international students, so it’s very interesting to have conversations with many people I’ve met here.  My favorite thing I’ve done so far is “sledging,” which felt as if I was sledding in the X Games, and I’m super excited about finally getting to downhill ski here.  Life is good, and I have to thank an amazing brotherhood that’s helped me prepare for life in another country.
Here’s to the rest of the semester!  Skol!
 
Olivia