Guest Spot: An Introduction

The Institute of International Education (IIE) reports that over 260,000 students from the United States studied abroad during some part of the 2008-09 school year. They claim that "U.S. student participation in study abroad has more than doubled over the past decade." With the numbers continuing to rise and the destinations for students becoming more diverse every year, I want to know- what is the draw to studying abroad? What expectations do people have when they start out and what do they learn?

This blog has allowed me to share my voice about my own expectations and experiences, but my story is not the only one! I have asked some friends from different parts of my life to share their perspectives on the study abroad experience. Some are friends from high school, others I met at Humboldt State, and a few are folks I met in Norway.


Each week, I will present a guest who has graciously answered some questions about their time abroad. I want to show that everyone comes to the experience from a different vantage point and each individual gets something different out of the adventure.

Stay tuned! The first Guest Spot is coming up soon!