Birthdays can evoke a wide variety of emotions, which are seldom of neutral nature. Some adore celebrating the beginning of new age and the joys that will go along with it. Whereas others may passionately try to hide/forget the fact that they are another year older. Some enjoy big celebrations with many friends and [...]
All of my new friends (French, American, and Chinese) gathered around the table.
Birthdays can evoke a wide variety of emotions, which are seldom of neutral nature. Some adore celebrating the beginning of new age and the joys that will go along with it. Whereas others may passionately try to hide/forget the [...]
In the midst of winter in the Alps, people carrying skis or snowboards are omnipresent–in the trams, in the middle of campus, and in the center of town. Everyone seems to answer the call of the mountains, from as young as three to the respectable age of 70. Mountain sports are imbedded in [...]
In the midst of winter in the Alps, people carrying skis or snowboards are omnipresent–in the trams, in the middle of campus, and in the center of town. Everyone seems to answer the call of the mountains, from as young as three to the respectable age of 70. Mountain sports are imbedded in the culture [...]
“I was on a quest, but I did not know exactly for what I was searching. Europe is a beautiful and immense land, but the ancient, impressive monuments and stone buildings can seem unwelcoming in the dead cold of winter. Looking at my options for the winter break, I began to understand [...]
“I was on a quest, but I did not know exactly for what I was searching. Europe is a beautiful and immense land, but the ancient, impressive monuments and stone buildings can seem unwelcoming in the dead cold of winter. Looking at my options for the winter break, I began to understand [...]
Learning another language isn’t easy. You need to know the vocabulary and the syntax. Once you have dialed those down, you have to know the essential idiomatic expressions. With these skills, you can read texts and answer prompted questions on a written evaluation. However, knowing is just one side of language acquisition (the recognition side). [...]
The French Alps, with Mont Blanc in the background
The cows graze to the sounds of their bells
Pay Attention
Trail Post
This post was contributed by Jacob, an Aspire by API student who is currently taking part in a gap year program in Grenoble, France. He will be updating [...]
The last time you heard from me, I was hiking for the first time with the club alpin francais at the Vercors National Park. That day, we covered 17 kilometers (10.5 miles), watched wild boars rummage in the forest, took pictures of goats cavorting on steep cliffs, and chatted away the hours [...]
It’s 5:45 in the morning on a Saturday, the sun will not rise until 7:30, and the temperature is at a balmy 36 degrees Fahrenheit. At this time, I am eating breakfast. My host mother, who is always up by 5 o’clock, is preparing a picnic for the day for [...]