Dear Mobile Mike…

Dear Mobile Mike,

Before I left for London, my Mom made be bring this horribly 80’s fluorescent pink fanny pack. She assured me that it would be a safe way to keep track of my valuables while being fashion-forward and trendy. Apparently, it turned out to be neither, as I was the laughing stock of Londontown and last night I learned that there really is such thing as getting “fanny pack pocketed.” I don’t know what to do! My FaPa had my cell phone, wallet, passport, keys, and my coveted Eurail pass. I am starting to think that my Mom may not be as fashionable or resourceful as she claims, and now I am stuck with nothing other than my clothes and my recovering pride. What do I do? Read more →

Volunteering While Studying Abroad

While studying abroad is a wonderful way to experience another culture, it often provides students with a somewhat limited scope of the country they are in. Many study abroad programs place students in dorms and classes solely comprised of other American students. Others put students in home stays and in classes with native students but interaction can still be limited. For students who want more, volunteering while studying abroad is a great option. Classroom time requires that you learn about new places out of textbooks – volunteering provides a first hand way to gain a better understanding of your new city’s culture. Read more →

Dear Mobile Mike…

Inspired by Worldly Willie, A Study Abroad Advice Column for Troubled Travelers

Dear Mobile Mike,

Let’s say that hypothetically, I were to have this friend on my abroad program who spends ALL her time on facebook. Hypothetically, people make fun of her because whenever we are out in Sydney or traveling through the Australian outback, she is on her crackberry updating her status and engaging in virtual “poke wars” rather than actually experiencing the moment. Every time she takes a picture, she can’t help but think of her photographed friends as mere “tags” on a computer screen and how it will appear on her news feed. The idea of instantly updating my friends back home excites me. But it scares her that if something isn’t captured on facebook, it’s as if it never happened. It’s kind of like that saying “if a tree falls in a forest full of deaf deer, did it make a noise?” or whatever. Read more →

Dear Worldly Willie…

A Study Abroad Advice Column for Troubled Travelers

Dear Worldly Willie,

I’m a Junior, currently studying abroad in Dubai, and I need your help. See, I wanted to study abroad elsewhere, but my girlfriend of two months had decided on Dubai…so I followed suit in order to stay by my baby’s side. Thing is, it was only a few Arabian nights before she left me for some wealthy heir who was quick to spoil her with oil money. When I confronted her, she told me she wanted to Sheik things up a bit. So now I’m all alone in the Emirates because some pretty boy can afford to drop a few dirhams on dinner. What do you suggest I do now? And where did I go wrong?!

-Dumped in Dubai Read more →