Pitt Plus3 Program

Conclusion: Xiexie

Today was the day we boarded our flights to go home. By the end of the trip, I was ready. Maybe it was the culture shock (or maybe the food poisoning), but I was feeling kind of tired of being in China and especially tired of eating Chinese food by the end of the trip. Most…

Difference Betwixt Home and Travel

When you’re preparing to go to another country, especially one as “exotic” as an Asian one, everyone will tell you over and over again how incredibly different it will be. These people are correct. It can be hard to adjust, and you need to relearn some things you probably take for granted, such as knowing…

Adventure Goals

^Me entering the Củ Chi Tunnels International travel has always been an important goal of mine. I have wanted to study abroad since before even I knew I wanted to attend college. Before I had had a kind of bucket list of countries and locations, including a lot of mainstream locations such as Paris, Germany,…

Locals and Americans

^This is Bunny, one of the Vietnamese students. She is one of the most fun and out-spoken people I’ve ever met. For the most part the locals we interacted with were Vietnamese students at the University of Economics and Finance—the partner university that makes Plus3 Vietnam possible. The students knew WAY more about American pop…

Company Visits

^Model of VSIP My favorite thing about the company visits was seeing what we were learning about. We had read articles about development and globalization, but the difference between simply reading about something and actually seeing it and how it impacts the world is huge. During the company visits we got to see exactly…

Challenges: Finding ANYTHING that fits!

Honestly one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome in Vietnam did not actually stem from the culture difference, but rather my inability to dress business casual. I did not pack enough appropriate business casual clothes and had to buy new shirts in Vietnam. This was quite the challenge, as people from Vietnam and…

Overview of the Plus3 Vietnam

Plus 3 Vietnam is a three-credit study abroad experience offered by the University of Pittsburgh to business and engineering students. This program focuses on how globalization has affected the development of Vietnam. This course consists of two main components, a pre-departure component and actual trip. The pre-departure component includes an introduction to globalization, the country-specific…

Oh Vietnam, how I’ll miss you

Traveling to Vietnam was an incredible experience for me. I made so many new friends, I pushed myself to try new things, and I learned about a beautiful country and its history and culture. I’m tremendously grateful for this experience and everyone I got to experience it with. Throughout my time abroad, I gained a…

Bittersweet Last Day-BEAUTIFUL trip

I woke up today morning feeling extremely content-which is weird. I usually do not feel content after traveling somewhere-I am always left wanting something more, wanting to stay in the place and keep exploring. However, there was an extreme feeling of happiness-just to have been blessed to experience everything that I was able to. I…

Yu Garden and Presentations

As I woke up, I could not help but smile at the fact that in the past two weeks, I had experienced so much that I have never done before. It is experiences like these that make you realize the beauty of life and how unique it actually is. I felt so incredibly lucky to…

Delphi and AmCham

Today, our day was filled with various company visits to Delphi ICE Company and the AmCham company. I was so excited to visit these two companies, as we would truly be able to see how the engineering side fits in with the business aspect of a company. At the Delphi Company, we heard from a…

Cargo Shipping is an Intricate System

I was probably the most excited to tell my family about today’s visit! We went to the Ocean East International Logistics Company, along with the Yang Shan port, which was a wonder in of itself. The Ocean East International Logistics Company is a logistics transportation company that deals with manufactured products and raw goods coming…

East China University: A Bonding Experience

Today was definitely one of the most intriguing, inspiring, tiring, and fun day of the entire trip so far. We had the opportunity to visit the East China University of Science and Technology, where we engaged in a brief lecture, campus tour, and activities with university students, which was such a great visit! In high…

Final Thoughts

In reflecting upon my experience in Vietnam, I have come to recognize my most valued takeaways from the experience. The first of these is a new insight into professionalism and what it means to take part in the global economy. Our visits to the companies provided a new experience for me as I was able…

Forever in My Heart

Well I’ve thought for some time now about how I can put my experience in Vietnam into words. I’ve scrolled through the hundreds of pictures I took and reminisced about all the memories I made, but I never felt as if those still photos were able to fully convey the feelings felt, the depth of…

Goodbye for Now, Vietnam

Almost a month after leaving Vietnam, I still believe that our two-week journey was one that I will never forget. Despite being bedridden and ill for a week afterwards, there is almost nothing I would change about the trip. I am so thankful and happy that I had the opportunity to have such an amazing…

Reflection

I would like to thank the Thomas Angelo Honors Scholarship for providing me with the funds necessary to make this study abroad trip possible. Without this assistance, it may not have been possible for me to take part in an amazing experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. During my time…

Tạm Biệt, Vietnam

My family and friends have been asking me to summarize the experience since I’ve been home, and now that I’ve been asked to for this post – which will be graded – its that much harder. There’s no way to describe the trip that will do it justice. And, trying to summarize it makes me…

Reflecting on China sitting on the Speed Train

Yesterday was our last full day in Xi’an. Today, we traveled to Shanghai by speed train. I am sitting on the speed train as I am writing this, my head slightly leaning on the window and just reflecting. I love China. Except I am not in love with the high rise buildings, superb facilities,…

Terra Cotta Warriors and Bike Rides through the City Wall

As we woke up, we were all very excited to eat the wide assortment of breakfast and bask in the fact that we would be seeing the very renowned Terra Cotta warriors today!! I was so excited to see in person what we have spent so many years learning about. I have realized that China…

A Child’s Smile is the most Precious and I learned that I am bad at Origami today

Let me just start off by saying that today was extremely special, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to witness the amount of beauty, wisdom, intelligence, cuteness (omg!!) that the children from China have. I strongly believe that the strength of a nation is in the upbringing of their children-all of…