The final full day in Busan was bittersweet, filled with excitement to continue exploring the city, but sadness about the pending departure from the beautiful country of South Korea. My day began by roaming the seemingly endless floors of a Lotte department store, demonstrating the success of the South Korean retail industry as one of…
Category: Plus3 2019
For the Better. Forever.
“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same. Feels the same. Even smells the same. You realized what’s changed is you.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald Truer words have never been spoken. I embarked on this journey to Vietnam with the intent of finding something, and that is exactly what I have…
Last Day in China!
This was our last day in China! We started off with a tour of the Yu Gardens. It was really pretty there as it was filled with greenery, ponds, bridges, and a different sculptures, such as dragons. It was nice to walk through and our guide told us about all the different features of the…
Enjoying the Excitement of Diplomatic Relations
A unique experience of the Plus3 Korea Program was the opportunity to visit the U.S. Consulate in Busan, and attend a presentation with American Diplomat, Daniel Gedacht. Gedacht provided insight regarding the mission and representation of the United States in South Korea ranging from a diverse sphere of political, economic, and cultural affairs. Gedacht discussed…
Day 11: Port Visit
Today was our second to last day in China. We had to get up pretty early today as we had to leave at 7:30 so that we could make it to our company visit that was a 2 hour drive away. On ride there, a Pitt Alum currently living in China spoke to us about…
Operation: Endgame (May 18 and 19)
Today was the longest day of my life, quite literally. Since we were flying from Korea back to the United States, the thirteen-hour time change undoes the thirteen-hour flight, making the total amount of time of May 18th to be around 30 hours. However, my day of travel became much longer, with multiple delays and…
Catch you later China!
Today when I woke up, I already knew that I didn’t want to leave. Although we had the full day ahead of us since our flight wasn’t until midnight, I felt sad that I had to leave this amazing country so soon. Although we weren’t leaving until that night we still had a packed day…
Day 12: Last Dance
Sadly, today was not only our last day in Shanghai but our last night in China. As I write this on the bus driving to the airport, I am a lot more upset then I thought I would be. I will save my emotions for my summary post after this, however, and focus on what…
Hẹn Gặp Lại Vietnam!
After more than 72 hours in the United States, I’ve slowly become adjusted to my normal way of living again. No more photos, no more pointing, and not nearly as many inquisitive stares. As much as I found the attention to be flattering, it’s been nice to go to the grocery store without someone taking…
Peace Out China
Wait. IT’S OUR LAST DAY IN CHINA! Time has flown by and I can’t believe this trip is already coming to an end. Even though it’s our last day, we still went out and explored Shanghai. The Asia Institute took us to the Yu Garden in Shanghai. The garden was built in 1577 and Yu…
Ports on Ports
Today was an early morning. We had to meet at 7:30 because we were traveling to Yangshan Deep-Water Port which was a two-hour drive. During the bus ride, the Asia Institute got a Pitt alumnus who lives in China to talk to us. She discussed and answered questions about what living in China is actually…
Plus3 Korea: Endgame
Friday was a great chill day. After all that craziness, we finally have a day of free time to relax and soak in the beautiful sun shining over the Busan beach of Haeundae. It was also our last real day in Korea, signaling that the end was coming. I woke up to an alarm of…
Hard to Say Goodbye
Last day sadness set in very quick. But it was an eventful day, so my mind was somewhat distracted from the fact that we were leaving that night. After our last 5-star hotel breakfast buffet, we headed to the Yu Garden. The garden was first built in 1577 during the Ming dynasty by Pan Yunduan…
The End: A Trip of a Lifetime
And just as quickly as it came, the trip is over. The past two weeks have been an experience like no other. I have fallen in love the the city of Buenos Aires and the people of Argentina. I had such a wonderful Plus3 experience and encourage any incoming freshman to join in on the…
U.S. Consulate in Busan and Pusan University Visit
Today we had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Consulate in Busan which offered unique insight into the historical and current United States and South Korean relationship as well as on Busan. The consul explained that Busan, the second largest city in South Korea with a population of over three and a half million, is…
Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
After returning home, I am glad to see my friends and family, but I also miss being in Argentina. The trip was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. The trip was packed with fun activities and plenty of things that I learned about not only healthcare in Argentina but also…
Back to the States
Two weeks later and I am back home in the US! I am both happy and sad to have left Buenos Aires…I was glad to be able to relax and sleep in my own bed, but upset that such an amazing journey has come to an end. I learned so much in my two weeks…
Day 12: New Swan Stone
We started off our day today by driving about a half hour away to enjoy a typical Bavarian breakfast. Thank god I did not eat breakfast because I totally forgot about where we were going today and I wanted to make plenty of room for the sausage and pretzels about to come my way. The…
Day 11: Presentation Day
Today was the day everyone had been thinking about since the beginning of the trip. Presentation Day. I could not believe it came up so quickly on me. For breakfast, I only had some hard-boiled eggs and pickles to make sure I was not too full while presenting my project. At about 10:00 am, I…
Cheers Ireland
I’m writing this blog in the Dublin airport to sadly head back to Pittsburgh. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this program and I wish I still had more time to visit companies, interact with the Irish people and spend more time with my friends that I’ve made on this trip. I’ve learned a lot…