From Bicultural Upbringing to Study Abroad in Rome: Hui's Story
Hello! My name is Hui (pronounced “Huay” and rhymes with “way”). I am a Chinese-American college student from Boston. As a recent study abroad returnee and avid traveller from a young age, I am a firm believer of EdOdyssey’s motto “Travel Changes People, People Change the World.”
Traveling is more than just collecting souvenirs - you collect experiences and memories as well!
BICULTURAL YOUTH
My family and I moved to Boston when I was very young, and I have a strong cultural connection to China, where all of my relatives are from. I grew up speaking mostly Mandarin Chinese at home and learned almost all of my English at school. I love learning about different cultures and how they shape the mindsets of people around the world; I combined these two passions into my two majors in college: Classics (the study of ancient Greece, Rome, and other cultures in the ancient Mediterranean) and psychology.
Outside of class, I help with the school newspaper. It’s good to try new things and gain new skills!
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
The best part about learning is that it is not limited to the classroom. I learned a lot from extracurricular activities such as helping with photography, writing, and graphic design for the student-run newspaper. I am excited to bring these skills to the EdOdyssey team this summer - my experience helped me with my role as a study abroad blogger when I spent a semester in Rome last fall.
STUDY ABROAD: ROME
Studying in Rome was a dream come true: it was one thing to learn about ancient Rome in school, but it was really something else to see the sights and artifacts that you see in books become a part of everyday life. I loved exploring how the past overlaps with the present through my adventures in the city and beyond. Learning directly from the place itself changed me and how I saw the world: I learned to contemplate how both ancient and recent events affect people in the present and future.
It was amazing to see the place I had first seen in my books come to life in front of me!
POWER OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
Travel does change people: I can attest to that personally from my own travels. In seeing different parts of the world, I learned to view things from new perspectives.
Everywhere I went, I developed a new connection with each place I visited. When you experience a place in person, you gain a deeper understanding of its history, people, and culture.
As I explored new places, I took in all the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings around me. Taking in everything a place has to offer allows you to appreciate even the smallest details beyond the surface.
Immersive experiences abroad bring you so much more than a tourist trip - you get a lot of hands-on experience with cultural activities!
TRAVEL INSPIRES
These eye-opening experiences allowed me to change the world in my own way. When I returned to campus after my semester in Rome, several younger students who read about my adventures through my blog told me that they wanted to experience new things by travelling to other countries themselves.
It was very touching to see that my love for learning through can spark the same enthusiasm in others. I see this as the way that travel has changed me and it will help me change the world. I hope my work at EdOdyssey can continue to inspire others to enrich their lives by travelling abroad.
Want to learn more about how travel changes people and people change the world? Check out the reflections of our travel-loving writers and content on the EdOdyssey blog here!