Time has flown by…

Time has flown by and I can’t believe how long it has been since my last post. Finals just finished up in Singapore, and now it is time to head back home. School out here has been a unique experience out here all the way through finals (which take place in a giant gymnasium with about 800 other students). I really took advantage of being in a new place by venturing outside my comfort zone and trying some classes that had absolutely nothing to do with my major, and instead focused on topics like Singapore business law and Asian history.

Part of the reason why I chose to come to Singapore was the fact that I was going on my own, without knowing anyone before hand. While that made the first few days kind of rough, it was the best decision I could have made in choosing a study abroad location. The network of friends I have made around the world from being here for 5 months astonishes me, and I can’t wait to visit many of them in the future.

As other blog posts have mentioned, one of the best parts of studying abroad is being able to experience other countries and traveling. South East Asia is an amazing culture shock for anyone who has never visited third world countries before. From Malaysia, to Thailand, to Indonesia, to the Philippines, and many many more, these places are where the real experiences of study abroad are made. I finished up my last bit of traveling by heading down to Bali for a few days. As is always the case when visiting a country for the first time, I had an amazing time. We managed to randomly run into about 15 other exchange students from NUS (National University of Singapore) and SMU (Singapore Management University) every time we turned around. It really was a perfect cap to an amazing semester. From the beaches to renting scooter bikes and exploring the island, there was always something to do. I am excited to give white rice a break and have a nice big sandwich, but I am definitely not looking forward to needing a jacket when I get back home.

If any of you have any questions about Singapore or SE Asia in general, feel free to reach out and I would be more then happy to be of any assistance. See you back in Seattle.

Cheers,
Neal