Where in the World is Brandon?!

Ciao, amici (Hi, friends)!
My name is Brandon.


Perhaps you know me, perhaps you don't. I'm basically a living version of "Where's Waldo" since I'm usually on a plane, bus, or train to somewhere around the world. This semester, I'm studying abroad at Loyola University Chicago's John Felice Rome Center (JFRC). This is actually my third study abroad experience. I spent my senior year of high school in Surat Thani, Thailand with the Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad program, and then my sophomore year of college in Chiang Mai, Thailand with the USAC program. Since then, I've explored about 40 countries and picked up a few languages along the way. I guess you could say the travel bug infected me a little too hard!

I am currently writing from Guelph, Ontario, Canada (say what?!). Since it's fall break, I decided to spend the week here in Canada with my lovely partner. I am fully enjoying the beautiful & crisp air, vibrant leaves, sweater weather, and Halloween spirit that Rome sadly does not have. However, Rome has so many other things to fall in love with. It was pretty hard to leave for even just a week.

You may be wondering, "why did you choose Rome?". Well, I can tell you it wasn't for any cliché reason. I didn't choose Rome for it's impeccable food, unique coffee culture, rich history, immaculate cities, or warm climate. Those aspects are all more than great, but I actually didn't have much choice in where to study abroad. When I decided that I wanted to study abroad for a third semester, I jumped through several hoops in order to make it to where I am today. I knew I would need pretty specific courses to complete my degree plans since this experience would be during my last year of college. Thus, choosing a Loyola center (Rome, Vietnam, or Beijing) was my only option. I felt I had spent a lot of time in Asia respectably, so Rome it was. I will admit that I was not the most excited at first (I know! Hear me out). I am a person who thrives off adventure, the unknown, and very "out there" experiences. Rome felt "safe" compared to other possible study abroad destinations. In a way, I had a vendetta against European study abroad experiences... I always believed there was so much of this world to see that Americans too hastily overlooked. Once I was accepted to the JFRC, something sparked. It made my upcoming journey real. In the spirit of adventure, I looked at this semester as an opportunity to do what I love most: explore new countries, learn a new language, and make priceless memories. Any adventure is worth going on. And truth be told, I've been proven so wrong about Rome and Europe as a whole. This continent is fascinating, and is so rich with history that there's no possible way to learn it all.

I started the semester off by leaving Chicago on August 10th. Between August 10th and the 29th, this was my travel path: Chicago --> Toronto --> Montréal --> Paris --> Copenhagen --> Malmö --> Bangkok --> Koh Samui --> Chiang Mai --> Kuala Lumpur --> Gold Coast --> Auckland --> Melbourne --> Los Angeles --> Chicago --> London --> Rome. My head hurts just typing that! Anyways, I found incredible flight deals that lead me to both familiar and unexplored cities. I connected with friends, ate awesome food, witnessed cool sights, and snapped the best pictures I could. Eventually I ended up in Rome and started this crazy semester.


This semester, I am taking 6 courses. I am taking: Italian 1o1 (ITAL 1o1), European Masterpieces (LITR 200), Emperors, Bishops, & Barbarians (HIST 300 TP), Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries (HIST 324), The European Union (PLSC 347), and Ethics (PHIL 181). So far, I feel as though I've been able to truly dive deep into European studies and learn quite a bit that I normally wouldn't. I highly recommend taking country/region specific courses during a study abroad experience!

I would be lying if I said my favourite part of this semester WASN'T all the travelling I get to do on the weekends. When a roundtrip flight to Morocco, Germany, Israel, or Turkey (or everywhere in between) only ranges from 20 to 100 dollars, why not take advantage of it?! So far, I've travelled to Romania, Turkey, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. I guess Canada counts too ;). After Fall break, I have plans to travel to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Israel, Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, and Colombia (the last two are on my way home in December). It is so fascinating to bring to life all of the knowledge I'm learning in my classes. I would say that Istanbul, Turkey is my favourite city I've ever visited. I think my next post will be dedicated to these awesome places I've been to. This post just can't do them justice!

I may have actually just lied. How could I forget the lovely friends I've made so far? Study abroad has a strange way of bonding you to new friends so closely, so quickly. It's almost as if we subconsciously understand that out time abroad together is limited and that we have to soak up every minute of it. I want to give a special shout-out to Kaitlyn, Midori, Alyssa, and my uber cool roommate Bruno. You guys make everyday hilarious. We've coined ourselves "the wine moms at the end of the hall" since we all live at one end of the hall of our hotel/dorm and highly enjoy the fabulous wine that Italy has to offer. They are my travel buddies, confidants, and joy makers. I love you, and I can't wait for more adventures!

I'll be sure to write soon. Thanks for following along!
#NeverStopExploring
~ Brandon

Andiamo a Roma!

I'm currently situated in a Toronto Starbucks awaiting my Greyhound bus back to Chicago. I came here for 5 days to spend some time with Vinny, and just spend quality time in a city I feel very comfortable in. I know this city like the back of my hand. It's always a grand time in Toronto. I believe this was trip #18! Many iced capps have been consumed, but I'm ready to go back to my apartment, my sweet baby Koguma, and my friends in Chicago. I have 24 days until depart the United States for another 6 months of adventure around the globe.

I am spending the Fall 2018 semester at Loyola University Chicago's John Felice Rome Center, in Rome, Italy! The details of being able to study abroad for a third semester of college are long and complicated, but somehow the stars aligned and I put in the hard work to make this opportunity mine. Life is too short to watch opportunities come and go without reaching for them. It's a motto that's brought me so much joy and world experience. I am also a recipient of Loyola's B.O.L.D. Scholarship! The B.O.L.D. Award, or "Building Opportunities for Leadership through Diversity" of $3,500 is a merit-based scholarship that supports historically underrepresented students in study abroad. Being gay, first-generation, and having a STEM major, I essentially checked most of the boxes! In all seriousness, I thank Loyola from the bottom of my heart for making the cost of study abroad a bit more manageable. 

I get asked a lot how I afford to travel the world. I work very hard to make money from my job, and have a few different streams of income. I typically don't spend a lot of money in my everyday life. I don't buy many new clothes (the concept of minimalism is my new friend lately!). I hardly every spend money on expensive luxuries like alcohol, fancy dinners. You'd be surprised how much the average college student spends on that kind of stuff! I do have my vices, including Chipotle and Starbucks... but what Millenial/Gen Z doesn't have that problem? In general, study abroad is the best way to see the world while in college. It often ends up being so much cheaper tuition-wise. And once you're in a new part of the world like Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, etc, the surrounding countries become 10x more accessible! Everyone there is wanting to make friends, so travel buddies are abundant. I pay my rent, my bills, and dedicate money every month to loan interest. I budget cash for groceries and food/supplies for my cat as well. Whatever is leftover I dedicate to traveling the world, or saving for my adventures. Don't get me wrong, I run into road blocks all the time. Budgeting can't predict everything. Just know that college students everywhere are struggling, and sometimes I do too. I should make a whole post about this, which I now plan to do soon!

But, back to Roma! I am really now just getting excited for this adventure. It might sound a little strange, but I've felt a bit jaded by Rome. I've studied abroad already for 2 years, I've seen so much of the world. And honestly, if given the opportunity, I would choose a more challenging experience and location than Rome. I have written off Europe in favour of more exotic destinations because I live for the thrill of overcoming culture gaps and all of the beautiful lessons and experiences that come along with that. My logic indeed was quite flawed. This experience will be nothing like Thailand. And that is very special. As for my classes, I am choosing to take 18 credits, and they're all humanities classes. The hard sciences have truly taken a poor toll on my creativity, happiness, and my perspective on my college experience as a whole, so I'm very happy to only learn subjects that make my heart happy while abroad. Here's what I'm taking:

HIST 300: Emperors, Bishops & Barbarians!

HIST 324: Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries

ITAL 101: Italian Language 101

LITR 200: European Masterpieces 

PHIL 181: Ethics

PLSC 347: The European Union

I also know my roommate! His name is Bruno and he's from São Paulo, Brazil. I met him in our history class this spring, and we decided to be roommates. He's a very intelligent, interesting guy who loves tattoos, travels the world, and enjoys fountain pens... so similar to me! He's a Ricci scholar who will be studying in Rome for the fall and Beijing in the spring. I'm jealous. Ha! We're actually going to be living in the Zone Hotel near campus, since the campus housing cannot accommodate every student. We'll be paying the same price, but we'll have wifi, air conditioning, free breakfast every morning, cleaning service, access to cool lounges and the gym, and more. This is shaping up to be the Suite Life of Brandon and Bruno, eh? 

It may surprise you that my plans for this semester are very up in the air. But, that's how it's meant to be. I know I'll be traveling, but where? when? with who? The spirit of studying at the JFRC is going on spontaneous weekend trips, volunteering for random organizations and events, and living by the Italian saying of "La vita é un viaggio!" or, "Life is a voyage!" Go with the flow and see what happens. Not having concrete plans in advance is definitely something that's hard for me. I do hope to visit a few places in particular, including Turkey, Morocco, and Germany for Oktoberfest! I'll probably be coming to Canada to see Vinny for my fall break, which I am ecstatic about. I'm stoked for what adventures I'll get up to!

In addition to Roma, I have some amazing adventures planned before and after the semester! On August 10th, myself and Marshall are going, literally, on an around-the-world trek! We'll be going from Chicago to Toronto and Montréal, Canada. Then onto Paris, France and Copenhagen, Denmark. Then, we're meeting up with the one and only BRIANNA MARIE MAYE and her cousin in Thailand! We should be visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the south! I will try my best to see my host family too. Then, Marshall and I will head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand. Finally, we'll have a long journey home via Los Angeles. We arrive back on the 27th at about 7 in the morning. At about 9:30 pm that very same day, I have a flight to catch to London! I'll spend a night in London and then head off to Rome to start my semester. Does your head hurt? So does mine, and I'm a pretty seasoned frequent flyer! Now for after the semester in Roma, I'll be going to London, Paris, and then Portugal before heading to South America for a graduation backpacking trip with my best friends from high school, both of the Ashley's and Paris! My #Caublasian crew since 11th grade. We'll be heading to Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. And who knows? maybe more... 

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being a friend of mine.

Andiamo a Roma, and when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

- Brandon 

YES Abroad PDO 2018

My first time visiting the Royal Thai Embassy
to the United States

From June 19th-23rd, 2018, I had the immense privilege of being the YES Abroad group leader for the 5 new students gearing up for their exchange to Thailand at their national Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO)! Along with 12 other group leaders, the YES Abroad staff, and 65 students, we had an awesome week of study abroad prep, getting to know each other, sub-par 4H food, and visits to embassies and the State Department!

I have always wanted to participate in a PDO ever since I became an alum. Any event that I have been to involving my fellow alumni have seriously been highlights of my life. There is something about being exchange alumni that allow us to instantly bond and become close. It's also incredibly peculiar and amazing to connect with friends who you've known online for years. Meeting in person for the first time feels like it's the 100th time you've seen them.

Marina and I got to see my oldest favourite
friend, Queen Paula!

Joe and I, being goons

I won't go into mundane details about the everyday things we did, but I will say that the 5 days I spent in DC were tiring, enthralling, full of love, and truly inspiring. We all had a lot of fun and learned a lot. The best part was probably telling and hearing exchange stories from the alum. I am beyond excited for the new students and their adventures. If any of you are reading, I'm rooting for you, and you've got a friend in me. Welcome to the YES family!

Oh, the passport pouch that
unites us all!

One of the best days was on Friday, June 22nd. That was "D.C. Day" where we visited the Royal Thai Embassy, the State Department, and the Lincoln Memorial. It was like déjà vu from my own PDO back in 2014. After visiting the embassy, the Thai group as well as the great Allen Evans had lunch at Bangkok Joe's, an awesome Thai restaurant in the Georgetown area. Then we were onto the state department for a talk by Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, and breakout sessions with cultural experts (which I highly enjoyed and learned a lot!). Afterwards, it was Lincoln Memorial time, which is always such a fun affair. I gave my Thai group the photoshoot of a lifetime! I know they were embarrassed and so happy. I absolutely loved it. I got pictures with the other alum, and some of my friends.

From red handbooks to blue handbooks

YES Abroad Thailand, 2018-2019!
Sofia, Chloe, Kenna, Sydney, and Luke!

Overall, my experience as a group leader at PDO felt like an amazing capstone to my "Post YES Abroad" years. It will forever be a highlight of my life. I already miss everyone so much! Let's not even discuss the airport goodbyes on Saturday. I always say this, but I am seriously in awe at what YES Abroad students and alumni do everyday. It's hard to keep track of the amazing things around the world that we are accomplishing. I gain constant motivation to do better and strive for my dreams because of you guys.

Stay adventurous. Keep going for the stars. Make this world a more accepting place.

With much love, and until next time,
Brandon

Canada, Cairo, Chiang Mai, and Everywhere Inbetween!

I never thought in a million years that my college study abroad experience would include an almost 4 week long trip to Canada to visit the love of my life, but it did! I'm back in Chiang Mai now with only a few more weeks left of my fall semester. I've noticed that for a few years now, I have had a constant and persistent feeling of bittersweetness almost every single day. Today, and everyday that I am here in Chiang Mai, I feel bittersweet to be where I am. I am constantly exploring new places, expanding my knowledge, learning new languages, trying new foods, and overall changing my life. But the trade-off to all of those spectacular things is that I am always away from my family, best friends, and now my other half. It isn't ever easy, and I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes breakdown and cry my heart out. But I know it will all be worth it one day. I am not a person who was born to stay in one place for too long.

Kristen, Arielle, Paige, Caroline, Allie, Me, and Annarose
in our treehouse on the beach!

Anyways, a lot happened before I went to Canada! I got a new tattoo, and went to Krabi for a fun beach weekend! I decided on a travel-themed emoji tattoo, because I always want to remember how my life has been impacted by travel, technology, and the ability to communicate with the people I love from wherever in the world I am. In Krabi, we had a lot of boat rides to various places. We visited Krabi town and Koh Phi Phi islands. Friday night was a night in Krabi that I barely remember, and saturday night we stayed in a treehouse on the beach in Koh Phi Phi. Apparently, on Friday night, I completely broke down and sobbed about how much I loved Vinny (lol). My life seems to always lead me to crazy places and crazy things. I love it.

Piccadilly Circus in the morning

I departed Thailand on October 12th and had a couple layovers in Mumbai and London before reaching Toronto. I didn't have much time in Mumbai, but the airport is absolutely stunning! While in London, I had to transfer airports, so naturally I decided to take the long way and discover a bit of the city along the way. I visited London back in 2009 when I was just 12 years old. Since then, London has transformed drastically. Part of the city has sprung up with towers and skyscrapers that weren't there 10 years ago. I got to take the tube and visit Piccadilly Circus, King's Cross, and passed by the Tower Bridge while on the train to Gatwick airport! I then flew to Toronto, and met Vinny that night at our Airbnb. That weekend, we visited University of Toronto, ate chicken souvlaki at this hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant, ate poutine, went shopping at the Eaton Centre, went back to our favorite Jamaican restaurant to eat jerk chicken, and spent a ton of time sleeping because I for one, was exhausted. That sunday, the 16th, we went back to his school in Guelph.

Guelph, Ontario

Not too much happened during the 3 weeks I spent in Guelph. Most of the time, Vinny and I would go to his classes, eat on campus (usually burgers or poutine because why not?), hang out, get coffee from Tim Horton's, and go on Walmart snack runs. Since it was the middle of Fall, the leaves were really gorgeous! For Halloween, we dressed up as Dr. Mcsteamy and Dr. Mcdreamy from Grey's Anatomy! And although we didn't really do too much, those 3 weeks were some of the most joyful, formative, and loving weeks of my life. Some people may question why I left my study abroad program for so long just to spend time with Vinny, but I do not regret it in the slightest. After all, I am here for an entire year. I needed those almost 4 weeks with him, and I know he needed them with me. Being a long-distance couple, we search for any possible time to be together that we can, and I am so grateful that we were able to spend this time together.

Mcsteamy and Mcdreamy ready for operation

I love Vinayak with all my heart, and I do believe he's the person I will spend the rest of my life with. This young man is my best friend in the whole world, and he's changed my life in so many ways. He has loved and supported me from the very beginning when we met, and he has never judged me, hurt me, or made me feel inadequate. In fact, he provided me the constant encouragement I needed this past spring to start my health and fitness journey, which I am still on and doing well! He helped me not only come out to my family, but to own and feel comfortable in my sexuality (And let's be real here; It's 2016, literally everybody is a little bit gay!). Also, he has made me a more emotional person which I have had trouble with in the past. This little brat annoys me constantly with "funny" things he finds on the internet, likes to make sharp turns and randomly change directions while we're walking together just to piss me off, thinks it's cool to trick me when we play Monopoly Deal, and likes to hog all of the chips and dip. But, I secretly love all of those things. I want you all to know how much I love him, how much he makes me smile, and just how much joy he's brought into my life. It hasn't been the same since, and I can't wait for more adventures with him. I'm quite the lucky guy, eh?

Me, Narjis, and Marshall

Little Monkey and Koala Bear

This picture is probably my fav

In the middle of my time with Vinny, he had to go home one weekend to celebrate Diwali with his family, so I went back to Loyola to visit my friends! It was so much fun to see everyone again.









On November 5th, I departed Toronto for... Cairo. Freaking Cairo, Egypt. It wasn't really any easier to say goodbye to Vinny this time than in August, and I cried quite a bit. This time, I knew when I would be returning. I'll actually be going to Canada for a little more than two weeks in January, so that comforted me a bit. My flight to Cairo was alright,and I arrived at about 5 in the morning. I had about a 6 hour layover... so hell yeah I decided to leave the airport! I immediately got into a taxi and headed to Giza which is about an hour away by taxi (with no traffic). Once I arrived, I hopped onto a camel and explored the pyramids!!! It was early in the morning and a little bit before the pyramids opened to the public (and I paid quite a bit more as I found out --- my whole situation with the taxi and the camel tour company was very shady). Therefore, I was there during sunrise! It was absolutely beautiful! The air was cool, and the sun wasn't beating down on me. My guide took me around to all of the pyramids and stopped in the middle of the tour so we could enjoy falafel together on the back of the camel. At the end, we saw the sphinx. My guide was quite the photographer and took about a hundred photos of me. He had me doing all sorts of things to get good shots. After it was all set and done, my driver swiftly headed back to the airport. There was major traffic, and it took 2 hours to get back to the airport. I was cutting it close to get to my flight! At times (out of the traffic), my driver was going 120+ mph. IT WAS TERRIFYING but also electrifying. I made my flight, and was on my way to Dubai. the Dubai airport was very dead while I was there, but it's very nice. I got food, and skyped with Vinny. My next flight to Bangkok was on the Emirates A380 (the double decker plane!), and it was the fanciest flight I've ever flown on! I arrived in Bangkok and eventually ended up in Chiang Mai and slept for a good 18 hours.

I only have a few weeks left, and I have some major adventures coming up! First, I'm going to Australia (?!?!?!!?) for 10 days starting on December 10th with Brie, who's also doing the yearlong program. Then, my best friend Ashley Cox is flying out to Bangkok and we're backpacking through Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia! We both fly back to North America early on January 5th. I'll have long layovers in Beijing, China, and Calgary, Alberta. I can't wait!

I will try to post again before I leave, but no guarantees. Haha.

Until next time,
Brandon

Tongue Thai-ed

สวัสดีครับ (Sa-wat-dee-khrap)! I've been in Chiang Mai for about a month and a half now, and so far, it's been a completely different experience than the first go around! Once I left Canada, I flew to Taipei, Taiwan, and had a 5 hour layover. The gates at the airport in Taipei all have a different theme, and mine just happened to be letter-themed (I love sending letters to people). Other themes included an African safari, a forest, and even Hello Kitty. I then flew onto Bangkok, and then onto Chiang Mai. I got here around 8 pm and settled in. Orientation started the next day, and classes started the following week. During orientation, we got to visit Doi Suthep temple again, which is absolutely stunning! It's even more stunning when the sun is shining, but that's okay! I'm here for a year, I'll definitely return.

My classes are going great; I actually ended up changing up which courses I enrolled in, so here's what I'm now taking this semester:

World Economic Issues

Sustainable Development

Global Health Issues

Gender & Sexuality Studies 

My schedule is set up pretty nicely since I have Thursdays and Fridays off! I would have to say Global Health Issues is my favorite class, for obvious reasons. My classes tend to be very discussion-based, and its honestly very important to me to be able to hear so many different opinions about different issues that are going on. 

But enough about my classes, you probably wanna know how I'm feeling here, so here we go. Remember, this is my blog and I'm not here to mitigate my emotions or hide things, so bear with me.

To be completely honest, I've had an pretty rough time here. I'm having no issues with adapting to the culture, food, language, etc. In fact, I'm learning a lot more Thai, so that's great. But, I've been dealing with some health issues and haven't been feeling very mentally-fit here. Actually, I would call what I've been going through as straight-up depression. I don't use that term lightly, because I know some people suffer from it constantly, and I don't suffer from it and never really have. I don't really know exactly how or why, but the second week here I just fell into some kind of funk. I wasn't feeling myself. But, it was more than just a funk. This felt different. I started sleeping a lot more, losing my appetite (and therefore losing a lot of weight too quickly), and not going out and participating in fun activities. My physical and mental well-being bounces off of each other and always has (maybe it's like that for a lot of people), and since both weren't good, I really wasn't feeling great. late this month, I ended up in the hospital for 4 days because I started experiencing weird physical symptoms (cracked lips, joint pain, eye pain, fatigue, lack of appetite, brittle hair). Apparently I had a bunch of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I got put on daily vitamins and I started feeling better very soon after. I mentally felt better too after the hospital visit. Those 4 days gave me a lot of time to think and reflect. I'm ready to experience Thailand again, and I'm excited to continue my health and fitness journey that I began in May. It's important to me to share how I'm really feeling, as I do not want to people to perceive that living abroad is all fun and adventure. It's pretty damn difficult sometimes. Many days, you just don't feel like dealing with the daily hardships that being a foreigner here brings. I miss my friends, my family, and the love of my life, and for some reason, homesickness hit me pretty hard this time. My oh my, how being away from Vinny has hurt. I have never felt the way I do about him. He's my best friend, and a lot of days I just want to hang out with my best friend, you feel? I miss that little brat so much that I'm flying back to Canada next month to spend my fall break with him! I'll also be taking a weekend trip to go see my friends back at Loyola! I leave October 12th, right after my midterms end. I'll be there until November 5th, and I'll get back to Thailand on the 7th. I'm really looking forward to this trip, and it's one thing that's keeping me going these last couple of weeks before fall break. 

Things are looking up, and I gotta remember how lucky I am to be here. :)

Until next time, 

Brandon 

Toronto, Trains, & Tim Horton's

Toronto, for some reason, has become one of my favorite cities I've ever been to. And now, I have some pretty incredible, unforgettable, and special memories attached to it.

For several reasons, August 11th was a huge day for me. I said goodbye to Caublasian (Ashley, Ashley, and Paris), had TWO biology exams, left the United States, and met Vinny for the very first time. I hadn't slept much all week, and I was honesty the most exhausted I've ever been once Thursday rolled around. Once I finally arrived in Toronto, I went through customs, and waited in the international arrivals area for Vinny to arrive. I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life for anything. No exaggeration there. I waited for about 20 minutes, and suddenly someone tapped on my shoulder. It was him! In that moment, everything in the world was okay again. To be completely honest, this summer has been especially challenging. Summer classes were beating me down. I was working hard on my health and fitness journey. I was alone most of the summer (which, come to find out, I don't particularly enjoy very much). And, I began to come out as bisexual to everyone (except my best friends and everyone at college who already knew). I think I'll write another post about that soon. But ANYWAYS, Vinny and I made our way to the airbnb on the Go train after about an hour of sitting and chatting at the airport. He was very nervous too, to the point where he was shaking when he first sat down next to me. I won't let him forget this. :) That night, we just got pizza from Gino's, and I ended up sleeping so good that night. 

Vinny and I at the ROM

The next day, we visited the Royal Ontario Museum (The ROM), tried street meat for the first time (A Toronto specialty --- various kinds of sausages/hotdogs), and walked around the University of Toronto. We actually saw a bit of the medical building. After some research, it's definitely on my list of schools that I will be applying to for medical school. Later that day, we got shawarmas and Vinny had me try Tim Horton's for the very first time. For those of you that don't know, they have Starbucks everywhere in Canada (just like the rest of the world), but what's even more popular in Canada is Tim Horton's. Tim Horton's is famous for their coffees, teas, and donuts. I'd say it more closely resembles Dunkin Donuts than Starbucks. Probably their most iconic drink, the 'Iced Capp' is an iced cappuccino and it is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I instantly became addicted. I had it three times during my time in Canada I believe. I can't wait till I go back JUST for the Iced Capps.

On Saturday, we hit up the Kensington Market, Eaton Centre and Dundas Square (they spell center as centre up there). It's a very big mall downtown. We also saw the famous Toronto sign that lights up in different colors. Finally we got some bubble tea and just chilled that night. We didn't even really eat dinner, we just ate a bunch of snacks we had! I remember we had a fun day riding the TTC (subway) everywhere, trying to get back to our place. I actually highly appreciate the Toronto transit system; the trains come every 3-5 minutes (Chicago, take some tips).

POUTINE from Smoke's!

The only important thing that happened on Sunday was that I ate Poutine. Poutine needs recognition because my life was changed. Poutine is french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It is now one of my favorite foods on this Earth. America needs to start selling this stuff everywhere. Other than that, we tried to visit the St. Lawrence Market (it was closed) and the distillery district (which we arrived to too late). But nonetheless, it was fun to walk around the city! We also saw the Toronto sign again, and got to see the CN tower up close.

Monday was hard for me, because i knew I was leaving that night. We didn't do too much that day, but we did get to eat jerk chicken from Jerk King down the street, and it was so so so delicious. Once ten o'clock rolled around, it was time to get to the airport. Me and Vinny said our goodbyes, and it was off to Taiwan and Thailand! I already miss him like crazy. I'm not too sure that I can go 10 months without seeing him...

Perhaps another adventure soon? Knowing me, probably.

I'll update on how Thailand is going soon enough! 

Until next time,
Brandon

Thailand | Round Two

A lot has happened since I last updated. I'm going back to Thailand in just 17 days! 9 more incredible months of adventure, exploration, learning, weird smells, strange foods, elephants, and constant smiles. Before I make it to Thailand, I'm going to Toronto, Canada, to spend a week with my best friend in the entire world, Vinny! I leave the USA on August 11th, which is coincidentally the same day I left for Thailand back in 2014. Summer classes are almost done, flights are booked, visas are ready, and all I have to do now is pack my bags and say my goodbyes!

I'll be spending my sophomore year with the USAC program in Chiang Mai at Chiang Mai University. Chiang Mai University is one of the best universities in Thailand, and has about 50,000 students! I'll be living in an apartment with another USAC student, but I don't know who quite yet. Most of the classes that I will be taking this year will apply towards my Political Science and International Studies majors, so I won't be doing much with Neuroscience until I return to Loyola in 2017. Here's what I'll be taking this semester:

- Diplomacy in Southeast Asia
- Global Health Issues
- Reading and Writing Thai Language
- Sustainable Development
- Thai Civilization
- World Economic Issues

I'm probably most excited about Global Health Issues and Sustainable Development! While I'm abroad, I'm planning on working with the Chiang Mai 'Care For Dogs' Foundation, where I'll just be volunteering and taking care of some sweet pups. I'm also planning on interning with a local hospital and the U.S. Consulate. One of my goals this year is to occupy my time with any and all opportunities that are available to me. Last time, I wasn't as progressive with going for opportunities as I was so swamped with college applications and preparation, exams, and other things. I know for sure that I will be doing things that I don't know about yet.

As for how I'm feeling about leaving for another year, I do have to say it's a whole lot easier. I'm not exactly feeling very nervous or excited either, I'm just ready. I am however, feeling pretty blue about leaving my friends and family. That part hasn't gotten easier. BUT, I do get to see my host family a few times this year, and my best friend Ashley Cox is coming all the way to Thailand to backpack with me around Southeast Asia for Christmas break. Also, my roommate this summer, Noah, is coincidentally planning on doing the Chiang Mai program as well next spring, so I'll get to see him! I'm sure I'm going to meet so many incredible people this year, and I absolutely cannot wait; that's one of the best parts of living abroad in my opinion.

Possibly the best part of my experience this year will be all the countries that I will be visiting. I received an awesome travel grant to work with because of my blog and my previous experiences, and I am so grateful! Here's where I'll be going this year:

Canada, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, France, Netherlands, Germany, Iceland, and Canada (again)!

Some of these destinations will be random weekend trips, some will be during my winter break, and the rest will be part of an around-the-world trek I am undertaking by myself while on my way home from Thailand. I know it sounds astronomically wild and maybe a bit dangerous, but there's so much world to see and I'm taking this opportunity and running with it! It's going to be a blast!

That's all for now, but I will update again before I leave. Follow my blog or add me on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter to stay up to date!

Facebook: Brandon Penrod (I'm sure I'll pop up).
Instagram: @bdawg3008
Twitter: @BrandonPenrod97
E-mail: brandon.penrod1997@yahoo.com

P.S. I know a lot of students interested in YES Abroad come across this blog, so if you have any questions or want to talk, please feel free to add me on any of the above platforms or e-mail me!

Until next time,
Brandon