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Espresso and Ambition

A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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Reflections on One Month Abroad

January 20, 2017 by Taylor Leave a Comment

As of today, I’ve officially been abroad for a full month. This is the longest I’ve ever left the country, and I definitely expected to feel at least a little homesick at this point. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m surrounded by UGA students, or that everyone here speaks English too, but I don’t feel that way at all. If anything, I feel like this month has gone by far too fast – I can’t already be a third of the way done with my trip, can I?

When I was in Cannes, I was getting homesick by the second week in. I don’t know exactly what shift has occurred since that time, but I do think my mindset is different this time around. I don’t feel as connected with “home” as I did before – though that’s not to say I don’t miss my parents or my dogs or my friends, because I definitely do. But as cheesy as it may sound, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

As a reflection on the time I’ve been abroad, I’m going to share the three biggest lessons I’ve learned so far.

 

1. Do something out of your comfort zone

This can have a variety of meanings, but the central point is, you’re already in a foreign country, so why not get even farther out of your comfort zone while you’re at it? I don’t know if most study abroad programs are like this or if it’s just mine, but we have the chance to join any Oxford or Keble student organizations while you’re here. So, despite having no background in the sport whatsoever, I’ve joined the rowing team. It’s a completely new sport to me, and totally different from my usual workout regimen of running and Pure Barre, and so far, I love it. Not to mention, joining organizations at the school you study at is a great way to make friends with other students.

 

2. Take advantage of everything around you

This sounds a bit straightforward, and these all sound a bit cliché, aren’t they? Well, maybe studying abroad has turned me into a walking cliché. I guess I’ll just have to live with that. But seriously, if you study abroad in Europe, you’re a short flight away from pretty much everything else in Europe. I’ve visited London around once a week since I got here, and I’m currently in the process of planning other trips to make for the rest of term. When’s the next time you’ll be a two-hour flight away from at least 10 different countries at once? Make the most of that.

 

3. Don’t forget the “study” in study-abroad

It’s so easy to get sucked into the trap of being abroad, and let that cloud the fact that, above all, you’re here to study. Especially since I’m at Oxford, being abroad doesn’t make the schoolwork any easier. The Oxford tutorial system is incredibly rigorous, and I’m currently writing this post from the Keble College library as I take a break from reading/writing for the past four hours. So have fun, but plan your time wisely so that you can both travel and do well in your classes.

 

I’m sure I’ll have more to share after I make it through the remaining two months of this whole adventure, but for now, this is my advice. Now I just have to make sure I follow through with it as well!

xo, Taylor

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Meet Taylor

A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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🔥 nasm certified personal trainer
✨ self-love + balance
🎥 2 new workouts per week!

tayy_kay
without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little c without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little challenging to really feel like i’m working at my full potential on leg days 😶 enter: single-leg movements. since all the weight is in one leg, you’re putting way more emphasis on it than you do during two-leg movements - and you’ll definitely feel that 🔥 you also get some added bonuses in the form of ensuring you’re working each side of your body equally AND a balance challenge!!
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you can add in weights or bands to up the challenge level, or do it all bodyweight like i am here!
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1️⃣ 15 single-leg box squats per leg (use other leg as a kickstand for an easier modification!)
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2️⃣ 15 bulgarian split squats per leg
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3️⃣ 15 single-leg hip thrusts per leg
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4️⃣ 15 single-leg deadlifts per leg
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throw on at the end of a longer leg day workout or do it 3-4 times as a workout all on its own!!
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🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time 🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time to be alive, and it’s more important now than ever to listen to your body and stop being so hard on yourself. motivation is a fickle thing and working out when you don’t have all the equipment you love is weird. give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. don’t beat yourself up for missing workouts - exercise should be something you do because it makes you happy, not because you feel like you have to punish yourself. if it doesn’t make you happy that day, that’s okay. give yourself a break, come back and try again tomorrow. 💪🏼
circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not kidding about how much i love this long resistance band, it’s so versatile! definitely worth getting your hands on one for home workouts 😊 (although almost all of these can be completely with dumbbells or heavy objects if that’s what you’ve got in hand)
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also please watch to the very end of the fourth video for quality footage of greg 😂
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1️⃣ 12 long band shoulder presses to standing chest presses
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2️⃣ 12 upright rows to bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 overhead triceps extensions per arm (the one leg stance is some bonus balance work!)
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4️⃣ 12 rear flies, featuring greg trying to fight my shadow
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5️⃣ 12 commandos
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6️⃣ 12 side-to-side pushups
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repeat 4x total!!
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👚 @underarmourwomen
🎧 best of me - neffex
giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, cra giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, crazy time in the world a little differently, and for me, it’s looked like a lot of establishing to and sticking to routines (seriously, sometimes it feels like my skincare routine and workout split are the only thing still giving meaning to days of the week, lol). my morning smoothies have been another important one - there’s a recipe in my story highlights and surprise surprise it uses this protein powder 😛
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anyways, onto the real reason you’re here! i’m giving away 25 $20 giftcards for @310nutrition with NO STRINGS ATTACHED 🤯 you hear that? you ain’t gotta do a thing to win - the first 25 people to use the code KAYGC20 on their order automatically win. get your hands on some fire plant-based protein powder, courtesy of me and 310 😋 (p.s. if you’re still seeing this caption, there are still giftcards available!!)
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sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and hold a fake photo shoot just to prove to yourself that you’re still a real human
posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangen posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangentially topical. link in bio.
upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating towards circuit-style workouts lately, because they really work up a sweat and home workouts just don’t feel as legit to me unless i’m hardcore sweating 🤷🏼‍♀️ i don’t mind not breaking much of a sweat at the gym, but it feels weird not to when i’m working out at home - anyone else feel this or am i just weird?? 😅
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do all exercises back to back with no rest in between!
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1️⃣ 10 push-ups to renegade rows
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2️⃣ 12 alternating bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 diamond front raises
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4️⃣ 8 sets of 3 tricep pulses to this lil cross-body weight move that doesn’t have a name {keep your core tight to feel it on your obliques!}
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5️⃣ 15 bent-over rear delt rows
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6️⃣ finisher!! 🥵 10 burpees with 2 shoulder taps and 2 toe taps in the middle of each rep
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repeat 🔁 for a total of 3 rounds!!
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👚 top from @gymsharkwomen, shorts from @nike 🎧 dangerous - neffex
would be nice if both sides of my head could agree would be nice if both sides of my head could agree on whether my hair is wavy or straight, but apparently that’s a little too much to ask of it 😂
got a circuit-style leg workout for you today! 🥳 there are 3 sets of 3 exercises that you’ll complete back-to-back - once you’ve done those three moves, rest for 30 seconds before repeating them all over again 2 more times! rest for 1-2 minutes in between each circuit - keeping your heart rate up is the goal here, i was driiiiiiipping sweat by the end of this one 🥵
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circuit 1️⃣: 10 step-ups to reverse lunges per leg
10 reverse lunges to curtsy lunges per leg
20 lateral lunges
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circuit 2️⃣:
10 squats to surrenders (stop in a squat position before standing up at the end to really feel this one)
10 stagger-stance rdls
20 criss-cross squat jumps
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circuit 3️⃣:
15 leg lifts per side
10 single-leg glute bridges per side
15 frog pumps
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👚 top from @fabletics, joggers from @gymsharkwomen
🎧 watch me - neffex
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