SaraGrace Travis | Spring 2023
Photo Caption: Me & Chloe Thompson; Skiing in Swiss Alps; Interlaken, Switzerland; Traveled from Florence, Italy, to Switzerland for the weekend; Booked a trip through SmartTrips that bussed out overnight to a hostel in Interlaken.
What does the Volunteer Experience mean to you and how has your experience abroad contributed to it?
Every day I have spent in Florence, and other cities we have traveled to, I have learned that you truly can make an impact even 5,000 miles away from home. There is so much to learn & gain from going abroad in professional, cultural, personal, and spiritual ways. I have learned that the Volunteer Spirit does have the power to carry on no matter where you go, you just have to choose service & leadership in every opportunity given.
What skills or experiences have you had in your time abroad to prepare you for life beyond UT?
- Learning to communicate in a global setting and despite language barriers – whether in the workplace or simply getting on a train
- Planning and organizing trips (i.e. tickets/times/schedules/routes of transportation, hotel/hostel/Airbnb accommodations, activities/events going on in the city
- Budgeting money and calculating currency exchange rates
- Gaining time management skills, as well as coordinating communication with family, friends, advisors, and employers back home with a 6 hour time difference