From Christmas markets in Prague, to tea time in Edinburgh and boating adventures in Copenhagen, to dunkel beer in Munich, hot baths in Tokyo and skiing in Santiago, for many eager juniors, the only thing more exciting than getting out of Gambier is getting out of the United States. With Kenyon’s expansive off-campus study programming, such dreams can easily turn into reality. But what is it really like for these adventurous students? Is it truly a transformative experience, or are programs just pulling our legs about how life-changing study abroad really is? These students, freshly back from their semesters abroad, share just how much their experiences lived up to their expectations.

With new countries come new cultures, and Kenyon students have found ways to fully immerse themselves, even if it is uncomfortable at first. Isa Braun ’26 traveled to Bhutan, a small country along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, to study with the School for Field Studies. She recalled a funny memory from her time there: “A big part of the culture is music, which is traditionally associated with an [accompanying] dance. We visited one of the district colleges, which welcomed us by performing a bunch of dances.” Near the end, it came time for the American students to perform. “We ended up singing ‘[Take Me Home,] Country Roads,’ but they wanted us to dance as well! So we ended up doing the cupid shuffle.” Although the dancing was absolutely humiliating, Braun said, the students were all so wonderful to interact with, and she is glad that she was able to have such a unique experience. 

Nick Kloor ’26, who is continuing his full-year program in Tokyo, Japan, reflected on his past semester: “Hanging out with other Japanese people my age has definitely affected the way I speak…they have funny slang, which seems to be a common shared point among all cultures. They’re always interested in learning about New York and American slang.” He said that this experience had a positive impact on his language learning process, especially through casual conversation. While the classroom setting at Kenyon offers a great amount of technical language learning, real-world interactions require rigorous adaptation to conversational norms. 

Kloor has also been building lasting relationships while abroad. Through explorations of jazz clubs, listening bars and other music-centric spaces, he has become close with quite a few people. “One of my go-to spots is this listening bar in Koenji. The owner has an incredible selection of music always playing…I’ve become pretty close with this band [here] too.” Kloor, a talented trumpetist, even formed his own band while abroad — he’ll be playing some tunes with them at the Rooster Cafe in Ogikubo.

Beyond the culture, students have opened themselves up to a range of amazing adventures. Griffin Meyer ’26, who studied in Scotland last fall, said, “I lived right next to Arthur’s Seat (an extinct volcano). I got to climb up one night and see the northern lights. It was absolutely stunning.” Beyond that, Meyer thoroughly explored Edinburgh (and its many pubs!), and found some favorite spots: “My favorite club was probably the Hive…I went there a bunch with friends I met from abroad.” He added that another club he loved was called Dropkick Murphys. “They had something called ‘Honky-Tonk Tuesdays’, where they would always give out a bunch of cowboy hats and play country music. I ended up bringing a ton [of cowboy hats] home for my family.” Laughing, he pulled out a photo of his extensive pink cowboy hat collection.

Apart from wonky souvenirs and fun experiences, students returned home with memorable takeaways. Meyer was delighted with his abroad experiences: “I went places I would not have expected myself to go to, and met awesome people I would not have otherwise met.” In total, he traveled across seven countries and said that going abroad just “made me want to travel the world even more.” Braun emphasized, “It might sound silly, but I learned that you need to have free time to be happy…I learned to be a more peaceful human, and at Kenyon I am trying to maintain those habits.” She added, laughing: “You shouldn’t have to go halfway across the world to figure that out.”

While many cherish the positive experiences they have had abroad, all come back with a deeper appreciation of a new culture and unforgettable memories. So whether you end up taking your own adventure abroad or continue to keep Gambier as your home base, we hope that what students shared from their fall travels were interesting — and perhaps even a little bit inspiring.