Author: Olivia Route

What to Eat in Bishkek: Trying Out the Local Cuisine on a Student Budget

One of the best ways to jump into a new culture is through the local food. The sheer act of sharing food experiences also gives you instant conversation starter material with locals. Central Asian cuisine, having developed largely from nomadic cultures, is often heavy on grains, pasta, dairy, and meat. We are sure that you […]

Gyms in Bishkek: Staying Fit in Kyrgyzstan

There are many ways to stay fit while in Bishkek! Below are suggestions for gyms and training clubs within the city that students on SRAS programs in Bishkek have found and would like to recommended. This resource is part of the much larger SRAS Guide to Living in Bishkek. On Fitness, Yoga, Jogging, Dance, and […]

7 Ways Study Abroad is a Second Childhood

After settling in with a host family in Ukraine, I’ve looked back on my notes from my first couple of weeks abroad and come to a realization – in a lot of ways, Abroad-Olivia is a child, just a little bit bigger. I’ve compiled these notes to make a list of seven reasons why living […]

9 Reasons To Visit Batumi, Georgia

When the world first came into existence, the Creator had a big meeting where he divided up the Earth and gave different pieces of land to all the people of the world. As luck would have it, the Georgian people were having a supra (a grand feast) the same day, had a little too much […]