When College of Arts & Sciences junior Hannah Barnet first arrived back in the United States after spending last fall in Cape Town, South Africa, the first thing she noticed on the drive home was that she didn't have to share a seat.

"We got on the interstate and there were just so many big cars with so few people in them," said Barnet, who had grown accustomed to seeing a dozen-plus passengers pile into vans – or "combis" – to get around the city.

For Barnet, getting used to the sight of a Hummer in what seemed like every driveway was just one of the challenges that followed her home from her semester abroad.

Safety and ennui

Jessica Michael, a College of Arts & Sciences senior who spent spring 2006 at John Cabot University in Rome, said one of the first things she missed upon returning was hearing Italian spoken all around her.

She said some adjustments were easier than others – back in the U.S., for instance, she no longer had to worry about whether the grocery store would be closed when she went in the middle of the afternoon, or that she wouldn't be able to communicate exactly what it was she wanted to buy.

But after a semester in the Eternal City and weekend trips around Europe, she said she sometimes has a tough time getting excited about Milwaukee.

"In one semester there, I got to see so much more than in almost four years at Marquette University," she said.

While language wasn't an issue for Barnet or for Caitlin Madden, a College of Arts & Sciences senior who also went to Cape Town last fall, there have been other changes to deal with.

Madden said safety was a constant concern in Cape Town, an odd feeling to take back to her hometown of Sheboygan, where she can count the number of murders that have occurred over the last two decades on one hand.

"It's not nearly as dangerous as Cape Town, but I still thought about it all the time," she said. "I didn't realize how much a part of my experience (security) was."

Barnet said she notices the difference in security every time she steps out the door.

"(In Cape Town), you don't carry your purse," she said. "You put everything in your bra when you go out."

A loss for words

After relatively light semesters in the classroom abroad – classes in Cape Town met only once a week, and weekends in Rome were three days long – Barnet, Madden and Michael all said the pace of life at Marquette has seemed hectic at times.

"I just came from one meeting and have another one in a few hours," said Madden. "My time is booked."

She also said that after a semester in an unfamiliar academic system, having a handle on what's expected of her at Marquette has been a relief.

All three students said they have trouble answering the same question about their semesters abroad: "How was it?"

"People ask 'How was South Africa?' and I give them a three-sentence explanation and I think, 'That's not very good at all,' " Barnet said.

Madden said she's faced the same problem when asked casually about her semester.

"I usually say 'terrific' or 'amazing,' but if I'm really sick of it, I say something like, 'It was green,' " she said.

Michael said the question is a frustrating one because it can't be answered in one sitting.

She also said it helps to get together with other people who went through the same program and shared the same experiences.

"You don't want to talk everyone's ear off, but really, you do," she said. "It's a big help to be around people who understand."