Since October, our Bridge Year cohort has been loving life in Dakar. From the tasty options of street food to the celebrations of religious holidays, births, and marriages, Dakar offers many new and exciting things to experience every day. Each of......Read More

Growing up in a blended family is a very complicated endeavor, one that is often easier when you’ve got a partner in crime to share your experiences, as my older brother Harrison was to me. Although I have many siblings, my relationship with......Read More

I wait. I wait some more. An hour later I am still waiting for my bus. Another 20 minutes go by. I watch the taxis drive by, occasionally honking, and the bikes weave through the traffic. It’s not that bad today though. I see taxis being worked on......Read More

The Bridge Year Senegal cohort has arrived safely in Dakar! As we settle in to our new surroundings, we want to take the time to reflect on our month of orientation–in particular, our most recent stay in Ndioukhane, a rural Pulaar and Sereer......Read More

As indicated by our last post, our time in Mouit will likely be remembered by each of us as our time in the tower. It’s where our lessons and lectures were held—diving deep into the many different types of pronouns and verbs of Wolof (no......Read More

Here are a few photos from our first week and a half together in Senegal....Read More

Towers are built for sight, to see and be seen. From our tower in Mouït, it sometimes feels as if we can see to the end of the earth. The tide pools and sand crab burrows stretch all the way to the water which then meets the horizon in the very far......Read More

One of the things that I was most looking forward to coming to Senegal was the food. And, I love it! My mom told me that it has been said that Japanese people tend to enjoy Senegalese cuisine. The food does give me nostalgia for Japan—the tamarind......Read More

Dear Friends and Family of Bridge Year Senegal students, We are happy to let you know the BY Senegal group has arrived safe and sound at Blaise Diagne International Airport! The groups is tired but the journey went well. We are now leaving for Dene......Read More

Hey Everyone, My name is Sebastian Suarez and I am from Boston, Massachusetts. I have loved to travel from a young age, and we (my mom, dad and me) visit my father’s family in Peru almost every year. I think this lifelong interest in travel is......Read More

My name is Magnus and I’m from Brooklyn, NYC. I’m the youngest in my family, with an older brother (he’s on the right, I’m on the left) and an older sister. We also have a golden retriever named Stu. And two cats, named Pepper and Spaz,......Read More

Hello! My name is Sabien Taylor (pronounced like you’re Say-ing Bien in Spanish). I was born in Okinawa, Japan, an island near the south end of the country. I can speak Japanese at a conversational level. I belong to a military family, so I have......Read More

Hello! My name is Emma Mohrmann and I am from St. Louis, Missouri! I love running, hiking, and basically anything active or outside. I am also very passionate about art and photography and enjoy how they provide the opportunity to tell a story in a......Read More

Dear Senegal Bridge Year Students, We are filled with a mixture of excitement and anticipation as our year is about to begin! So as to give you an idea of what the first month or so will look like we have put together a draft itinerary for you. This......Read More