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No matter where in the world you live, Emory is always within your reach.

The Emory Alumni Association (EAA) instills this message in graduating students each May before they become our newest alumni, leaving campus for wherever the future may take them.

Many of Emory's 110,000 alumni end up in Atlanta, Washington, or New York but approximately 2,800 move outside of the United States after graduation, either returning to their home country or perhaps on a temporary or even permanent assignment for work.

Given the geographic distance, time zones, and cultural differences, you may wonder how Emory manages to stays relevant in the lives of its international alumni. That is where I come in.

My name is Allie Hill and my role here at the EAA is director of international alumni relations. I work with our 18 international alumni chapters around the world, helping alumni stay connected to Emory through social and educational programming in cities from London to Hong Kong.

As a former expat and lifelong travel fanatic, I’ve actually managed to completely fill my passport two times now. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to combine my love of all things international with the work that I do for Emory.

On October 4, I will be leaving Atlanta for a two-week, whirlwind journey to five countries to host Emory receptions in our target cities and meet with potential chapter leaders. My mission in Asia will be to develop our alumni chapters in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore.

This will actually be my second trip to Asia. My first was in 2007 to Japan and South Korea as a host with the Emory Travel Program to see the cherry blossoms in the springtime. The photo above was taken during that journey. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip and considered it to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Imagine my surprise and delight to find out that I would be returning to Asia again next month.

Follow along here on EAAvesdropping for frequent highlights from my travels, photos from my journey and updates on how I manage to survive without my daily large sweet tea from Chick-fil-A.

If you went to Emory and are living in one of the cities I mentioned above, or are the parent of an Emory student, I’d love to meet you on my trip. Email me at allie.hill@emory.edu for additional reception information. I hope to see you in Asia!

-- Allie Hill, director, international alumni relations, EAA