Lore Chasing Is the New Study Abroad
You already know what lore is.
It’s the story you tell at every party, every job interview, every first date. The one that starts with “okay, so I was in Tokyo” or “we were in a fish market in Reykjavik at 6am and” It’s the experience so specific, so real, so entirely yours that no one else could have lived it. That’s lore. And Gen Z? Gen Z is out here collecting it like it’s their full-time job.
Here’s what the data confirms what you already feel: 82% of Gen Z say they’re likely to do something completely out of the ordinary simply because it makes a good story. Not for the ‘gram. Not for a résumé line. For the story. For the version of themselves that exists on the other side of an experience they couldn’t have had staying home.
So let’s talk about the most overlooked lore generator available to college students right now: study abroad programs.
Not the kind where you spend a semester taking notes in a foreign classroom and eating at tourist traps. The kind where you walk into a real boardroom in Milan, sit down with executives at a tech firm in Tokyo, or hike volcanic terrain in Iceland before a business seminar that actually changes how you see the world. That’s what GLO study abroad programs are built for — and it’s exactly what lore chasing looks like when it counts.
Why “Traveling” Isn’t Enough Anymore
There’s a shift happening. Gen Z isn’t satisfied with checking destinations off a list. According to the 2026 American Express Global Travel Trends Report, 83% of Gen Z prioritize authentic, unique experiences over popular tourist attractions. They want to feel something. Learn something. Come back different.
That instinct — to go somewhere and return transformed — is ancient. But Gen Z is the first generation to name it so clearly and chase it so deliberately. And the best lore? It doesn’t come from a resort pool. It comes from being somewhere that genuinely changes your reference point.
Study abroad programs, when they’re designed right, are transformation engines. They put you in situations you couldn’t script: navigating business culture in a country where the rules are completely different, sharing a meal with locals who have a totally different relationship to work, hierarchy, and time. You don’t just observe that. You absorb it. And you carry it with you forever.
GLO Programs Are Built for Lore, Not Tourism
We’ve been running study abroad programs since 1977. In that time, we’ve taken 33,000+ students across 650+ international seminars — not sightseeing tours. Seminars. Think: live company visits to global organizations, business culture workshops led by on-the-ground experts, and immersive destination experiences that go several layers deeper than what any guidebook covers.
Here’s what that actually looks like across GLO destinations:
🇯🇵 Japan — You visit real Japanese companies and observe firsthand how nemawashi (consensus-building) and kaizen (continuous improvement) operate in actual business environments. Then you eat at an izakaya with locals and understand why the Japanese concept of omotenashi (hospitality) isn’t just customer service — it’s a philosophy. That’s not a travel story. That’s lore.
🇮🇹 Italy — You learn how Italian family business structures differ from American corporate culture during a company visit in Milan or Florence, then spend an evening navigating an authentic local meal where the pace of dinner itself teaches you something about how Italians think about work-life integration. Business seminar in the morning. Real gelato and real conversation in the evening.
🇮🇸 Iceland — A country that runs almost entirely on renewable energy, operates with radical workplace transparency, and has one of the world’s highest gender equality indices. Our Iceland study abroad programs put you in conversation with that — through company visits, expert seminars, and landscapes that make you feel genuinely small in the best way possible.
🇫🇷 France — From understanding the unspoken rules of French business etiquette to exploring how luxury brands build global empires rooted in savoir-faire, our France programs connect business education to cultural depth in ways that classroom learning simply cannot replicate.
🇿🇦 South Africa — Our upcoming South Africa program brings students into one of the world’s most dynamic emerging markets — a country of extraordinary resilience, complexity, and opportunity. The lore potential here is off the charts.
Each of these study abroad programs is designed to give you something to carry home that isn’t a souvenir. It’s a perspective.
The Lore That Actually Opens Doors
Here’s the part worth saying out loud: lore that’s just fun is great. Lore that’s fun and changes your career trajectory is rare.
NACE research consistently shows that employers rank global experience and cross-cultural communication among the most valuable competencies in new graduates — yet most students show up to interviews without either. GLO study abroad programs close that gap in a way that’s real, credentialed, and immediately articulable in any interview room.
“I sat in on a negotiation at a logistics firm in Osaka and watched how they handled a supplier conflict without anyone raising their voice.”
That’s not a travel memory, that’s a case study you lived, that’s the story that gets you the job.
Our alumni don’t just say studying abroad changed them. They say it was the decision that changed everything after — the first job, the first promotion, the way they approach every new team, every new culture, every new challenge.
You’re Not Traveling to Find Yourself. You’re Traveling to Build Yourself.
The old study abroad narrative — go away, find yourself, come back enlightened — is tired. Gen Z doesn’t need to find themselves. They know who they are. They’re building on it, aggressively and intentionally.
That’s what GLO study abroad programs are for. Not to give you a break from real life. To fast-track the version of real life you actually want — one where you’ve sat in global boardrooms, navigated foreign cultures with confidence, built relationships across continents, and come home with lore that no one else in your graduating class has.
The experience-first generation deserves experience-first education.
That’s what we’ve been building for 47 years.
Your Questions, Answered
What does “lore chasing” mean in travel?
Lore chasing is a Gen Z travel trend where travelers seek out experiences so unique and transformative that they become defining stories — lore — for life. Rather than ticking off tourist attractions, lore chasers prioritize moments that shape who they are. Study abroad programs are one of the most concentrated lore-generating experiences available to college students.
Are study abroad programs worth it for Gen Z?
Absolutely. Beyond the cultural experience, study abroad programs deliver measurable career outcomes. NACE research shows employers consistently rank global experience and cross-cultural communication among their most sought-after graduate competencies. GLO programs combine academic credit, company visits, and real-world business immersion — making them one of the most career-relevant international experiences available.
What makes GLO different from other study abroad programs?
GLO has been running study abroad programs since 1977, with 33,000+ alumni across 650+ seminars. Unlike programs that focus purely on academics or tourism, GLO integrates live company visits, cross-cultural business seminars, and deep destination immersion across Japan, Italy, Iceland, France, South Africa, and more. Students earn academic credit while building global business fluency employers actively seek.
Which countries does GLO offer study abroad programs in?
GLO offers study abroad programs in Japan, Italy, France, Iceland, and South Africa, with new programs added regularly. Each program blends cultural immersion, business education, and real-world company visits tailored to each destination’s unique global business context.
Can I get academic credit for a GLO study abroad program?
Yes. GLO study abroad programs are built to transfer academic credit, making them practical for students who want international experience without adding time to their degree. Many participants also use financial aid, scholarships, and institutional support to fund their program. Contact your academic advisor or reach out to GLO directly to confirm credit transfer options at your school.
How is a GLO study abroad program different from just traveling internationally?
Solo international travel gives you experiences. GLO study abroad programs give you experiences plus academic credit, structured business immersion, expert-led cultural seminars, and access to a network of 33,000+ alumni. The combination turns a trip into a career-defining credential — which is exactly what Gen Z’s experience-first mindset deserves.
Ready to Chase Your Lore?
The students who will have the best stories in ten years aren’t the ones who waited. They’re the ones who went — to Tokyo, to Milan, to Reykjavik, to Cape Town — before they felt “ready,” and came back knowing they were.
GLO study abroad programs are now open for applications. Browse destinations, explore program details, and take the first step toward the experience that becomes your story.
👉 Talk to a GLO Advisor → hello@glo-explore.com
GLO — Global Learning Opportunities. Study abroad programs built for the experience-first generation since 1977.
