When people travel from their own home culture to a different culture, they experience variations not only in terms of scenery and societal arrangements, but also in terms of daily routines, interpersonal interactions, and expectations. Many differences are based on the divergence in underlying values and concerns of the home versus the host culture. On a day-to-day basis, events that reveal such differences may pose threats and lead to anxiety, confusion, anger, and depression. Conversely, they may pose challenges whose resolution can lead to feelings of mastery, excitement, appreciation for aspects of the host culture, and a clearer understanding of one's home culture. The exposure and reactions to such events form the foundation of intercultural development. However, what types of events are important to such development, and how do sojourners change their perspective about those events as they continue through the adjustment process? This article tracks reports of cultural events and topics deemed salient by university student sojourners over their semester of study abroad in an attempt to discover not only which topics were identified, but also the sequence in which the sojourners found those topics salient. Evidence for sequences of topic salience has implications for the education and support of sojourners both prior to departure, and during exposure to a new culture. The successful negotiation of the developmental processes in the study abroad experience can have long lasting effects for students. It is hoped that this research will increase the understanding of how to facilitate such positive development. (Contains 4 figures.)