I loved Scandinavia so much that I had to return! Over our two week break, I explored Stockholm and its archipelago. I spent my first few days just in the city. The harbor is gorgeous. I saw the famous (or infamous) Vasa warship from the 1600s and the largest IKEA store in the world (IKEA is a Swedish company).
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Stockholm
IKEA – Stockholm
After World War II, a great cemetery was constructed in honor of the American men and women who fought to help protect their English allies. Technically the ground is American soil and we saw our first real American flag in a long time. It was a proud and patriotic moment for all of us.
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
This past break from internships, we had the oppurtunity to visit the iconic beaches of Manuel Antonio. After seeing the beautiful coastline full of monkeys and wildlife and salty, blue water, I knew that I wanted to see the coast from above. I decided to go parasailing. Between the three people on the parasail, there were three different languages spoken-English, Spanish and Sign Language. Each of us knew at least two of the languages. I thought it was amazing that after learning about how to communicate a little bit in sign language in our time in Granada, Nicaragua, I could use what I learned. It just goes to show that you learn something new everyday and that you might be able to actually use it in the future. 
During a week long break from our internships during Holy Week here in Costa Rica, our Valpo group visited a cooperative community of El Salvadoran immigrants preserving their culture through living communally. Pictured here is Valpo Junior, Shannon Segin and I learning how to make the traditional dish of pupusas in Longo Mai!
So, to celebrate Easter, I decided to my friend Pam in Paris. It was my first time in France’s capital and a trip that I had been dreaming about since I was a kid. When I was younger, one of my favorite book was called Little Jeanne of France by Madeline Brandeis and told the story of a girl named Jeanne and her adventures in France. And so, France, and Paris in particular, became somewhat of a destination for me. I was dead set on visiting France someday, made my mother start teaching me phrases in French, and even tried to turn in an assignment in first grade written in what I thought was an accurate written representation of the French language, only to have my teacher think that I was struggling with spelling. My favorite book growing up was the account of a British ex-pat’s go in Southern France, A Year in Provence. I continually attempted to add small french phrases into my vocabulary and dreamed of Time’s fashion issue where there was sure to be a number of French fashion designers. Until I reached middle school in a town that offered no French classes, I had fully planned on taking up study of the French language and happily moving to France in some far-off future. But, as with all things in life, plans changed and I ended up in a German class which eventually lead me to my year in Tübingen.
Despite having less of a connection to French language and culture, I still have enjoyed visiting the border cities to Germany and enjoying the delicious food and drink, never fully making it to Paris. So when I found out that Pam was going to be studying there and in nearby Cergy, I jumped at the chance of avoiding costly hotel fees and getting to see the city with someone who knew their way around.
The trip was short, but totally worth it to see some of the most beautiful sites that the city had to offer and to get to experience some of the things that I had so long dreamt of. It was a culmination of a lot of what I had wanted for such a long time and definitely a place that I will come back to explore further.
The best experience was visiting the Tuileries. I think that the best introduction to my visit is summed up with a quote from Brandeis herself:
“The little girls passed through the Tuileries, which are like fairy gardens. They are a children’s paradise and part of the dream that Paris is”(140).
It was a beautifully sunny day when we visited the Tuileries and the lovely weather helped to highlight the well-manicured park. We walked around and got café au lait and drank it whilst sitting in some chairs. Now, I am no longer a child and a bit too old to believe in fairies, but the magic of the Tuileries still existed for me. I especially liked the long rows of bushes at the far end that seemed like a great place to get away from the world and relax and enjoy good weather.
I also adored riding the metro. I am huge fan of public transportation, so any time that I can use a system in a major city, I could basically spend the entire day riding around. The name of each stop was repeated twice during the approach, which sounded like a language instruction tape to me and provided a good opportunity to practice my pronunciation of the French language.
Reenacting Amelie at the Sacre Coeur
On Easter, Pam and I went to the American Church (since, unfortunately, my French vocabulary is limited to foods and swear words) and ate lunch next to the Seine. We also saw a lot of the classic tourist attractions, which I think aren’t necessary to mention here. However, we did find a café that is a bit of an inside joke:
A cafe that is what it is.
Bis bald!
A link to an electronic copy of Little Jeanne of France via Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40806/40806-h/40806-h.htm
Hello again! For the past almost two weeks, everyone at the Center has been on Spring Break! We’ve all been very excited for this break, and we’ve all been traveling to so many different places. For me, the place that I have always wanted to visit is Ireland. I am part Irish, and I wanted to spend a good amount of time there, more than just a weekend.
Dublin Castle
To start the break, four of us travelled to Dublin. We visited Dublin Castle, Dublin Gardens, Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse, just to name a few things. None of us really knew much about Irish history, so having a tour of Dublin Castle was very educational, because we got to learn a lot about Irish history. The most interesting things had to do with the 1916 Easter uprisings, which led to the eventual independence of Ireland a few years later.
Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
The next day, the other three went on a Cliffs of Moher bus tour, but I went on a bus tour to Belfast and Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Giant’s Causeway was definitely my favorite part of the entire trip. The causeway is made of up hexagon-shaped volcanic rocks coming up out of the ocean. Some are a few inches big, while others are several feet tall. It was so much fun to climb over all of them and look out over the view of the sea and the rocks. I could even see the coast of Scotland from the causeway.
Galway Bay
After another night in Dublin, I split off from the group and travelled to Galway on the western coast of Ireland. Galway is a very small town, and is most famous for the Claddagh friendship ring and the “Galway Girl” Irish folk song. I enjoyed walking around the small town and popping into pubs to hear the live Irish music. My hostel was right in the center of the city, so I was within walking distance of everything.
Dunguaire Castle
I travelled on two bus tours while I was in Galway. The first was a Cliffs of Moher and the Burren tour. Unfortunately, the rain and fog were so thick, and the wind was so strong, that I could barely see ten feet in front of me, and the Cliffs were not visible. However, I did enjoy seeing the Burren, which is the rocky landscape that covers the area. Our tour guide told us that the Burren has the same landscape as that of the moon, so that was interesting to see. I also got to get out and see Dunguaire Castle, which is iconic in that region of Ireland.
Kylemore Abbey
The second tour I took was of a northwest part of Ireland called Connemara. We stopped at Kylemore Abbey, which is a castle right on the edge of a lake in the mountains of Ireland. It was a gorgeous day (besides being cold and windy) and I got to walk around the grounds and explore the gardens. We also stopped and saw the Killary Fjord, which is 16 miles long, Loughs Mask and Nafooey, and the town of Cong, where they filmed the movie “The Quiet Man” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. I got to see the mountainous parts of Ireland on this tour, and it was absolutely gorgeous.
I had a fantastic time in Ireland, and have had a great time staying at home in Cambridge for the rest of break and hanging out with people here. Up next is my week with my mom, who is visiting from the US!
On the last leg of our journey, C-95 journeyed to Stonehenge, one of the most famous prehistoric landmarks in the world. One of the interesting things about site is that the stones frame the sunset on the Equinoxes and we were there the day after the equinox so the sun would have been framed fairly well at sunset. However we were there in the middle of the afternoon. After Stonehenge, we visited Hampton Court Palace on the southwest side of London. This was the palace of King Henry VIII, and the monarchs William and Mary. It was a beautiful estate, both inside and out.
Stonehenge – (left to right) Emily P., Jessica, Sarah
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Hampton Court Palace
Main Dining Room – Hampton Court Palace
a courtyard – Hampton Court Palace
This is one of the biggest questions I’ve gotten since I announced back in September 2014 that I was going to spend a semester studying, traveling, and interning in Southern Africa.
For starters, why not? Africa is beautiful and it has beautiful people. To be honest, Africa has held an allure to me for as long as I can remember and I’ve had it on my bucket list for a long time. Many people I know put Europe or Asia first on their list of places to travel, but mine has always been Africa. Something about the culture, the environment, the mystery had me completely smitten. When I started surfing a few years back then the amazing surfing culture in South Africa also caught my eye. Some people might view Africa as this untamed place, almost wild, and that’s what hooks me. I loved the prospect of being in a culture that was so different from my own Western world and being with people who I knew could teach me new viewpoints and a way of thinking. I loved how historical and influential Africa had been on the rest of the world. Part of the mystery and pull Africa had for me was the fact that I would be so out of my element like nothing else in my life and I relished that challenge. I knew that no matter what, I’d be in Africa (whether volunteering, working, or just on my own crazy backpacking whim) the very first opportunity I got.
When I started college, I knew I wanted to go abroad. I was willing to do whatever possible in order to make it happen. Interestingly enough, one of the colleges I looked at had a study abroad program in Southern Africa offered to students sophomore through senior year. I would be lying if I didn’t say that was one of my main deciding factors when I finally choose a University. Freshman year rolled through and I kept talking about eventually going to Africa without really knowing how to put my plan into action or what it would really mean or what would actually be involved– I just really wanted to go! Then sophomore year rolled around and I experienced some major life changes. It was in a very blah night that I decided I needed a life change and right then and there I decided I would follow my heart and the desires that had been rooted there for so long and try to go to Africa that spring. I went to my parents and my academic adviser the next day and that started the giant ball rolling. Surprisingly everyone was SUPER supportive and encouraging and the more I found out about the Southern Africa study abroad program, the more I realized it was a perfect fit for me and my academic studies. Africa really was perfect for me.
During the final month I spent stateside and after I made my travel plans official I had a lot of people come up to me and ask about my trip. I got a variety of responses but some common ones were “Oh good for you”, “Are you going to work in an orphanage?” “Aren’t you afraid of Ebola?”. The stigma and misconceptions surrounding Africa are huge but I knew that I was going to be taught. What I’d be taught was a little more obscure but I didn’t care. I was completely willing to be open to this new experience and whatever was thrown my way. I wanted to be broken down and remade. I was fearless in traveling to Africa because I knew deep down that it was exactly what I was suppose to be doing with my life.
So it’s now three months into my travels through and studies in Africa and I can happily say that each of my desires have been fulfilled and are continuously being fulfilled every day. Africa has been challenging, heartbreaking, miraculous, and beautiful all in one. It has given me everything that I hoped and provided so much more than I could have ever imagined. Things have happened where in the moment I didn’t know I needed and I’d spend a lot of time confused or making gripes, but looking back I realize it was exactly what I needed. During my first two weeks here, I learned more about life and humanity than I learned in thirteen years of school. And in three months, I have learned more about myself and what I am capable of and I am so thankful. Not every day here is easy and not every day is happy, but what matters is how each day is taken in side and each day is a chance to discover a little more about yourself and the world around you. Coming to Africa has been a blessing and with one more month left to love, I can’t wait to see what other joys are coming.
(Spending the day with my Host family’s little ones.)
For the next part of our journey, we traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of William Shakespeare) and saw the play “The Jew of Malta.” The next day we traveled to Bath and saw the ancient baths that the Romans built on top of the natural springs in the southwestern part of England.
Live performances outside Shakespeare’s childhood home
Stratford-Upon-Avon downtown
Cathedral in Bath
The Roman Baths
The Roman Baths (statues of emperors around the top viewing gallery)
Roman Baths
The Royal Crescent
The Royal Cresent w/ Emily P.
The Royal Crescent w/ Emily P.
The Royal Crescent
On March 20th, all of us at the Cambridge program set off on our Castles Trip. Our first stop was to see Coventry Cathedral, which is actually three cathedrals… The newest one is actually still under construction and looks vaguely familiar… *cough cough* Chapel of the Resurrection… There are a lot of connections between Coventry and Valparaiso University. We even have our own designated bench!
Partial Solar Eclipse in England!
Second Cathedral which was bombed by the Nazis
New Coventry Cathedral! Look Familiar?
Old cross left after the Nazi bombing
Valparaiso University bench
“Father Forgive” – Forgive the Nazis of what they have done (first reaction from the people of Coventry)
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