Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Month: May 2019 (page 1 of 2)

Leaving Japan…But Only for Now

May 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Kate Mitchell

Location: Osaka, Japan

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

With final exams right around the corner here at Kansai Gaidai, it means that my time left in Japan is growing short. Once exams are over, I only have a week left in Japan. I plan on spending that week with friends and finish buying last minute souvenirs for friends and family back home. Leaving after a semester studying abroad is bittersweet. Part of me is excited to go back to Valpo and see everyone at home again. My family got a new puppy named Cooper and I’m so excited to meet him. I’ve literally been waiting months to get to see him for the first time! But on the other hand, I’m going to miss my friends and life here in Japan so much. Some friends are actually coming home with me since I met lots of other study abroad students that live around Chicago like me. But my Japanese friends will literally be a world away and they won’t be the only thing about Japan I’ll miss.

I’ll definitely miss the conveniences of Japanese life. Being able to walk ten feet to go to a convenience store or conbini that sells everything you could possibly want is a luxury that cannot be understated. I’ll miss being able to take a train to anywhere I want to go even if it’s across an entire country. I’ll miss seeing people walk their adorable Shiba Inu (my favorite dog in the world). Seriously, these dogs are everywhere and they’re super cute! One of the things I’ll miss the most are all the vending machines where I can instantly buy water, juice, coffee and more. As a cross-country runner who is used to running around towns with no water in sight, I’ll be thinking about these vending machines a lot when I get home. All these reasons for missing Japan are a little silly, but they are all part of why I love Japan so much. However, I won’t be gone for good.

My time studying abroad in Japan has helped me figure out my future. I’ve wanted to work in Japan for some time now but lacked the confidence that I’d actually be able to do it. But after being here for almost 5 months with the support of all the wonderful people I’ve met in Japan, I feel like I can do it. I want to be an English teacher in Japan at least for a little while and I’ve gotten to practice teaching with Japanese students here. My Japanese professor has helped improve my Japanese by leaps and bounds, but also shown me ways I can better learn Japanese in the future which I’ll have to do on my own starting next year. I feel more determined than ever to go after my goal of working in Japan after my studying abroad experience and I’m immensely grateful for that. I know that I’ll be returning to Japan soon to follow this dream, so I won’t have to live without conbini and Shiba Inu for too long.

How to Conserve Water

May 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Alyssa (Aly) Brewer

Location: NaDEET, Namibia

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Namibia is a dry nation. Most if its rainwater evaporates before it reaches the ground. Wet clothes are ready to wear in an hour’s time. Lotion is a must. Chapstick your new best friend. That being said, water conservation is of the upmost importance. While living in this sunset-colored country, I have learned a few tricks or two on how to live “green.”

(Right to left Support Staff and wonderful friend Donna, me, Professor of History Albertina).

Casually, us twelve students hopped into the van for another 6-hour drive to another location- this time the Namib desert. We have become pros by now at handling long road trips. Once we arrived, there was sand, sand everywhere. For the remainder of the weekend we would find sand in a million and one places. I am still emptying out sand from pockets and backpacks. But oh, did that sand become so beautiful at sunrise and sunset. We would run it through our fingers and watch the rays illuminate it as it trickled down. Living in the desert posed its challenges, but it all became worth it at nighttime. Each sunset, we would climb the nearest dune and stare endlessly at the horizon.

Then, we would stay there waiting for the stars to appear. Orion, the Southern Cross, then Scorpio. Sometimes we made up our own constellations and told our own stories. It felt so natural to be immersed in the world around us. And yes, we took lots of pictures.

While watching sunsets and counting stars were great aspects of the trip to the Namib desert, they were not the real reason we traveled there. We stayed in cabins run by NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust) a conservation revolving around water preservation and sustainability. Each day the staff there taught us a new way to reduce our waste and conserve what we have. First, we learned about light pollution. NaDEET lives in a Dark Sky District which means they need to cover their lights sources as to not pollute the night sky. For example, in my cabin, a tin can covered the lightbulb so the light only directed downwards where we needed it. Most lights, especially streetlamps, project light out not down which contributes to light pollution. Even though I live in a relatively small city in the states, I still have never seen the milk way or more than a few stars at night. I had no idea how much nighttime lights affect the sky- but now I have the knowledge to change my habits to reduce pollution and increase efficiency. 1. Cover lights. 2. Get LEDS- they last longer and use less energy. 3. Turn them off when not in use.

Another fun activity we did was make pizza- but in a solar cooker! A solar cooker works by concentrating the sun’s rays (which the desert has lots of) and trapping them to heat up the food like an oven would. It was a delicious and energy efficient experiment.

Might I add that my group’s pizza was the best.

But of all the activities and all the experiments, the most crucial was water conservation. Each cabin competed to use the least amount of water. Some people were joking about not showering for the whole time… No one wanted to sit next to those people. But in all honesty, this was one of my favorite parts. We learned how to use the shower-bucket method which reduces the use of water. The energy from the solar panels heated up the water in a tank, you collected it in one bucket, poured it into the shower bucket which had a valve that could release the water by gravity when needed. Instead of using gallons of water for 20 minutes, I used only a few and was still able to get clean. Also, the trip to get the water was a deterrent for using too much- maybe it was laziness of contentiousness- but either way it worked.

In a country that is mostly desert and receives little rainfall- especially this year during the worst drought in generations- I have learned how to conserve as much water as I can. So here are a few environmentally friendly tricks I’ve learned along the way.

  1. Turn down the temp of your water heater. Often it is too hot anyway, so you must go back and forth between the cold and warm knobs to get it right. This technique saves energy, water, and money!
  2. Compost. It reduces the amount of waste thrown in landfills.
  3. Take showers over bathes. They use less water. Keep them short and turn off the water in between lathering and shampooing.
  4. Fill up the sink with soap and water to wash dishes rather than letting the tap run.
  5. Reusable water bottles. This reduces the use and waste of plastic.
  6. Fix leaking faucet! A single drip for a year can waste over 2,000 gallons of water. That’s quite a bit of money down the drain too.

As I reflected upon my experience at NaDEET, I realized not only how beautiful the Namib desert is but also how important it is to conserve as much as you can. I am forever blessed for having this experience-it has opened my eyes to a whole new world.

Picture Book Come to Life

May 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Alyssa (Aly) Brewer

Location: Etosha, Namibia

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Conservation. What is it? Or more importantly, what does it do? Here in Namibia, 20% of the nation is designated for conservation- particularly for preserving the local wildlife, land, and livelihoods. Recently, I was blessed to visit one of Namibia’s most well-known conservations Etosha National Park.

Throughout the drive to the camping ground, we were able to spot dozens of different species including zebras, elephants, giraffes, and springbok!

Even though there is a misconception that all of Africa is like this, the percentage is quite small. Throughout my travels to the rural North, the coast, and the desert, this was the first and only time I saw these types of animals. Like the United States, most of Namibia is spotted by farmland and cities. However, it was still breathtaking to be so close to animals I have only seen in picture books. You had to be incredibly quiet in the van as to not startle them. Some of the animals even stared back at us in question. It made me wonder what it felt like to be observed all the time- to be gawked at by tourists while just wanting to get a drink. The unease I got from the realization reminded me of my distaste for zoos. But at least here the animals are in their natural habitat.

Once we arrived at the campsite, we all took a collective nap. We have been traveling on and off for the past two weeks and craved uninterrupted sleep. After settling in and relaxing, a few of us took to the watering hole. We sat upon a large wall of rock observing the elephants and hippos who bathed right in front of us. It was a sight unlike any other. The crowd was so hushed if one person dropped a pen, scowls followed them. I remember holding my breath at times as to not disturb the peace. The silence paid off because we were able to observe these natural behaviors without the disturbance of a moving van.

At one point in the night, a herd of elephants came to visit. They played with each other, splashing water, bumping sides, and dancing around the watering hole.

The experience reminded me of how incredibly amazing they are and how small I am. So often our society gets wrapped up in the significance of our own existence, we forget about other life. Here, dozens of tourists and students sat for hours just paying respect to the beauty of elephants. We are in their space after all. Even though this moment brought me peace, at the same time, it saddened me. I recently saw an article about how the giraffe has made its way to the endangered species list. I worry about future generations only knowing what one looks like through old photos. These native animals, and basically all animals around the world, are important to earth’s eco-system. Polar bears need ice. Turtles need reefs. And giraffes need grassland. The more I learn throughout my time here, the more environmentally conscience I am becoming. But what can I do? What can we do?

If you are asking these same questions, read my blog that dives deeper into this topic. It takes place in NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust) a conservation that practices sustainability in the heart of the Namibian desert. To be quite honest, it has been my favorite place we visited in Namibia so far.

Also, enjoy this National Geographic like picture I took in Etosha.

 

 

Growth in Granada

May 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Kayla Doyle

Location: Granada, Spain

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

When I first arrived in Granada, I was super excited but also had a little bit of nerves for the whole process. I was able to arrive in Spain a week early to visit my friend and her family in Madrid, which helped ease me back in to the Spanish culture and language. That week made me more excited to head down to Granada and start my semester abroad. Before arriving in Spain, I had a few goals that I wanted to accomplish during my time abroad. The main goals I had were to become braver/take more risks, determine my passions, and meet more Spanish people. Through the course of the semester, I also developed new goals that I worked on to achieve apart from these three.

Throughout my semester, I learned a lot about the Spanish culture as I had talked about in one of my previous blog posts. I also learned about other cultures and customs during my time abroad that were unexpected. I noticed differences in cultures every time I traveled to a new country or even cities in Spain. In Rome, I noticed some similarities between Italy and Spain, but also a few differences. For example, in Rome there were a lot of tourists and everything we saw was enormous. While in Spain there are a lot of tourists, but you can see the Spanish people more than you could in Italy. The food was also fairly similar, but Italy had a lot more pizza and pasta, as expected. When I traveled to London for a long weekend, it was the first place that felt most like home. There were differences between some of the words and phrases they used, compared to sayings in the US. My last trip to Dublin, Ireland was very similar to my trip to London in the fact that it too felt a little bit like home. Everything was green and was one of the cities that felt the least touristy and chaotic that I had visited around Europe.

Pasta Class in Rome

Tower Bridge in London

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin

Overall, I learned a lot about myself and the world through my semester abroad. I learned the way I like to travel and explore new cities. I like to see the touristy things quick and then explore the surrounding neighborhoods slowly to be able to see the deeper culture and people behind a city/country. I also became confident in my Spanish skills while studying in Spain. I feel like I mostly improved my speaking skills by solely communicating in Spanish with my host family and the Granadinos. I learned how to do things on my own, without the help of an adult during my time here. For example, I managed to plan all of my trips by myself or with friends, to maneuver new cities, and to get an internship for the summer that took a lot of time and effort, but payed off in the end.

For my goals for the semester, I believe I achieved just about every one of them throughout my time abroad. My first goal that I continually worked on was to determine what I am passionate about. A few of my biggest passions I determined are first that I like learning about the history of food and dishes specific to certain counties. Next, I learned that I love to work with kids and learn about different countries and cultures. Another big passion of mine is sustainability, but more with a focus towards the perspective of a business. This was one of my goals for the semester because in the future I would love to start my own non-profit business in Central or South America, but I did not know what I wanted it to be because I was still unsure about what I was passionate about. After, deciphering some of the things I am passionate about I have a little better idea of what direction I want to take with my future business.

For my second goal of becoming braver, I feel like I made a big stride towards this while in Granada. I definitely tried things during my time abroad that I would not have done before. I took more risks than usual and it resulted in experiences I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t taken those risks. I became more independent. It helped that there weren’t any adults to do things for me. This experience gave me a new level of confidence I hadn’t had before. As for my last goal of meeting more Spanish people, this was one area I wish I pursued more throughout my time here. I met people through the program in Granada with our Spanish partners and the weekend activities we had with them. Also, just meeting and talking to different Spaniards in cafe’s or little shops.

As for advice for the future traveler abroad, I would definitely come with an open mind. You will probably experience things throughout your time that are different for you and may seem weird, but just be open to the differences in culture. I would also say to take advantage of every moment and say yes as much as possible. You don’t want to leave your semester abroad with regrets. Even if it means that you can’t watch the latest Netflix movie. And most importantly have fun! This is going to be something that I will remember for most of my life. Just having the opportunity to be abroad and learn about the Spanish culture as well as becoming familiar with other cultures around Europe through my travels.

Timing is Everything

May 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Garrett Gilmartin

Location: Granada, Spain

Pronouns: He/His/Him

When traveling abroad timing is an important aspect to account for. Yes, time zones are different when traveling, but there’s much more to timing than knowing what time it is. Everyone has heard the phrase “time it is relative” before. Generally, when people say this they are talking about how time is a construct of the human mind to be able to measure, at exactly what moment we should be at a certain place or where we were or are in past, present, and future. This may be true but I have found that timing is not just a universal idea, rather it is also an aspect of culture.

 

For example, a large aspect of Spanish culture is food, more specifically tapas. Tapas originate from when Spanish farmers were out in the fields working all day and carried wine skins and some sort of snack like, jamón, or cheeses. They carried wine skins and food to snack and stay energized while they worked all day. They would snack specifically before lunch and dinner. This has now evolved into the idea of tapas, where families and friends go out before a main meal and share small plates while having a drink of some sort. Now, what this has to do with time is there is a right time to eat tapas. Lunch here in Spain is a little bit later than what time we might eat lunch in the United States. Some host families here serve lunch around one or two, whereas my host family serves lunch around three or four in the afternoon. So, it is important to know that when in Spain tapas begin before lunch around noon or one and continue until about five which is when some places stop serving tapas until later. After about seven in the evening most places are open and serving tapas again. This is probably the busiest time for tapas as people are getting off of work or out of class and are going out with friends or colleagues or their family to share some drinks and talk about the day right before dinner which, in Spain, is around nine or ten at night. Basically, when in Spain it is important to familiarize yourself with the local tapas places and their open hours because it will be a large part of your stay.

Another important time to know in Spain is Siesta time! Siesta is a few hours in the afternoon when people take time to relax or maybe take a nap. Unless you have class or work it doesn’t matter what time you choose to take your Siesta nap, however, if you are planning to grab food or go to the store you have to schedule some of those activities around Siesta time because many stores and some restaurants close down for a couple of hours during the afternoon. So, when in Spain schedule nap time and plan activities like hikes or walks in the afternoon to avoid trying to go somewhere that is closed during siesta.

 

Lastly, there is what I call Spanish time. It’s just like Island time. People who live in warmer climates like the Caribbean or Spain tend to move a little slower and have a relaxed state of mind. This is absolutely true about Granada. If Granada had an official phrase it would be either “Tranquila” or “No pasa nada”(both basically mean no worries). In addition to constantly telling people to chill the people of Granada are late to everything. My professors are all constantly five minutes late to class. When people plan to meet up they usually end up meeting ten or twenty minutes after they had planned. Essentially, if you ever go to Spain do not expect anyone to be on time.

 

Spain in my opinion is all about going with the flow. Time spent relaxing and without worry seems to be the preferred mindset of the Granadan people. What I learned from this is to not waste my time worrying and to just go with the flow of life, however do be aware that it’s ok to be a little late as it is part of the culture, but don’t miss class, flights, or events because you’re feeling like lying in bed a bit longer. If you go to Spain, enjoy the relaxation but don’t miss out.

Flying Solo: On Traveling Alone

May 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Emily Neuharth

Location: Cambridge, Enlgand

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Taken in Genoa, Italy

During my semester in Cambridge, I have been very fortunate to travel beyond Cambridge and even the UK. Most of these trips have been with at least one other cohort member and which has had lots of benefits: multiplied memories, always having someone to be your photographer, splitting costs, etc. And some of my favorite trips ended up being to the places that my fellow cohort members really wanted to go to; the spontaneity and lack of expectations has always added to the fun.

On the other hand, a lesson that we have collectively learned is that it can be really hard to travel with a group. In addition to everyone having different hopes and wish lists for what they want to accomplish or see on a trip, it is just a fact that everything will take longer when in a group— from getting from point A to point B, to deciding on where you want to eat dinner.

Personally, I think those challenges often will outweigh the costs, and that learning how to communicate, compromise, and give each other the benefit of the doubt are just as important to take-away from a trip than any souvenir. That being said, another lesson I have definitely gained while abroad has been in finding enjoyment and fulfillment in solitude.

One of our first independent trips outside of England to Edinburgh, Scotland (taken on the street that inspired J.K. Rowling’s “Diagon Alley”).

And even aside from the pros and cons of traveling with a group, sometimes because of our different bucket lists and class schedules most of us did travel alone at some point. I have grown up in a culture in which “women traveling alone” has always been approached as either reckless, a last-resort, or incredibly brave. Still, I felt ready, and I didn’t think it was fair for my gender to hold me back.

I had hopes for a solo trip through France, but it didn’t work out mostly because I was running low on time and money, and that’s okay. I did end up traveling on my own a few times when on trips with fellow cohort members and our paths split up. During Spring Break, I left Liz and Jasmine at Florence, Italy and went by myself to Marseilles, France where I met up with Nolan for a few days. He then went on to Spain and I traveled back to London.

Nolan and I in Marseilles, France

Then right before I came back to the States, Jasmine, Liz, and I took a trip to Spain to celebrate completing our semester abroad. We were together from London to Ibiza, to Valencia. Liz and Jasmine went ahead of me to Madrid and then London. I followed the same path but spent a little more time in Valencia and Madrid. The second-half of that trip felt like the first time I really traveled alone; i.e. not just on my own when traveling from point A to point B but alone when exploring a new city.

I learned a lot about myself throughout the semester, and my time alone in Spain gave me the perfect mind-space to reflect on my time abroad. Additionally, it felt really good to prove to myself that I could do it on my own. Below are some tips for anyone else making plans to fly solo.

Madrid, Spain

Do Your Research

There are a lot of helpful websites that can give you an overview of how safe a city or country is, especially for women, foreigners, at night, when traveling alone etc. Look up reviews of hostels beforehand and try to figure out anything you can about their public transport before you get there. Even if you can’t find out that much, or if it’s nothing different than what you’d see in person, it can be really helpful for your peace of mind.

Another thing I learned is that traveling alone can end up being more expensive than traveling with others, so be sure to factor that in to your budget. For example, you can’t buy food or drink in bulk and split the cost, and there were a couple times where I had to pay for an Uber when it wasn’t safe for me to walk alone in the dark but would have been okay if I had been with others.

Alone ≠ Isolated

“Alone” does not have to mean “lonely.” Try to find fulfillment and enjoyment in being alone. Use it as a time to reflect, and as an opportunity to feel proud of yourself! Acknowledge that traveling alone is no easy feat, and that it takes a lot of courage, independence, and confidence.

Additionally, traveling alone does not even mean you have to be alone! Throughout the semester we always met solo travelers in our hostels and sometimes they’d join us for dinner or even on the rest of our journey (which was a really common thing for young travelers to do in Europe).

I went on my own to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy where I got to see one of my all time favorite painting (Birth of Venus by Botticelli).

You can also make plans to go to places where you either can meet other people or where you won’t feel as noticeable if you’re on your own. I really loved going to museums and open markets for these reasons.

Be Smart

If you can, solo travel in countries where you can speak the language (at least some basics). Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way when in Spain but thankfully there were a lot of very kind people who were willing to struggle with me and use a lot of gestures. I highly recommend downloading an offline translator app and Duo Lingo.

If you do not get an International phone plan for the semester and plan on just using Wi-Fi (which is what I did), it will be totally fine. BUT, if I had known I was going to be traveling alone or if I had done any more of it I definitely would have made sure to get phone service. Especially in a country where you don’t speak the native language very well, it makes it 100% more difficult to not be able to use Google translate or maps.

Also, make sure you always keep others updated on your plans for the day and where you’ll be (e.g. your cohort, your mom, etc.). You can also use Find My Friends and share your itineraries etc., and especially if you don’t have phone service where you wouldn’t potentially be able to call someone for help if you didn’t have Wi-Fi.

Treat Yourself

I truly think the key to successful solo traveling is “treat yourself”!! It helped me feel less lonely and self-conscious about being on my own, and helped me feel proud of my accomplishments. Another perk of traveling alone is you don’t have to find restaurants and plans that make everybody in the group happy— just do whatever makes you happy!

Enjoying a ham, Camembert, and tomato crepe with horchata in Valencia, Spain while journaling and people watching.

I love wandering slowly and taking a very long time when exploring artsy neighborhoods, art museums, and bookstores. I hate feeling rushed, but I hate even more making the people I’m with wait on me (even if they’re super nice about it and really don’t mind). So when I traveled alone Florence and Madrid I savored taking my time in museums, and it made me appreciate the art so much more and feel refreshed.

Welcome to My World!

May 14, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Emily Neuharth

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

My mom, my sister Eva, and I posing in front of one of the countless old doors which my family consistently wanted to stop and take a picture in front of.

During the month of March, I was very lucky to have some of my family and friends visit me where I got to show them around my little world of Cambridge. My friends Hayley, Sarah, and Alexis were in London during Spring Break because of Valpo’s “The London Stage” course, Maddie came over France where she has been studying abroad this semester, and my parents and younger sister Eva came for a long weekend during her spring break.

Maddie, Hayley, and I near the City Center of Cambridge

The following are some of the place that either had become important to me over the past two months, and/or was something that had always made me think of them.

Castle Mound

This is a little hill where an Ancient Roman watchtower once stood, you can see most of Cambridge from the top (but only when it’s not overcast). I am not really sure when or how, but Castle Mound has become one of Cambridge’s most important places to me. If I have time, I always try to walk up it and look around for a bit whenever I pass by (which is pretty often because it is in between the City Center and the Valpo Dorm).

Punting

Punting on the river Cam is the most quintessentially “Cambridge” thing there is! The Cam runs through the city (get it?? Cam-bridge?) and the Punt guides point out many of the famous colleges which surround it.

My dad and Eva punting on the Cam

The Market Place

There is a wonderful open-air market every day in the City Center with many stalls full of food (so much food), vintage clothes, records, souvenirs, bikes, books, you name it! Cambridge’s famous Crepe Cart is also near the Market, and I definitely took everybody there.

The Pickerel Inn

This is a pub I walk by almost daily and one of it’s claims to fame is that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien used to hang out there (it’s very near Magdalene College).

The Pickerel Inn

Cream Tea at Arundel House

The “stereotype” of British people and their tea, is really not that much of a stereotype— it’s a fact. I took my friends and family to Arundel House for Cream Tea which is where Dr. Brough took our cohort at the beginning of the semester. Cream Tea is the classic British tea served with a variety of finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and fresh jam.

Pinkies up!

Some of the Cambridge Colleges

“Cambridge University” is actually made up of 31 separate colleges—there’s no main building or campus—which each have their own history, coat of arms, extensive list of impressive alumna, and buildings, libraries, courtyards, chapels, residence halls, etc. The students at Cambridge University take a lot of pride in which college they belong to (sometimes almost to the point of elitism and rivalry), but it is a rich source of community, camaraderie, and tradition.

We visited into Magdalene College which is where C.S. Lewis used to teach, and I really love wandering into their small Chapel dedicated to Mary. And I made sure to bring Hayley and Maddie into the Christ College courtyard since we all met through Valpo’s CC (even though ours is technically based off of the Christ College in Oxford).

We visited Trinity College’s Wren Library, which has an unfathomable amount of history and artifacts. Some of the highlights were original, hand-written lecture notes and journals of Sir Isaac Newton and Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the first published anthologies of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, and an original draft of Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, both went to Trinity College).

King’s College Chapel

Hayley and Maddie inside King’s Chapel

I walk through King’s College courtyard at least twice a week on the way back from my lectures, and its beauty never fails to give me a few goose bumps; it was really special to experience those kinds of moments with my family and friends because they can never truly be communicated via a Face-Time call or text message.

My mom and Eva outside of King’s Chapel (Unfortunately, when I first took my family to King’s they were not open for visitors because they were rehearsing for an upcoming choir concert but we ended up going to the concert later that evening so it all worked out wonderfully!)

Warner Brother’s Harry Potter Studio Tour in London

Way back in December, once Hayley, Sarah, and I had all solidified our plans to travel abroad this semester, we bought tickets to go to the Warner Brother’s Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. A couple months later, our dreams came true. There is no other way to describe the experience but magical.

Hayley and I, or Hagrid and Ron?? You tell me.

The opportunity to bring the people I care about so much into this new part of my life was incredibly affirming to my process of settling into Cambridge. Watching my friends and family experience England, allowed me to reflect on how quickly I had become so used to the things that had once amazed me as well. It was a good reminder to not take anything for granted, but it also felt good to realize that familiarity had become present too.

Expectations vs Realities

May 14, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Garrett Gilmartin

Location: Granada, Spain

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Studying abroad is no doubt one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences I have had the pleasure of living out, however, I feel that some people, including myself, go abroad expecting pure magic and no hardship which just is not realistic. I one hundred percent encourage everyone who has the means to study abroad, but I just want to clear some things up so that students have the right expectations and can therefore get the most of the experience.

The first expectation I had going abroad was that the people would likely be closed off to tourists/foreigners. I think I had this preconception because I have seen so many “cold” interactions in the U.S. between citizens and foreigners, meaning the U.S. citizens were the ones who didn’t stop to help with directions or care to share a conversation. Now I do not believe all U.S. citizens are not willing to help, this is just a little of what I have noticed. The reality, here in Granada, is that most people, from Spain or other European countries, would gladly help with directions or start up a conversation. One of my favorite cafes is a small place across from my school where any time of the day I could sit down and have someone to talk to in english or spanish. It could be the cashier or it could be customers, people here are just so warm and welcoming. Obviously, this was a pleasant surprise and I was glad that my expectation was disproven.

Another expectation I had arriving in Granada was that my program group would be my best friends and that we would all hang out and travel together. Unfortunately, I was wrong about this one too. Don’t get me wrong, I hold nothing against anyone in my program group. The reality is that not everyone was in love with the idea of all of us sticking together all of the time. Some people were occasionally left out of activities and travel plans. This isn’t something to get down about if it happens because personally I used the disconnect within my group to grow and explore individually. I ended up meeting a guy from England who came to Granada to take a few classes in spanish and explore the South of Spain. That is just what we did. I ended up going on hikes, walks through Granada, and talking about some interesting worldly topics with my new friend that I likely would have never experienced without trying to meet people outside of my program and school.

I was also able to grow personally by improving my spanish and my understanding of the culture here thanks to my host family. Before arriving I did not know what to expect of my host family. I had heard about great experiences but I had also heard of some horror stories. I’ve learned that it is luck of the draw. I was lucky enough to be placed with a caring excited family who are always happy to talk, take me out for food, and even bring me to their small town home in the mountains. Many others in my program say they too feel lucky whether they just have a host mother, which seems to be the norm, or they have both parents and a sibling like me. Not everyone had such luck this time though. There was a member of my program who was living with a host mom who would insult them on the phone with her friends and feed them as little food as possible. No worries, my group member ended up talking to our lovely director who helped transfer them immediately into a new placement. I gave examples of really great families and a really bad one but the lesson is that host families can be amazing, terrible, or in between so it is important to be open to new experiences and to try to get along to start. If things seem to be getting worse there are always people to help.

I could go on forever about the infinite expectations that one could have going abroad but I think overall there is a universal lesson here. It’s important to have realistic expectations when planning to go abroad, however, it is ok to dream a little because some of those experiences will be that pure magic I mentioned.

Osaka: My Favorite City in the World

May 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Kate Mitchell

Location: Osaka, Japan

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Despite being from Chicago, I’ve never been a city person. I prefer quieter, suburban areas with less people, more nature and less noise. But once I came to Japan and visited Osaka, I quickly discovered it was the perfect city for me. Even though Osaka is a huge city, it never feels overcrowded or too busy. There are tons of little parks where anyone can stop to take a break and eat ice cream (something I’ve done probably too many times). The parks are especially beautiful during the cherry blossom season. There’s a wide variety of restaurants and shops, so it’s easy to spend the day out and about. Name brands are really popular here in Japan, so if you have expensive tastes, tracking down Apple, Gucci and other luxury goods is easy. But if you’re a college student like me and prefer something more within your budget, there’s plenty of family run restaurants serving traditional Osakan food like takoyaki or okonomiyaki along with small shops selling whatever you want to buy.

However, to me, the most important and defining quality of Osaka is the people’s kindness. Throughout Japan, Osaka is known for being a warm and friendly city contrasted with Tokyo who is normally colder and more formal. I can say this is definitely true having visited both cities. Osakans always seem willing to help out and answer my questions (which I am eternally grateful for being a clumsy study abroad student who still struggles to read a map). On multiple occasions, I’ve had Osakans come up to me to ask questions about where I come from, what do I like about Japan and more simply because they were curious. The Osakan students at Kansai Gaidai University are the same way. So many students have come to talk to me to practice their English and help me with my Japanese. There were even Osakan or other Kansai students who came into my Japanese class to help us all practice our Japanese.

I think one of my favorite parts of Osaka is its dialect, Kansai-ben. Most of the Kansai area speaks with this dialect, but it’s well-known for being associated with Osaka. Like English, Japanese has dialects. If I had to compare Kansai-ben to a dialect in English, it’s something like a southern accent. There’s lots of colloquial terms that replace the more common words used in standard Japanese. Verbs are formed slightly differently with Kansai-ben too, so understanding it can be difficult especially since they don’t teach it in Japanese classes. Thankfully, my Japanese professor here taught us some Kansai-ben, so we can try it out with our Osakan friends. The dialect reflects the more friendly nature of Osaka and I think I prefer it to the standard Tokyo dialect even if I don’t quite have Kansai-ben mastered yet.

I highly recommend visiting Osaka! Most people only see Kyoto and Tokyo during there trips to Japan, but you’d be missing out if you don’t take the trip to Osaka!

The British Education System

May 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Author: Emily Neuharth

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Westfield House

The academia of Cambridge was certainly one of the factors that drew me to its study abroad program, and as a lover of language, I knew that England would have much to offer. Valpo’s Cambridge program is unique in that we actually can take courses from up to five different colleges! I have been challenged by the British education system in ways that my prior academic experience has never been able to.

Essentially, the only grade I got for three out of my four courses relied solely upon a final paper. Fortunately, as a Creative Writing and Humanities student, this structure was fairly similar to classes I have taken at Valpo, but it was entirely foreign to some of my fellow Cohort members. That being said, I did not fully realize until now how structured my studies at Valpo really have been, and how much those smaller assignments throughout the semester can really take some of the pressure off of the final paper or exam.

Demi and I at the Jane Austen Center in Bath, England on one of our (many) 
British Life and Culture trips.

The best and worst aspect of my courses this semester has been the lack of structure. As someone who works best when under pressure, it would be an understatement to say that my procrastination has always been my downfall. While the lack of professor-enforced drafts and mini-deadlines meant a lot less busy work on my part, the tradeoff was my needing to manage my time well— which was honestly one of the most difficult parts of my semester abroad.

But on the other hand, there were many pros to this academic system. In addition to forcing me to grow in the time management area of my life, it also made it possible for me to travel mainland Europe, explore Cambridge deeper, and invest more time and energy into the new relationships I have formed while here. Furthermore, this lack of structure also gave me a great deal of freedom to choose the topics which I would research and write about for my final papers.

Nolan snapped this photo when we were working on our final British Life and Culture
papers at a favorite coffee shop (Benet’s) across from King’s Chapel.

Below are the courses that I took this semester, and the theses of my final papers to give a general idea of what I learned and wrote about.

Sociology: Modern Societies (Lectures at Cambridge University, Supervisions through Westfield House)

Thesis: Shaping gender and sexuality to be perceived as heteronormative is silent systemic oppression which has been (and still is) implemented to ensure that traditional forms of power remain uncontested; thus, deconstructing these concepts until they are separate, flexible entities can be the first step towards a mission for awareness, resistance, and liberation.

Liz and I pausing to enjoy the Spring sun on our regular 30 minute walk back from our
Sociology lecture at Mill Hall.

British Life and Culture (Valparaiso University)

Thesis: Both Ludwig Wittgenstein and Virginia Woolf were obsessed with language and its contradictions. It is the philosophical experience of exploring the incomprehensible that inspired the prolific and profound words of both Wittgenstein and Woolf, despite—or perhaps even because of—those indiscernible areas where logical language falls short.

New Testament Epistles (Cambridge Theological Federation)

Thesis: The Apostle Paul saw the Old Testament’s role in the Early Church as a foundation for Christian community, but he did not believe it to be the foundation  for salvation. In relation to today’s Church, Paul’s perspective of the Law ought  to remind Christian leaders to continually make certain that their teachings are in line with Jesus’ gospel (i.e., to bring salvation to all people), rather than in line with the Covenant (i.e., to bring salvation to select people).

Nolan casually reading a book before our Theo lecture at Ridley Hall.

British Science Fiction (Westfield House)

This was the only course that did not have a final paper but instead an in-class short essay exam as the main (pretty much only) grade. Unsurprisingly, we studied a lot of novels in this course. With only four students in the class we all collectively read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and then each proceeded to read four different novels that we would then present on to the class. I really, genuinely enjoyed almost all of the books I read: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and The Power by Naomi Alderman (the last two being my favorite by far, and which I highly recommend!).

Jasmine, Demi, Nolan, and I posing in our House Robes in front of Westfield House
before class and weekly House Chapel and Tea (Taken on our first day of British
Science Fiction!).

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