OH MY GOSH WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK.

Enjoying our first day in Venice

Honestly, this break was absolutely incredible! We started off with a long but easy trip to Gatwick with plenty of time to kill before our flight. Soon enough we were landed in Venice, walking to our Air BnB. The next morning we set off into the city with a list of things we wanted to do but with only one main objective: to explore & get lost. From the moment we crossed over the main bridge I was in love. I loved everything about Venice. Mostly I loved that instead of roads there was water. the way the light reflected off the buildings and water was so incredible I was in heaven. We wandered around the streets, following the crowds sometimes then veering off the main roads, heading into little shops and boutiques. Eventually we stumbled upon Saint Mark’s Square, one of the places on our list we knew we needed to visit. I thought it was so incredible that one moment we were just walking around, admiring the city, then the next we were in this huge plaza filled with restaurants and music and people. It also helped that we had a whole entire week of beyond gorgeous weather. I found the whole day to be so relaxing yet extremely productive. We were able to see so much of the city without any real plan or idea where we were going.

Burano, Italy

The next day we headed out to the water taxi station where we got on a boat for Burano, a small island about 30 minutes from Venice. It was just as perfect as Venice but in a completely different way. It was so colorful with so many small shops and restaurants I loved that it was so quaint and peaceful even though it was somewhat touristy. We spent the day eating delicious pizza and finding the perfect souvenirs for our friends. It was so beautiful on the boat ride back because we got to watch the sunset as we rode into Venice. We only spent about 2 ½ days in Venice but it was a perfect amount of time to get to know a lot of the city by just wandering and exploring on our own. It was a perfect start to the break, and made me fall in love with Italy.

Myself, Niki Day, and Izzy Gonzalez in Rome

Then we headed by train to Rome, which was more incredible than I ever could’ve imagined. In all honesty, I was very nervous for Rome. All my experiences in the bigger cities involve a lot more stress than in cities like Venice that are smaller and easier to navigate. However, that was not the case in Rome. After about 5 minutes of being there, I was absolutely in love. We spent our first night relaxing and watching movies after unpacking then started out early the next morning. Our first stop was Palatine Hill, which is part of the huge complex that also includes the Colosseum and the Roman forum. From the moment we started walking around I loved it so much, all through out the city you can still imagine everything that has happened in the centuries before. I loved being able to see out into the city, it was a perfect view of the skyline. After getting lunch we headed to the Colusseum, which was just unreal. It was incredible I still can’t even believe I’ve been there. That’s how I felt about the whole city, was that everything was so historical and beautiful it was so cool how it’s such a modern city with this amazing history behind it.

View of Rome from the top of Palatine Hill

I climbed a mountain… A FREAKING MOUNTAIN! What the heck?! Never in my life did I think I would hike through the mountains in the Lake District! It was absolutely incredible, I’m still in shock that it actually happened. That’s something I really like about our class trips is that we get to see different parts of England that I never thought would be in the UK.

The day of the hike started out with the large paved hill, at which point I already thought I was going to die. How was I supposed to hike a mountain if going up a paved road was too much to handle?  Luckily it got easier and we were soon walking through fields that were leading us to the mountains. I love these kinds of days because everyone goes at their own pace but we also are looking out for one another. I loved being able to look up and down the trail, whether I was with people or not and being able to see where everyone was. I also loved that everyone decided to take the harder route. I think it says a lot about how far our group has come and how much we’ve grown this semester. I think if we would’ve done this in the beginning there would be more hesitation, or negativity but even at the hardest points we all kept our heads up and enjoyed the view.

As the trail carried on, I was taking in all the sights around me, while also pushing myself physically. I had never hiked 9 miles up and down mountains but there I was doing it. There were so many times I would just stop, look out and realize how absolutely spectacular it was to see all the way around the Lake District. The physically pushing myself was another factor that made it all the more rewarding. My legs ached as I trudged up each hill but I tried to push a little further each time and take less breaks to see how much my body could handle. It was both exhausting and exhilarating to be pushing myself harder but of course during every break it was insanely rewarding.

I’ve come to find that I love the trips that are least touristy. Of course, seeing London and Barcelona were incredible, and soon Rome will be amazing. But being able to be in the countryside and the quieter cities allows me to see more of the culture and the everyday life in England. Of course walking up to the hostel with our huge backpacks, was kind of a give away that we were Americans but when we were out on the hike, none of that mattered. We were just all people, following the trail, enjoying the amazing life put in front of us. Its days like this that I’ll cherish in a different way than my days as a tourist. When I think about my favorite days so far, I know I’ll never forget going up in the London eye, or riding around on a Segway in Barcelona but they’re so different from my experiences wandering around Ambleside or riding bikes in Valencia. And that’s what I’m coming to love about traveling, that each different place holds something completely different but equally important. I have loved every place I’ve went in vastly different ways but there are certain places that I know will always have my heart. Those places will be my ultimate favorites and I can definitely say that the Lake District is one of them. Getting to the top and just looking out for miles and miles was a site I will never forget not only because it was something so beautiful but because of what it took to make it up there. I did it all on my own, of course with some encouragement from my friends. But it was something that I accomplished without help from any bus or Segway or anything else. I will never forget the pride I felt when I finally reached the top.

Over the summer we had decided we wanted to go to the Florence and the Machine concert in London. We had looked into tickets for the show and even train tickets before buying them to make sure we would be able to get back to Cambridge on a Tuesday night. And so last night after Ely cathedral, we set off on our journey to Alexandra Palace. Since I don’t have a data plan I looked up all the directions the night before, printed them out and was prepared to get us there in one piece.

From our train from Ely to Cambridge, we had to make a connection for a train towards King’s Cross. After we got to our stop at Finsbury Park, we then got on another train for Alexandra Palace, our last stop. I was shocked and surprised when we actually made it with no issues! It was amazing! We got off the train at Alexandra Palace with the rest of the train, all heading to the concert, and walked up to the venue, which sat on top of a hill overlooking all of London. It was spectacular. Tiph and I couldn’t believe we were actually in London, seeing Florence, all by ourselves.

As we wandered around after getting food we wandered into a large hall with all different food carts and a large fake lawn for everyone to sit around and eat. It looked like a giant carnival (without the rides) but it was incredible! Since it was already 7:00, we were shocked at how everyone was so chill. Why weren’t people already packed in so tightly, getting as close as they could to the main stage? It was so much more relaxing. Again to our surprise, the opening act didn’t come out until about 7:45, finishing up at 8:30. At this point, I was getting a bit antsy. When was Florence going to come on? Would we be able to make it back to our train?

At 9:00 Florence came on and all my worries went away. The show was phenomenal. I don’t even have the words to explain how amazing it was. By 10:45 the show was coming to an end and while I wish it wouldn’t have ended, Tiph and I went into traveling mode. We found our way onto an earlier train, extremely happy to be getting home faster than we had anticipated. Again we had started on the right track, figuring out our next moves, determined not to get lost. But as fate would have it, of course getting home wouldn’t be that simple. After getting off at Finsbury Park, we discovered that the trains to Hitchin and Cambridge stopped at 10:30 and we had to get on a bus to get to Cambridge. We wandered outside, looking for a bus or any workers to help us but for some reason, it seemed that every employee of the station had already gone home. At this point the nerves started setting in. We found ourselves getting back on a train to King’s Cross to find a way back to Cambridge. There, panic still very much present, we found some workers who we hoped would tell us there was still a way to get back home. They told us to get back on a train to Hitchin, where we will find the bus to get us to Cambridge. Reluctantly, Tiph and I obeyed, found our way to the train, convinced we would be sleeping in the Hitchin train station. Luckily we ended up on a bus to Cambridge and by 2:00 am, we were finally back home.

Last night I learned a lot. I learned, like I do every weekend, that traveling will never go 100% smoothly no matter how well you plan and that’s okay. In fact, it makes for an even better story. I also learned how lucky I am to be here. Sure, traveling is expensive and stressful. But last night I got to see Florence and the Machine, in London, her hometown, in one of the most beautiful arena’s I’ve ever been in. I’m not going to lie, I have a lot to do before I leave for Spain on Thursday but taking time out to enjoy where I am is what’s important. Spending the day at a beautiful place like Ely, then the night in one of the greatest cities in the world, is unbelievable and I need to remember that while I’m here it’s important to make new adventures and experiences that are all my own, not just going along with what everyone else is doing.

-Emily

Well, as we all know, I’m staying up until 4:00 am to watch the Cubs game tonight, so I might as well be getting some work done. Growing up in Chicago, being a Cubs fan is just about as much of my identity as being a white female. So I’m going to take some time to write about what being a Cubs fan has taught me.

My family & I at Wrigley Field, April 2014

First and Foremost, being a Cubs fan has taught me that defeat is inevitable. Losing is a part of life and an important one at that. No one likes to lose, but it takes a true fan to stick with a team after 100+ years of seemingly hopeless baseball. Everyone knows that life is filled with ups and downs and I’ve come to realize that your strength is not about how many more ups you have than downs but how you handle the downs when they occur. Of course, you’ll be disappointed, like I said no one likes to lose. However, with defeat there comes room for hope. And that is one of the many ways that strength can be tested, by how hopeful someone is despite all outs. Season after season, we sit at Wrigley, hoping for our prayers to be answered, hoping for a chance to show what a true fan looks like. This insane hope, is most definitely a trait I possess. Where others would be beaten down by the struggles of daily life, I have learned to find energy and motivation to look to the future. In travel, much like in the friendly confines, you must carry on with this strange understanding that anything can happen. People will think your crazy, for putting up with the stress and defeat of trying to get around a city where no one speaks your language. You don’t know what will happen, some days will be good, and some days will be horrible. However to keep going, you must think of the good days, and more importantly the better days yet to come.

In Chicago, for the most part you have 2 types of people, Cubs fans and Sox Fans (all under one umbrella, Blackhawks fans). I know plenty of Sox fans, and they’re great people, don’t get me wrong. However there’s a world of difference from walking through the friendly confines vs. walking into the Cell. At the Cell, you came to watch baseball, and you came to watch the Sox win. You want fireworks and hype, that’s what makes it a good game. At Wrigley, that’s most certainly not the case. You go for the game, but just as much you go for the people and the atmosphere. There’s something homey about settling into your seats at Wrigley, wanting the Cubbies to win, but knowing that even if they don’t it’s still going to be a wonderful day. And this is where I learned the importance of community. When this view of strong and understanding community is applied to travel and my time abroad I think how it is living in a house with 8 others who I wouldn’t be living with in any other circumstance. The ability to make a house a home, lies in many ways, in the attitude of those living there. There are people who came here, for the wins, for the fireworks and the hype. Then there are those who came for the real experience of studying and living in another country. It’s unrealistic to say that everyday will be perfect and why would you want it that way? If everything was perfect all the time, we would have no sense of overcoming barriers. The bonds that are created at Wrigley over both wins and lose are what make up the friendly confines. You don’t need everyday to be sunny; you just have to hope there’s someone at the game who will share their umbrella with you.

I’ll admit, I’m usually a band wagoner. In 2013, I watched maybe 3 games of the Stanley Cup, bought a T shirt and went to the Blackhawks parade simply because my friends were going. However, with the Cubs its different, they’re the only team I’ve followed and loved all my life. Throughout this season, the cubs have taught me how to be proud without being arrogant. It’s something that is difficult in this day and age. How at 20 years old, can I talk about myself and my accomplishments without bragging? It’s a question I ask myself, nearly everyday as I’m relaying my daily adventures to my friends back home. I want to convey the stresses of traveling and planning when all they (understandably) hear is the fact that I get to spend a week in Spain. The Cubs are proud to be where they are today, we know we’re the underdogs; we’ve never denied that fact. And maybe that’s why everyone else is so proud too, because they all know how the Cubs have struggled. But just people others from back home don’t always understand what I could be going through here doesn’t mean I can’t be proud of the victories I’m accomplishing. There’s a certain pride that comes with leaving Cambridge and ending up hours later in Barcelona at the hostel, no matter how many times you didn’t think it would happen. That pride is something that has helped me a lot this semester. Whenever it feels like too much, or like I can’t do it, I think about the hope I’ve learned from the cubbies, or the community I have backing me up every step of the way and I find the strength within myself to carry on because I know that the risk will be worth the reward.

In all of the craziness of packing and planning this past summer, I found myself getting more and more stressed about the semester to come. Then we got an email about Open Cambridge, at weekend completely devoted to experiencing and learning about Cambridge. Since this city would become my home, I was so excited. I started planning every event that I wanted to go to. Planning my events for Open Cambridge was something that became a kind of solace for me. It was relaxing and fun but also productive since I was able to at least check one thing off my list. As the weekend approached I was happy to see more of Cambridge and to have a break after a busy weekend in London.

Newnham College of Cambridge University

I really enjoyed the weekend but it was for different reasons than I originally thought. The event I was most excited for was a talk at Newnham College about Women’s history and literary heritage. Coming from a sorority whose open motto is “Inspiring the highest type of womanhood” and main philanthropy is an organization that works to instill confidence in your girls, I was SO excited for this talk. I wasn’t sure if it would be a lecture or a discussion but I was eager to find out how women had worked their way through history in Cambridge. I did end up learning a lot, however it was much more focused on a tour of the campus itself with some history about how the college came to be. The campus was beautiful and the buildings were absolutely gorgeous but just wasn’t the talk I was expecting. Even though it was a bit of a let down, we did get to know more of Cambridge just by walking out there and seeing a part of town we don’t usually venture out to.

On a brighter note, there were 2 events that stood out to me above others and I absolutely loved. The first was the session of Squash that we played at the Sports Center in West Cambridge. That was another event where it was quite a trek to get there. Being the navigator and the broke college student, I figured we’d be better off walking there rather than taking a cab that would actually know where the sports center was. Having screenshot different pages of Google maps, we seemed to be on the right track, but it was taking much longer than expected. We managed to only get lost once, finding ourselves wandering through a large field but soon got back on the right road. Finally we arrived and learned how to play squash and racquetball. Although we were horrible and we didn’t keep score, it was a blast! Of all the things I’ve done in Cambridge it’s been one of the most enjoyable because it’s something that is much more unique to this culture. Being able to tell my friends that I spent the afternoon playing squash was something so simple yet an adventure all on its own. I also loved being able to be a part of Bridge the Gap. Walking around the city and campuses without being talked at was a break that I needed. I love exploring this city and seeing all the history it has but it was refreshing to take my time and see the campuses on my own.

Although this weekend wasn’t quite what I expected, I think it was exactly what I needed. I needed to have time to explore Cambridge, I needed to take a break from the craziness of the last 3 weeks and most importantly, I needed to know that while things don’t always go as you would expect, that’s part of traveling. Open Cambridge wasn’t what I expected but I still had a wonderful weekend and had great experiences.

-Emily

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here for nearly a month! In all honesty I’ve been putting off writing this first blog post because I’ve been so amazed by my experience here in Cambridge I haven’t known how to put it into words. But today I’m going to try my hardest to describe how fantastic this experience has been already.

The 9 of us arrived in Cambridge on August 27^th, ready to start our semester-long adventure in the UK. The first few weeks were filled with guided tours and orientation sessions to get us familiar with the area. While some tours seemed longer than others, I can say that the tours combined with our own time to explore was the perfect way to find our way around the city during the first few days.

In addition to life in Cambridge, the program through Valparaiso University, provides us a few class trips throughout the semester. Our first trip was a weekend spent in London. We spent our days, seeing all the main sites of London including The Tower of London, West Minster Abbey, The House of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and a play at Shakepseare’s Globe Theatre. We also got the chance to take a boat tour down the Thames to the markets of Greenwich. It was an incredible but exhausting weekend filled with minor obstacles. I feel like this weekend trip was essential to have in the first few weeks of arriving because we were able to test our travel endurance. We got to run from train to train in the underground, checking to see which one is the right one to take. Because of this amazing weekend, no matter how draining it was, I got an idea of what London is really like. I know there is so much more to London than what we originally saw, but now I feel confident enough to go into the city and get my way around the Underground.

Since that first trip to London, our group has began planning our future weekend breaks, making sure we have back up plans for any of our travels. It’s been a semester of ups and downs, dealing with the stresses of travel and homesickness. However in the past month I can say that all of the ups have made all the downs worth it. Cambridge has already became a 2nd home for everyone in our cohort and I can’t wait to see what else the semester has to bring!

-Emily