Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Category: England (page 1 of 26)

Joshua’s December in Cambridge

Hello, hello!

My semester abroad is over! It’s bittersweet – I enjoyed the time abroad so much and am sad to leave Cambridge and be done with my travels around England, but I’m so glad to be home with my family, my car, and my violin and dulcimer!

My spellcheck is back to American English, so if you winced every time I wrote something like organise or offence last time, have no fear!

On 25 November, my roommate Kurt and I made a trip to Oxford. Everyone in England knows that Oxford and Cambridge are supposed to hate each other, but I’m afraid to say that (while Cambridge is, of course, better, because I have to say so) Oxford was a very nice town.

While in Oxford, we saw the castle and prison (the latter of which was in use for around a thousand years, until 1996), wandered around to see the colleges, and went to the choral advent service at Keble College, which I think is the most beautiful college I’ve seen in either Oxford or Cambridge.

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The next weekend was my last trip of the semester – Edinburgh, Scotland. This was another group trip, with nearly every member of the college. Everyone else went up by bus on Friday morning, but I had a class that day, so I had to go solo by train. And what a train ride it was! Thanks to a series of delays (crossed electrical lines causing 2.5 hours of delay, and a staff shortage and union overtime restrictions and strikes causing my train to stop early and never continue to my destination), I ended up getting to Edinburgh at around three in the morning (instead of around 8:30 that night) and had to go by taxi for the last couple hours of the trip. Thankfully, I found three people who also needed to get to Edinburgh, so we all got a taxi together and one of them volunteered to pay for the whole thing to simplify the refund process from the train company – fantastic for me!

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The time in Edinburgh was amazing. We started the next morning with a hike up to Arthur’s Seat (a random mountain in the middle of the city), had an excellent walking tour of the old city (mainly the Royal Mile, which is the straight road from the castle to the palace and contains nearly all of the most important sites in the old part of the city), toured the Palace of Holyroodhouse (a still-active palace where the British monarch still occasionally resides), and had proper fish & chips with a special fish-and-chips sauce that we heard one can only find in Scotland. Finally, we visited the Edinburgh winter market and saw the Scott Memorial, a massive Gothic memorial which wasn’t open to go inside when we were there, but which was very impressive from the outside, nonetheless. The days were even shorter in Scotland than down in Cambridge, so it got dark around 3:30pm and I haven’t many photos from most of the evenings.

 

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The next day, we started the day by going to the Sunday morning service at the Edinburgh Cathedral, which was also attended by the Scottish parliament and some royalty, which is kind of cool. We also visited the castle, but didn’t go in because it was sold out and we didn’t have tickets in advance. It was very neat from the outside, nonetheless! After that, I went to the National Museum of Scotland, which was a huge museum with centuries (or millennia, really) of history. Unfortunately, I only had 1.5 hours there before I had to leave. Thankfully, I was with everyone else for the return trip, on the bus.

It was strange knowing this was the last time I’d be getting back to Cambridge from elsewhere in the UK the voyage home was only two weekends away, and I would be very busy until then with final papers!

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The next couple of weeks still managed to keep me busy. Being so close to Christmas, there were more church services and meals I helped with; the college had a final Christmas dinner and little celebration of the semester completed, and, of course, I couldn’t possibly end a semester without at least a couple sleepless nights while working on final papers I should have started on much earlier.

On Friday night, several of us went on a walk around Cambridge for the last time. One of my friends ended up dropping her phone in the River Cam, so I dug around in the silt for some amount of time before everyone agreed we wouldn’t ever find it. I guess that means I can check off “spent twenty minutes freezing my arm in the Cam” from the list! (The Cam is also really polluted, so I made sure to go back and shower right away so I wouldn’t contract some weird disease.)

At 2:30 on Saturday morning, I bid Westfield House farewell for the last time and made the journey downtown to the bus stop, where Simeon Klepac, Kurt, and I departed from to Heathrow. About a 2-hour bus ride, 9-hour flight, and 3-hour drive later, I was home!

Just like that, it’s over! The entire experience was absolutely incredible, from the first few days in Paris through the final hours in England; from the weekend excursions to the weekdays spent researching and writing papers; from the walks to classes across Cambridge to the train rides through the rest of the country (even the ones that made my hair a bit more grey). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a semester abroad to any college student – whether in England, where I had such a brilliant time, or any other country.

Thank you all for reading these! Hopefully it’s been a good depiction of my time abroad, and hopefully I’ll help inspire some other past, current, or future students to travel as well!

~Joshua A. Klabunde.

Joshua’s October & November in Cambridge

Hello, hello!

When October was over and November began, it was time for another month’s update on my travels. I stayed rather busy for most of November, though, so this is more of an October and November summary. If you didn’t read the last one or don’t remember, I’m studying at Westfield House in Cambridge and travelling as much as I possibly can for the time I have here.

I’ve been here long enough to change my spellcheck to British English, so enjoy words like artefact and organise 😉

On 15 October, I had my most relaxing trip, one organised by Westfield House – so I didn’t have to worry about sorting my own transportation or anything! This was a day trip from Cambridge to Stonehenge and Bath, both of which have incredible histories.

After leaving Cambridge by tour bus at around 07:45, we got to Stonehenge around 11:15. Stonehenge, of course, is a monument with the current stones set up around 2500BC, but with pits and some archaeological finds dating back much further. It was fascinating hearing about the ideas as to why the monument exists, what it was for, and more; everything about it, of course, being speculation based on what archaeologists and historians can piece together from the many artefacts found. We spent a couple of hours at Stonehenge before leaving for Bath. (No, I didn’t just look at big rocks for two hours – there’s also a museum.)

Bath is a beautiful city named and known mainly for being the site of some of the most well-preserved original Roman public baths in the world, though it’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean there’s a particularly large amount of original Roman structure left. The city is also fascinating for its design (much of the city being designed and planned by a single architect) and more recent history, including famous residents and frequenters such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

After a few hours at Bath, we took the bus back to Cambridge and got back to Westfield House around 22:00.

Photo by: CY-BY-SA

The following weekend was another trip organised of the students, by the students, for the students (see, I’ve not turned completely British) – Canterbury and Dover. On Friday the 20th, I got out of class in the afternoon and completed the hurried trip back to the dorm to pack before rushing to city centre to the train station for the three-hour ride to Canterbury.

The Canterbury trip consisted of myself, Simeon Klepac (a Valpo friend), Moira (a Valpo friend who is actually studying in Ireland this semester but came over to join us for the weekend), and six other students from Westfield House. After dropping our bags off at our hostel in Canterbury, we had dinner at an excellent little restaurant in town. I realise you’ve never seen photos of the other people I’m studying with, so here’s that particular group of us:

(Clockwise, starting at the person with the camera: Moira, Camille, Jillian, Joshua, Jackson, Gracie, Ellie, Bekki, Simeon)
Photo by: CY-BY-SA

After a good night’s sleep at the hostel, we took a bus the next morning out to Dover, a town directly on the English Channel and known for its chalk cliffs. We visited the water first thing so we could all touch the English Channel (because you can’t visit a coastal city and not touch the water), then did a nice hike along the top of the cliffs before climbing down a steep switchback trail to the bottom of the cliffs. The weather was downright awful, blowing rain at us pretty much horizontally and making just keeping our eyes open quite the challenge! At the bottom of the cliff face, though, the wind and rain were less and I was able to get some good photos of the cliffs. After hanging out at the bottom of the cliffs for a while, we made the arduous journey back to the top and hiked back along the very wet footpath (again in driving rain) into the city of Dover. After getting a quick lunch at a café in town, we split up – some people stayed in town to browse the shops, and the more interesting of us went to the Dover Castle, an awesome castle at which we spent as much time as possible before we had to head back to city centre for the bus back to Canterbury, from where some people would pick up their bags from the hostel (they had stored them in lockers for the day) and we would depart back to Cambridge.

The lockers ended up being a rather fun story! Apparently, Simeon (who had been tasked with stuffing all the bags possible into one locker) did too good a job packing the locker tight, and it wouldn’t open again. The attendant at the front desk of the hostel tried for a long time to get it open, but to no avail. After quite some time waiting, we got excellent news: the hostel manager had approved the use of such tools as a hammer or crow bar to open the locker. Several of my friends rushed down to the locker room to watch as Simeon broke into the locker, and from upstairs the rest of us heard a “pop” and loud cheering. Our bags were back!

Presumably the locker was broken, but hopefully they’ll be able to get it repaired and it won’t be too much of a problem.

Photo by: CY-BY-SA

That Tuesday night, I found myself with an unexpected conundrum: I had no plans for Wednesday. Now, this is fairly standard for me here – I don’t have Wednesday classes most weeks, but everyone else does, so there aren’t trips being planned and I end up doing things like laundry and cleaning that day. That week, though, I wanted to get out on Wednesday. So, I booked a train for early the next morning and charged my camera battery: it was time to visit Ely.

Ely is the next notable town North of Cambridge. It’s about 15 minutes away by train (not counting the 45-minute walk to the train station from Westfield House), which makes it a perfect place to visit on a random Wednesday. But why visit a town roughly the same size as Logansport? (No offence to Logansport, of course.)

First, it’s important to know that Cambridge has no cathedral – rather, it has college chapels (many) and churches (also many). Chapels such as those of the colleges of Cambridge, though, can’t just stand alone. They have to be headed by a cathedral. Somehow, the cathedral that oversees the entire Cambridgeshire region (similar to a county in the US) is in the tiny town of Ely, thanks to history I won’t get into, dating back to the 600s AD. It’s very fascinating! Anyway, the cathedral at Ely is one of the best cathedrals in England, including a very unique octagonal tower (built because the original square tower collapsed in 1322). I made it to the cathedral for the 7:30 morning prayer service, walked around town a bit, and then returned to the cathedral and stayed until after 15:00, admiring the building and learning about its history and the history of the region. After spending nearly eight hours there, I decided Ely was my favourite cathedral of England.

Photo by: CY-BY-SA

The next day was Thursday, and I once again didn’t have any classes, which made it a perfect day to go see a Shakespeare play (Macbeth) at the Globe in London with some friends. Obviously, we’d booked tickets quite a long time in advance, but the weather turned out perfectly – it was supposed to rain, but it held off the entire time we were in London. This was good, because the Globe has no roof over most of the area, and we had yard tickets – that is, we were standing (for the entire duration of the play) right by the stage – a very cool experience!

The next weekend was lighter, with just a short trip to London for a concert for my World Music class. The weekend after that, though, included some of the best hiking England has given us yet! On Friday, 3 November, I once again rushed back from classes to pack and get to the train station for a train to Windermere, in England’s Lake District.

Some background on trains in England. When travelling from Cambridge to London, the trains are pretty much perfectly reliable. Usually, one can get tickets for a train directly from Cambridge to King’s Cross in London, unless track maintenance is being done, in which case part of the trip might be by bus (but the extra cost is covered by the train companies). When travelling North, though, things can be different. There are fewer rail lines and fewer trains (meaning fewer times per day), so it’s nearly always necessary to change trains at least a couple of times. When booking tickets online, the website figures that all out for you, so you don’t have to figure out time tables on your own. For this trip, we had a train down to London’s Euston station, then one to Lancaster, another to Oxenholme, and a final one to Windermere. The problem with changes like these is that, if one train is late, you risk missing the next one.

Well, while we were happily on the train between Euston and Lancaster, there was an announcement that the train would be terminating at Preston instead of continuing to our stop due to someone being hit by a train earlier that day. We had to wait for the next train to Lancaster, which made us miss the next trains. Thankfully, ours hadn’t been the last trains of the day, so we were able to get on later trains and make it to Windermere – later than expected, but still the same day! Train trouble wasn’t over, though. Hold that thought.

On Saturday, we took a bus out to Keswick, and then from there to a hike along the Cat’s Bells peaks. This was the best hike of England, I think. The weather was pretty good, the views were incredible, and it even had some sections where we were basically bouldering our way up the rocky slopes.

After a nearly 5 hour hike, we took a bus back to Keswick, where Simeon and I went to the Derwent Pencil Museum. Keswick is the site of the world’s first-discovered graphite deposit (and remains one of only two known similarly large deposits of pure graphite), and thus is also the location of the invention of the graphite pencil. Naturally, we had to visit. Turns out, pencils have a rather interesting history! The Derwent pencil factory (where the museum was) also has very interesting history, especially around WWII, when the British government had them make some special pencils for spies going to enemy regions. These ingenious No. 2 pencils had a graphite tip on one end to make them seem like a normal pencil, but inside they contained a map and a tiny compass. Fascinating!

That evening, we went and visited Castlerigg, a stone circle similar to Stonehenge, but older – around 4500 years old, and showing its age. After watching the sunset from there, we returned to Ambleside where our hostel was.

Sunday, we started by heading out to Wray Castle, which is cool because it’s a castle. Only the first floor was open, and very empty, but it was still very neat! After travelling back to Windermere, we visited the Jetty Museum, which included lots of historical boats from the one owned by Beatrix Potter (writer of Peter Rabbit) around 1890 to Trimite, which set world records for its class in 1983 by going 144mph. (Yes, Britain uses MPH. They also use meters, feet, inches, litres, gallons, and Celsius. They kinda just mix and match imperial and metric units whenever they feel like it.)

Finally, it was time to return to Cambridge. This time, we were supposed to have a slightly slower journey, but it would have fewer changes – a fair trade. We made it from Windermere to Oxenholme, and were supposed to go from there to Birmingham to catch a train directly to Cambridge. However, once again, the train had a disruption. We had to get off early, at Stafford, because our train was going to circle around Birmingham due to (once again) someone being hit on the rails. We had to wait quite a while to catch the next train to Birmingham, and we knew time was running out – the train we needed to catch from Birmingham would be the last one, and we would only have two minutes to change trains. Even when running at full speed through the station, two minutes is not very much, so we missed the train. We had to take the last train to London instead, and even from there, there was no way we would make it to Cambridge before around 5 in the morning. So, Simeon got us an Uber from London, and we made it back to Westfield House at around 1 in the morning – not terrible! That was certainly not the most fun evening, but we made it. (I’m still working on getting a refund for the train tickets I didn’t use, so hopefully that’ll help cover the cost of the Uber we had to take.) (Edit: I ended up fighting the train company, Avanti West Coast, over email for a full eight and a half months before finally getting my refund in June 2024 – first as a cheque I couldn’t deposit in the US, but finally as a direct bank transfer.)

It was a lovely weekend trip other than the travel troubles, though, and was the first place I got to see fall colours this year!

Photo by: CY-BY-SA

Life and Travel in Cambridge

My name’s Simeon Klepac, and I’m studying abroad at the Valpo Study Center in Cambridge, England! Here are some of the adventures I’ve had so far during my time abroad.

LIFE IN CAMBRIDGE:

Here I am in the King’s College Chapel, one of the largest buildings constructed without steel in all Europe!

With plenty of amazing architecture all throughout the city, Cambridge is truly a beautiful place to live and study.  I’ve loved immersing myself in the history of the city and working with the excellent professors! One of my favorite parts of study abroad in Cambridge is weekly tea-time, where the students and faculty of the Valpo Study Center come together for fellowship, snacks, and delicious tea!

TRAVELING IN THE UK:

There are also many other awesome destinations in the UK, and with the national rail system they’re pretty easy to reach.

A group of Valpo students went with a tour guide to see the towering pillars of Stonehenge. They’re way bigger in person! I loved learning all about the history of ancient peoples in the area and marveling at how this epic monument was constructed.

Here I stand beside an old Roman fort at Hadrian’s Wall, nearly 2000 years old!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL:

Studying abroad is a great opportunity to see even more countries than the one in which you study, and with the international rail system, getting back and forth is cheap and easy.

Here I am at Neuschwanstein Castle, the fairytale masterpiece of the Dream King, Ludwig II of Bavaria.

Here I am at the Eifel Tower in Paris. After the sunset, I climbed all the way up to the second level and took in the view of Paris in night time. The Tower glows with light from the floodlamps, and once every hour, they have a lightshow running up and down the whole structure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When in Rome!

Name: Mikayla Flanagan

Program: Valpo Study Center in Cambridge, England

Location: Rome, Italy

Mikayla in front of the Trevi Fountain

My name is Mikayla Flanagan and I studied in Cambridge, England this past Spring. I am a sociology major with a criminology concentration as well as a political science minor. I will be a senior this fall and am planning on graduating next Spring! I have always wanted to study abroad since I was in high school and when I heard of this opportunity, I took it immediately. This would be my chance to see Europe for the first time and this would be the only time I would be a student in a different country with this type of opportunity. All of the trips I have been on have meant so much to me and it is difficult to just choose one. One of my favorite places I visited was Rome, Italy.

Pasta that Mikayla made in Rome.

I have always wanted to go to Rome, and I was able to go during my final days in Europe. It was such a surreal moment walking around the city of Rome because everywhere you turn there is a piece of history waiting to be seen. There are fountains, churches, ruins, and pieces of buildings that have seen so much history. The streets themselves are a piece of history when thinking about all of the people who have walked down them. I took a pasta-making class because what better place in the world to learn how to make pasta than Italy! 

 

When visiting Rome, I was able to see the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum. The Vatican Museums showed so many beautiful pieces of art, and seeing with my own eyes Michaelangelo’s Last Judgment and Creation of Adam was something I will remember forever. Since you are not allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, I ingrained those pieces of art into my memory. The Colosseum was unreal since it has such a rich history. Walking around the ruins where emperors and citizens alike watched gladiators fight was something I never thought I would get to experience. Being in a place where history is so rich and has been preserved for so many years was incredible.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

Studying abroad has been one of the best choices I have made. I have learned so much about myself as well as the world around me. There is so much to see, and it is at our fingertips! It is an experience of a lifetime no matter where you go. The sights you see and the cultures you learn first-hand are something that cannot be matched. Studying abroad is such a unique experience, and I recommend it to whoever is able to do it!

London Stage: Spring Break Trip

Name: Carolyn Dilbeck

Location: London 

My friends and I

Hello! I’m Carolyn , a class of 2026 Communications major! I first heard about the London Stage spring break trip, from a friend of mine, and I knew it was an opportunity I needed to take advantage of. I have long had a passion for theatre, musical theatre in particular, and participated in many productions with my high school as well as CYT (Christian Youth Theatre). In fact, the friend who had mentioned it to me had been in several CYT shows with me, and also had the opportunity to go on this trip, which was so special, and definitely a full-circle moment for me. London had also been a travel destination on my bucket list for years, so I knew I could not pass up the chance to study one of my favorite subjects in the world in a place I had been wanting to visit for so long!

I was initially a bit intimidated, however, because I didn’t know anyone else going besides my friend, and had never been to Europe before, or out of the country with my family, for that matter. However, Professor Lee Orchard, who was leading the trip and had done it many times, was very knowledgeable about the itinerary, which immediately helped put me at ease.  He had learned from his experiences with other groups and was able to tell us everything we needed to know beforehand, which made the process of preparing for the trip much easier and less stressful, for which I am very grateful. Additionally, all of us who attended the trip got to know one another fairly quickly and became a close-knit group by the end of it. Although we all came from different backgrounds and studied different subjects in school, we shared a passion for theatre and an enthusiasm for learning, which was really cool.

I have to say it may have been one of the most exhausting but exhilarating two weeks of my life! In London, we usually had class in the morning, where we discussed the show we were going to see that day. We were split into pairs, with each pair having to give a presentation on one of the shows. We saw ten of them during our time there! They ranged from adaptations of Greek tragedies to comedies like The Play That Goes Wrong, and everything in between! They were all of very good quality, but each was definitely a unique experience and gave us a lot to talk about in our discussions of the shows. Time was also built in to see many of the major historical and cultural sites as well, such as Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, and the National Gallery of Art.

 

Big Ben

Additionally, we had 4 days free for independent exploration in smaller groups, during which we could choose what we wanted to see. For example, I had the opportunity to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London, as well as to meet up with other Valpo students studying abroad in Cambridge! As much as we got to see, though, there were also many other things I wish I would have, so I would love to make it back someday. Overall, it was an incredible experience that I would recommend to those who are passionate about theatre, or the rich culture and history of London!

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Name: Emily Gustin

Location: Cambridge, England

It has been over six weeks since I was recalled from studying abroad in Cambridge, and I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my experience. Leaving to live in a country that I had never been to was very difficult, but it doesn’t compare to how I felt when I had to come back to the US. Adjusting to change has never been a strong suit of mine, and this has been one of the biggest transitions of my life. Oddly enough, my whole study abroad experience has prepared me for something like this, and I’m doing my best to focus on being adaptable and calm in a situation that I cannot control.

I know that many are experiencing grief at this time about all kinds of things. Friends and family are missed; plans, trips, and graduations are cancelled. Some deal with financial instability, job loss, or even the illness itself. This virus has changed almost all aspects of life and everyone has been affected by it in some way. I never expected to come home to such a halted society, which has been one of the hardest things that I have had to cope with since I have returned. Slowly, I have found a new “normal” and have learned to accept my current situation. As cliché as it sounds, I really do believe that everything happens for a reason, and sometimes things have to fall apart to make way for new things.

As for now, I try my best to focus on the positives. Slowly but surely, I am finishing up my schoolwork for the end of the term, which will be over in just a few weeks. As the weather improves, I am spending more time outside and going on walks. I am video chatting with my Cambridge cohort every week, as well as my friends from Valpo. I am learning to be gentle with myself each day and doing my best, which is all I can really ask from myself.

I cherish my memories of Cambridge and everywhere else that I was able to travel to– I am so grateful to have had the opportunity. I met new people and learned so much about myself and about cultures that are different from my own. I know that someday, when all is well, I will return to England, as well as the rest of Europe, to see more of the world. For now, I pray for healing and look forward to when we can all be together again.

To all the students who read this blog: if you’re considering studying abroad, you should do it. Everyone who comes back always says that “it changes your life.” It does, but maybe not in the way you think it will. Not every day is going to be the best day of your life. Just like home, you’re going to have good days and bad days. It turns out that you have to study while studying abroad, too, and it can be hard to balance while experiencing so many new things at once. But you learn so much from this, and you come back home a little bit different than before. The best part of my study abroad experience has been this growth that I have realized within myself, and I want to encourage everyone who has the slightest curiosity about going abroad to go. It’s worth it.

 

Studying, Traveling, and Everything in Between

Author: Emily Gustin

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Since my last post, I have been busy with schoolwork as well as traveling to new places near and far away. Other than my three classes at Westfield House (next to the Valpo dorm), I have two classes at a university called Anglia Ruskin. Currently, I am preparing to write essays for the end of term, one for each class– history of digital media and youth culture and media. The essays are worth 100% of my grade, which seems a little intimidating. At British universities, you are expected to prepare yourself for the lectures and seminars by doing the assigned readings and participating in class. However, your final grade is typically determined by a paper or presentation at the end of term. It took me a little while to get used to this system, but I think I like it– I enjoy the fact that there is more reading than homework that you have to turn in.

Five of us in the Valpo dorm don’t have class on Tuesdays, and we decided that we should make the most of that time. Throughout the month of February, we took two trips during the beginning of the week: one to Cork, Ireland, and the other to Prague, Czech Republic. We left on Monday nights and returned on Wednesday mornings for both trips. I have to admit, at times it felt like we could be on The Amazing Race— we were always rushing to catch a plane or a train or to get to class on Wednesday morning (we all made it). But it was definitely worth it for the amazing experiences I had!

Colorful houses in Cobh

In Cork, we explored the city and took a bus to a coastal town called Cobh (pronounced “cove”). Cobh had colorful buildings, fun cafes, and a gorgeous cathedral on the water. We didn’t have very much of an itinerary– we just enjoyed walking around and appreciating the view. We experienced snow, rain, and sunshine in the short time that we were in Ireland, and we all joked that we were all in Valparaiso (or “Val-pour-rain-snow”). Back in Cork, we went to some shops and an art museum, as well as a donut shop. Overall, I really loved our time in Cork and Cobh, and I would really like to visit Ireland again.

St. Colman’s Cathedral

Prague was another adventure, completely different than Ireland. The city was more fast-paced, filled with people, shops, and restaurants. I completely fell in love with the city and its architecture. Because Prague was never bombed from the war, many of the original buildings still remain, and they are stunning. We saw the Astronomical Clock, crossed the famous Charles Bridge and climbed up a hill (Petrinske Sady) to get an amazing view from above. We also went to Prague Castle and saw the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral. For dinner, I ate beef goulash, which is a common dish in Czech Republic and other central European countries. All of us also tried trdelnik, a dessert that we had seen advertised all over the city in almost every cafe. It’s ice cream in a cone, but the cone is a churro-like substance. I had strawberries and chocolate on mine, and it was delicious!

Old Town Square in Prague

I can’t believe that I am halfway through the semester– It feels as though I arrived in Cambridge yesterday. I have been so blessed to have this opportunity and can’t wait to see what comes next!

: Eva, me, Andrew, Gina, and Peyton

I couldn’t get enough of this view!

Restricted Travel

Author: Julia Riordan

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

In light of the recently discovered virus, named Coronavirus, much of my travel has been restricted to the U.K.  We were additionally told that if the virus becomes progressively more prevalent in England, we risk being sent home. Obviously receiving this news was nerve-wracking and frustrating, yet, it has encouraged me to reflect positively on my time here.

a market I frequent in
Cambridge

I consistently find that when we are forced to enter a new chapter of our life, the process of leaving reminds us of our appreciation for the experience as a whole. Before arriving in Cambridge, the process of saying goodbye to friends, and reckoning with the idea that I would not be on Valpo’s campus for many months reminded me of my appreciation for my life as a Valpo student. In the midst of a busy semester, it is difficult to appreciate your experience as a student, and to reflect on the ways that your friends have positively impacted your life. Nonetheless, often times when we enter a new chapter of our lives, we are reminded of what our past experiences have done for us.

my favorite walkway in Cambridge

Similarly, after receiving countless updates about the severity of coronavirus, and its potential impact on my study abroad experience, I envisioned myself leaving behind the quaint, cobblestone streets of Cambridge, and returning to the States mid-winter. This prospect was scary and frustrating, but I felt an appreciation for Cambridge and this experience as a whole, that I had not foreseen. In fact, my semester abroad has been busy, and I have traveled throughout Europe in an attempt to see the world. But I have failed to take a moment to appreciate how at home I feel in Cambridge, and how much I have grown as a result of this experience.

the beautifully sunny and green colors of Cambridge

After weeks of living in Cambridge, I have certain cafes which I frequent nearly every day, favorite bakeries, and even certain walkways which I find so much beauty in. I have grown to love Cambridge even more than I believed possible, and the prospect of leaving so soon has encouraged me to reflect on my time here. The truth is, I have been so busy jetting around Europe, completing homework assignments and running to class, I have entirely neglected to reflect on my time here. I have finally settled in to my life here in Cambridge, and I believe I am a more independent, adventurous student as a result. Yet, this experience has been far more meaningful than I have realized. As a result of studying abroad, I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I feel much more relaxed here, and I have found time throughout my day to cook for myself, or enjoy a walk throughout town. In fact, I have discovered how to adopt a  more relaxed lifestyle since arriving in England, and I’m not sure I’m ready to give that up yet.

Chelsea Bun from my favorite cafe in Cambridge

It is not definite that we will be sent home before the end of our program. We are at the mercy of this virus, and are collectively hoping it does not continue to spread at such a fast rate. However, this experience has helped me to slow down, and reflect on my time as a study abroad student. In some ways, I am grateful to have been shown how much this experience has impacted me. I am grateful that I have realized my full appreciation for my study abroad program. In the meantime, I intend to further enjoy Cambridge, and enjoy every day that I get to study here.

A fun afternoon punting!

Making a New Home

Author: Emily Gustin

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

After a few weeks, I feel I am finally settled into life in Cambridge. It was not the easiest journey to get to this point, but I am glad for the struggle– it has let me grow in ways that I never would have otherwise.

Culture shock is a strange experience and difficult to describe because it affects everyone in different ways. For me, I was finding it hard to talk to the people in my classes. In British universities, students choose a course of study and take modules (classes) in that subject with mostly the same people throughout their degree (unlike liberal arts schools in the US, where students take classes in different subjects). So, when I showed up to my first class, I was definitely the odd person out– everyone had already been taking classes together since the start of their first year, and they were already a tight-knit group. I felt self-conscious and concerned that I might not make any friends, since I was an outsider. It took a couple weeks, but some of my classmates have opened up and I feel comfortable having conversations with them– I just had to be patient and give them and myself some time to adjust.

Moving away from my family and friends has also been difficult for me, but I have found such comfort in talking to my cohort– we are all in the same situation, and I am so thankful to have them as a support system. Because of them, I know that I am never alone.

When I walk through the streets of the city, I feel like I am a part of it, fully immersed into a new way of life that did not seem possible a month ago. Getting to know the city has been one of my favorite parts of living here, but I also wanted to explore places outside of England. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Milan, Italy, for my first trip outside of the UK. I went with two others in the Cambridge group, Grace and Katie. Traveling is a wonderful thing, but we learned that you have to be prepared to be patient. It’s a lot of work just to get where you want to go, including many forms of transportation (train, bus, plane, metro, and others). After arriving in Milan, we had to figure out the metro system (in Italian, which none of us could read) to get to our hostel. Thanks to Google Maps, we were able to find the correct route to take.

We had two full days in Milan. The Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) is a beautiful, massive building in the heart of the city, and it’s hard to miss. It took over six hundred years to build and is the 5th largest church in the world. We were lucky enough to go to an organ vespers service, so we even got to go inside for free. All of the readings were Italian! We spent much of our time in Italy enjoying the art and architecture of Milan. The three of us went to Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) and Castello Sforzesco (Sforzesco Castle), which had amazing collections of Italian art, as well as art from around the world (including Michelangelo’s last sculpture and Mategna’s Lamentation of Christ, which are both very famous).  We also got to see Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie, which was an amazing experience; I couldn’t believe that I was seeing such a piece of art history.

Grace, me, and Katie in front of Duomo di Milano

Tagliatelle bolognese—one of the several pasta dishes I enjoyed in Italy

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, located in Santa Maria delle Grazie

Katie, Grace, and I did not have a shortage of Italian food; we had either pasta or pizza for every single meal while we were there, and I have no complaints. My favorite meal was homemade rigatoni with tomato sauce and burrata cheese on top, complete with custard pie for dessert– it was all so delicious. We also had gelato several times, which did not disappoint.

I had appreciation for these yellow apartments that we saw while walking the streets of Milan

When we started the journey back to England, I think we all felt a little different, but in all the best ways. We had seen some of the most iconic architecture and art pieces in Italian history, eaten some amazing food, and mastered public transportation in another language. Though we were tired, I felt a sense of accomplishment. As the three of us headed for the airport once again, I watched the sun come up over the mountains and I felt a moment of stillness. It was such a beautiful view, and I was so thankful to have experienced it.

Our last glimpse of the cathedral

After taking a taxi, a bus, a plane, and a train, we made it back to Cambridge safe and sound. I think we all agreed that it felt a little bit like coming home.

Settling In

Author: Julia Riordan

Location: Cambridge, England

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

I was surprised by how difficult it was for me to initially settle into my new (temporary) life in Cambridge. Everything was unfamiliar. I did not understand the behavioral or conversational customs. Certain things about life in Cambridge, which I never thought I would notice, created discomfort. For example, Cambridge is an incredibly old town. The sidewalks are surprisingly narrow and the storefronts and businesses inhabit old, quaint buildings. When inside these buildings, the hallways and seating areas are extremely small. I never assumed that these small differences in culture would create noticeable discomfort. But, initially these cultural differences caused me to feel like an outsider. I certainly felt like I stuck out. Regardless, I am starting to settle into my life here and appreciate aspects of their culture which was once unfamiliar. 

This walkway although beautiful, is incredibly narrow!

I would advise any student to anticipate culture shock, regardless of their previous travel experience. I could definitely not anticipate the amount of cultural differences that I would take notice of. Additionally, the actual experience of living in a town with stark cultural differences is very different from thinking about these differences within the comfort of one’s own culture. Unfortunately, it is not until I arrived in Cambridge, that I began to think more about these cultural differences and how I could make myself comfortable here. A paradox arises then. One should anticipate cultural differences, but cannot truly understand the effect of these differences until arriving in the country. 

A museum in Cambridge with beautiful architecture

I have always had an appreciation for the architecture of a city. I absolutely love that architecture can reflect the culture of the city but can also differ so greatly across countries or even towns themselves. Architecture can also reveal a lot about the history or the city. One can learn much more about the complexity of those living in Pompeii by studying the architecture and organization of their city. By studying the architecture of a city, I can appreciate its beauty but also understand more clearly the cultural and historical context with which the city was built. Luckily, Cambridge is a city rich in history and full of beautiful, colored buildings. Upon arriving to Cambridge, I would walk throughout the city focusing specifically on its architecture. I would research various buildings in Cambridge and seek information about how the city was built. I have found that by familiarizing myself with the culture of  Cambridge, I have felt more connected to the culture. I would suggest study abroad students to similarly find a way to connect to their country’s culture so that they can hopefully feel more comfortable.

While in Cambridge I have enjoyed trying all the different kinds of pastries

Most importantly, I urge all study abroad students to allow themselves to relax. As American students we are accustomed to running from class to various meetings. In our spare time we complete countless hours of homework. We seem to always maintain a certain level of stress. Although it is crucial for students to devote a generous portion of their time to their schoolwork, it is equally important to care for one’s mental health and general well-being. Moving to another country is stressful. But studying abroad is a unique experience which allows us to be students but also travelers. Without the time commitment of clubs and weekly meetings, I can be a student but also try cooking new recipes and explore the city more. Studying abroad has allowed me to explore my other identities besides my identity as a student. In doing so, I find myself investing more time into my studies but also into my own interests and passions.

A market I found while exploring Cambridge with many different kinds of food stands!

Ultimately, settling into a new country will be overwhelming and difficult. Yet, the discomfort of living in a new country is short lived when you can learn to appreciate the culture of the country you are living in. However, I am having fun exploring the city and pursuing my interests in the meantime. 

I found this cute bridge and tiny river while exploring the architecture of Cambridge

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