An interesting article about a student who visited Cape Town, South Africa and left with a different perspective.
Valpo Voyager
Student Stories from Around the World
Category: Uncategorized (page 3 of 7)
Author: Maria Clemens
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Studying abroad has been one of the greatest decisions I have made in my life. I loved the time I spent in Australia and it honestly broke my heart to leave. Although it was very exciting to get home and see family and friends, I made countless friendships and memories in Australia. These experiences I had abroad are ones that I cannot wait to share and want to use to inspire other Valpo students to do a semester abroad.
The first reason I think any applicable student should study abroad is because of the travel opportunities. I was able to pick a country to study in that I had never visited before and did not think I would have the opportunity visit. While I was in Newcastle, I was able to explore the city and try new kinds of foods and meet people who grew up in a different culture. My absolute favorite thing about Newcastle was that it was located on the coast and had beautiful views like the one below. Not only did I get to explore the city I lived in, but I also got to travel around the country. My orientation for CIS was in Cairns where we visited the rain forest and Great Barrier Reef. I also was located about 2 hours north of Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Another reason I highly recommend studying abroad is because of the types of people you can meet. I lived in a six-share apartment where I was able to get to know some local Australians very well. I also met other friends from all over the world in the international student organization. The friends I made here heightened my experience so much. By meeting and becoming close with people from the area, I was able to meet their families and spend time at their homes and local communities. Not only did I get to have family experiences, but my friends also showed me around the area and gave me tours of the city that I never could have gotten otherwise. The friendships I made abroad I learned loads from and I hold very close to my heart.
Lastly, I would recommend studying abroad to any student because of the independence and abilities I gained. Travelling to a new place and not having the friendships and support system that most students have at Valpo can be a massive challenge. At first this was difficult for me, but it drove me to meet more people and gain more friends and find more things to do. It got me out of my room and planning trips. I took everyday with a new enthusiasm and drive to new things since I knew my time was limited in Newcastle. I hope that any student who goes abroad has this kind of attitude. At the start of every week I planned out new things I wanted to try or see. In the beginning, these were solo trips since I did not know a lot of other students yet. I had to learn to navigate on my own and have fun without a lot of other people around me. This brought me new abilities and self confidence that I did not have before. Pretty soon, I had a friend or two to explore with and before I knew it, they had introduced me to more people and I had a whole group to discover Newcastle with.
It’s these kinds of experiences that I want more fellow Valpo students to have and learn from. I know that I am a better and brighter person because of my time abroad and I am excited to bring back this newfound attitude to my home. I am forever changed because of the friendships that I made by taking some time away from my lovely home university. I have new appreciation for my home campus but am beyond thankful for the opportunities I have had this past semester.
Author: Katherine Germann
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Before coming to Costa Rica, I was super excited to expand my horizons – to see more of the world that we live in. I had never been outside of the United States, and I knew that I would get to visit Costa Rica and Nicaragua during my study abroad experience, visiting not one but two new countries. However, I was also a little afraid to cross the borders and see more of the world. I thought that after seeing more of our planet, it would seem smaller, less grand, and more confining. After all, the more you explore a house or neighborhood, the less exciting and mysterious it is. Furthermore, I could have been disappointed with what I found. Perhaps the new places would not be as culturally shocking or thought provoking as I expected. Then I would be left with the notion that all parts of the world are quite similar, and there is nothing left to discover. However, getting to see more of the world has had the exact opposite effect on me: the world seems bigger and bigger. I am plagued with the frustration that I will not be able to cover all of Costa Rica before I leave this beautiful country.
This is not to say that I have encountered startlingly exotic features in every place that I have traveled. In fact, there are many similarities between beaches in Costa Rica and beaches in the U.S., mountains in Costa Rica and mountains in the U.S., etcetera. But the richness of my travel experience is apparent when I go to a new place, explore what is unique to that area, and appreciate the beauty and excitement that I discover there.
I felt the wave of awe and appreciation for how big the world is when I visited Guanacaste with a friend from the University of Costa Rica. At this point, I had already been to Longo Mai, a beautiful, rural, immigrant community, and to Cahuita, an exciting and culturally-rich Caribbean town on the Coast of Limón, with the Valpo cohort. These two places thrived with cultural differences in the way people lived, spoke, cooked, and interacted with each other. They also had different forms of natural beauty, one offering a biodiverse beach front and the other a river hidden in the woods. I enjoyed encountering the special beauty of each place, but I didn’t reflect on what this meant until I took a more personal trip to Guanacaste. I went for a morning walk on Brasilito beach, and as I walked up the beach I watched the people, who camped on the edge of the beach, and I tried to notice all the features of the coastline. I realized, a little disappointed, that I wouldn’t have nearly enough time to walk up the entire beach. And Brasilito isn’t even the “featured” beach in Guanacaste. Playa Conchal is far more popular. Yet in its simplicity it had a lot to offer.
That’s when I sat down with a question in my head: Is the world pretty much all the same, making it seem far smaller than I would hope? I realized that it is not small at all. Every place has something unique, something special, to offer. It hit me that there is no way that I can possibly cover every place that there is to visit in Costa Rica during my time here, and there is no way that I can cover the whole world in my entire lifetime. There will always be more to discover. What an exciting realization!
Ever since then I have traveled around Costa Rica as much as I can (and into Panama and Nicaragua). Gabbi, my most frequent travel partner, made a great point. She says that there are two attitudes when it comes to travel. You can either assume that one beach is just like any other beach, that one waterfall is just like any other waterfall, and that one city is just like any other city. Or you can realize that each one offers something different, new, and exciting. The world expands dramatically when you adopt an attitude of appreciation for every new place that you visit. As Gabbi really likes water, I would like to illustrate this point by highlighting some of the waterfalls that I have visited during my stay here.
We visited la Catarata (waterfall) de la Paz, Catarata La Fortuna, and Catarata Cangrejo. To get to Cangrejo, one needs to walk about 5 kilometers through Rincon de la Vieja National Park. The journey to the waterfall is just as beautiful as the waterfall itself. The pool is a popular place for people to swim, rest and have their lunch. La Fortuna is accessible only by walking down 500 steps (which then need to be climbed again when one returns). It is a much stronger waterfall, with a deeper pool. We could swim in the pool, and the waterfall created such a strong current that one could swim and swim towards the falls and never get very close to it. Finally, one could see the Catarata de la Paz right off the side of the road. La Paz means peace, but this was the largest and most powerful of the waterfalls. There were many people taking photos, but no one could swim in that pool. It was far to grand and dangerous. Even though every site was “just” another waterfall, each waterfall offered something new and special to a traveler.
The same type of thing happened for every beach, city, or park that we visited. All the beaches in Puerto Viejo were quite close together, however they were very different. One had black sand and calm waves, while another had brown sand and crazy, dangerous waves, and still others offered beautiful rock formations or wildlife. The moral of the story is: nothing is exactly the same. There is always something new to discover, you just have to adopt an open mind to see and appreciate everything. This goes for both the differences in land and the cultures of the people. I learned that when you have an open mind, all people and all land has something special to offer. There is no way I will ever be finished exploring the world that we live in!
Gabbi at the River in Longo Mai
Road in Longo Mai
Cahuita beach
Brasilito beach
This is me on Volcán Concepcion, which is on Omatepe Island in Nicaragua. This is not mentioned in the blog, but this is yet another amazing place that I got to visit. I hiked up this Volcano, and it was very different from other mountains that I have hiked in the past. There are differences in vegetation, soil, and views.
This is my father at the Catarata La Fortuna.
Author: Hannah Purkey
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
As college students, we generally intern at some business, hospital, school. I personally have had two internship experiences since coming to college. They are great opportunities to learn, grow, and truly see if you have an interest in a specific field. Although I experienced all of these things, nothing could have prepared me for my time interning in Costa Rica.
The amazing organization that I got to intern with is called Fundación Mujer (Womens Foundation). This organization itself works to contribute to the social and economic development of people in Costa Rica. They focus on working with refugees from other Central and South American countries. While interning at the foundation, I worked with a woman named Laura. She is in charge of running the education programming and development for the people wanting training. My main jobs were to assist in these education programs, help with the job fair logistics, and simply learn more about the company.
Women talking to different companies the Refugee Job Fair.
To better understand the need for this organization, I want to share a little bit about the story of immigration into Costa Rica. Immigrants make up over 10% of the population of people in Costa Rica. Since the 1960s this percentage has been continually growing. In the eyes of many Central and South Americans, Costa Rica is a secure place to be. Their economy is very stable and their government is kind to people seeking refuge. The highest number of people wanting to come into the country are from Nicaragua and Colombia. Because of the economic situation of Nicaragua, many people are coming to Costa Rica seeking work. It is in CR that they will find a lot of job availability within domestic work/agriculture, higher wages, universal health care, and higher education standards. It is important to note that Nicaragua is a good country too. People do not want to leave their home country; but sometimes it is needed. To add on, the immigration of Colombians to Costa Rica is mostly due to people seeking refugee from the long standing Colombia Civil War. Some of these Colombians are leaving their country so they can save their own lives. Learning about the amount of refugees that live in Costa Rica has allowed me to appreciate this organization even more.
My personal experience with Fundación Mujer has been educational, eye-opening, and hard. I have learned so much from working with immigrants. I’ve gotten to hear their stories, hopes, triumphs, struggles, and dreams. In this process, I’ve learned so much about the real situations of different countries. This experience has also been eye opening because Costa Rica has a very different view on immigrants. Fundación Mujer believes they can add amazing things to the communities of Costa Rica. They are raised up, supported, and loved by this organization (and other organizations as well.) I have never seen this kind of support system for these types of people. Because of that, my eyes have been open to the resources and support these people really need. On top of all of this, everything I did with this organization was in Spanish. Although I am confident in my Spanish language abilities. I am lost at least 30% of the time. Because of this, interning here was hard, but in a good way. It pushed my language abilities to a level I never knew I could reach. All in all, this internship experience taught me a lot about the life of immigrants and what they need to be successful in a new country.
Me at one of the job fairs.
Author: Emily Nelson
Location: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Japan is known for its courtesy. As a student living here, there are many examples of this. Every morning when I leave the dorms, several guards are stationed out front, greeting people as they enter and exit the premises. This is less for security than it is for giving directions, but nonetheless, the human interaction is still nice. When speaking to someone who you are serving or who is of higher rank than you, more polite language, called keigo, is used. And of course, bowing is very much still alive in Japanese social customs: The lower and longer you bow, the more respect you give. As someone who has now been living in Japan for a while, I would like to share my own experience with mannerisms here, as a (kind-of) Japanese person, if you will.
Most people here are very polite, as expected. There are few instances where I’ve come across anybody disrespectful. As a country that is arguably more collectivist than the United States, Japan values social relationships and harmony more. In the past, as someone who has been very fed up by rude people back home, coming here is almost like a breath of fresh air. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to question whether this is really better. Being respectful to others is a social expectation, and therefore most people follow it likely because they don’t intrinsically want to, but because they feel they have to. How many people are genuinely happy to be so agreeable all the time? While there are certainly people who are, others are may be acting. So are relationships really valued more in a collectivist culture, or are they simply the result of social conditioning? Maybe a mix of both? It seems that to gain social harmony, Japan has given up some genuineness in the process. It appears that each society chooses what it finds more important, genuineness in more individualist cultures or harmonious relationships in those emphasizing collectivism.
Seen at 7-Eleven. Japan really knows how to market to people.
I’ve alluded before to my appearance, or looking native enough to be addressed in Japanese. While I appreciate this, as it gives me the chance to practice speaking, it also sets off some minor alarm bells in my head, and not just because I don’t know how to say a lot of things. But why, you may ask? I had to ask myself the same. This is what I determined: Because I appear to be Japanese, it is expected that I adhere to the social rules and present like a citizen of this country, which holds more collectivist than individualist values. However, that’s not accurate of myself, as I’ve been removed from my country of origin for many years now, living in an area that encourages personal achievement more. This study abroad trip is the longest I’ve ever spent in Japan, and the first time on my own. As a result, I feel a constant social pressure to be more Japanese, and therefore more socially acceptable, even though my appearance does not match my experience. This was brought to my attention by a friend, who stated that I seemed too concerned about rules here. I think, however, that we’re all concerned about rules, it just depends on which type of culture we grow up in and our relations to them. Nonetheless, I do agree that I am overly concerned, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this!
Regardless of my opinion on these topics, I think that this is certainly a testament to the benefits of studying abroad. It certainly helps one understand their place in the world and how their home has shaped them. In a new place, one’s upbringing stands out clearly and invites more understanding to one’s identity as they adapt. I hope this helped you understand differences in perspective as much as it did for myself.
Cherry Blossoms!
Disclaimer: This writing is influenced by a work I am reading in psychology class called Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Hofstede, Hofstede and Minkov. The interpretations I present are in part due to me learning about individualism/collectivism in this book.
Author: Hannah Purkey
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
I have gotten a lot of questions about what a typical day in Costa Rica is like. Fair question right? After three months, one would think I could answer this question with ease. The truth is it differs every day. The structure of my semester has been very different than anything I have experienced in Valpo. Here’s a glimpse of what my day looks like!
Costa Rica Part One:
The first months of my time in Costa Rica were based more around a typical class schedule. My days went something like this:
6:00 A.M. – Wake up to the warm sun shining on my face and get ready
6:34 A.M. – Start riding my bike to the train stop (I had this down to a T)
6:43ish A.M. – Get on the train to go to the University of Costa Rica (transportation here runs on Tico time, that means the nonchalant attitude Costa Ricans (Tico’s) have about being (not) on time.)
8:00 A.M. – 1:00 PM Spanish Classes. We were in very small Spanish classes with people from all over the world!
A picture of everyone in my Spanish Grammar class!
1:00-3:00 P.M. – Eat lunch and go back to Santa Rosa (the neighborhood where the program is based)
3:00-5:00 P.M. – History of Costa Rica class or hangout with our host family time (depending on the day)
I always look forward to spending time with my host sisters!
5:00-9:00 P.M. – Homework, dinner, and more family time.
9:30 P.M. – Bedtime! I go to bed much earlier here than I did at Valpo!
This was more or less my weekly schedule before Spring break. The second awesome part about this study abroad program is you get to do an internship! The following is what my schedule has looked like since Spring Break.
Costa Rica Part Two:
7:00 A.M. – Wake up, get ready, and catch the train!
8:30 A.M. – Arrive at Fundacion Mujer (the place where I am interning.)
8:30-1:00 P.M. – Help out with data input, talk to refugees, assist in workshops, and more!
Kyra and I after our first day!
1:00 – 2:00 P.M. – Eat lunch with co-workers. This has been some of my favorite moments at my internship site so far! I love learning and hearing about people’s work and lives here!
2:00 – 4:00 P.M. – Head home or work more (depending on the day.)
4:00 – 9:00 P.M. – Spend time with my host family, dinner, homework, and more.
9:00ish P.M. – Bedtime once again!
Here’s a quick note about Tico Time: Costa Ricans run on a different kind of time system. Sometimes things take twice as long and sometimes they take no time at all. And it is all NO big deal. People do not worry much about time which makes mandated time grids (like above) hard to follow.
These are rough outlines of what my time has looked like here in Costa Rica. Everyday is very different, but each day is full of lots of learning and growing!
Author: Emily Nelson
Location: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Since arriving in Japan, I’ve made some exciting strides that are often achieved while studying abroad, including grasping the language, completing complex paperwork, solving unanticipated problems, and navigating social circles. However, what’s surprised me most is my ability to adapt to living on the opposite side of the planet. Granted, some of that was achieved prior to coming through numerous visits to family. I truly didn’t realize the magnitude of this move until a few people complimented me as brave. Actually, it puzzled me. I wrote it off as something miniscule, that I had simply planned on going to Japan for numerous years and it was destined to happen.
I perceived this sense of awe, and may I say respect without being too condescending, when discussing my athletic activities with others as well. I seem to have a reputation for being “cool” as a weightlifter and ballroom dancer(and nerd, although I think that’s a stretch!) At this point in my life, I’ve begun to realize just how courageous I’ve become. I do not like risks, and therefore I’ve always erred towards the conservative side. Yet over the past few years, I’ve branched out more and more: Socially, physically, etc. I discovered that my life is so much more colorful when learning to accept the possibility of loss. Studying abroad has helped me graciously lose and gratefully gain, from the best of friends and the hardest of days.
A shrine in Kyoto
We often become trapped in a web of routine, and studying abroad challenges this head-on. While I do have a schedule here, I often find myself getting lost or digressing, creating plenty of new adventures. Sometimes I wish I could say that I was even more intrepid, but I take this day by day and accept the person I am now while looking forward to the person I’m becoming. It is so important to accept the fact that changing yourself is okay, especially if you want to and with the right reasons. So for now, as I’m soaking in Japanese culture and understanding what my role is in a cultural context, I’m content with not having my life completely figured out.
Kyoto Tower
The last statement would have frightened me as a teenager. Actually, I am still 19, but that’s besides the point. As someone with most of their ducks in a row, I still prefer comfort and stability. As I’ve become older, however, I’ve let my experiences and individuals around me shape who I am, while still keeping my values in mind. I never understood why my mother always told me not to take things so personally, but now I believe I do. The world can crush you if you analyze it too much. Studying abroad is horribly stressful if one thinks they have to do everything perfectly, and it simply isn’t realistic. Your perception is the one thing that can be used to set yourself free. Mistakes are where the greatest learning occurs, and persistent work is propelling me in the right direction. I’m not exactly sure what direction that is, but for now, I will steer myself where my heart sees fit.
Photographer: Devin Powell
Location: Reutlingen, Germany
Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church): This is the main church of Reutlingen which is centered in the middle of the marketplace downtown. Here, Matthäus Alber spread the word of the reformer, Martin Luther, to the small town of Reutlingen during the early 1500s. Lutheranism now has a large religious presence in Reutlingen as well as the state of Baden-Württemberg, and a majority of Germany.
Tübingen Universität: The University of Tübingen is a mere 10 minute train ride from Reutlingen and is full of historical context. One thing to note in particular is that Tübingen was one of the few towns not completely destroyed during World War II, so most of the buildings are as old as they look! Only a small portion of the town was destroyed due to a bomb that was actually meant for Reutlingen. Other than that, there was no need to bomb the town due to the high number of students living there and no factories or production being exported from it.
Tübingen University is one of the oldest universities in Germany, established in 1477, and has remained one of Germany’s top universities throughout the years. Many of the studies include theology, philosophy, medicine, and law.
Berliner Dom: Our first trip consisted of traveling 8 hours via train to reach Berlin and further explore an area that was of great interest during war times. This “cathedral” was built in order for the Protestants to have something of equal stature to that of the Catholic Cathedrals often found throughout continental Europe. I use the term “cathedral” loosely because the Berliner Dom is not deemed a cathedral due to it being a place for the Protestant faith, not Catholic. However, the Germans often overstep this trivial difference and refer to it as a German cathedral.
Johann Georg Elser: However odd this may sound, Hitler often gave speeches in public pubs and/or bars in the evenings due to the presence of alcohol and being able to keep people in one place in order to listen to his speeches. One evening in particular, a man named Johann Georg Elser decided to kill Hitler and all of the top Nazi officials that had followed him to a particular bar in Berlin. He created a bomb and set it below the stage, but Hitler had taken the train into Berlin this night in particular due to the weather and had to leave early in order to make his train back. As is such, the bomb exploded minutes after Hitler and his officials had left killing 12 people instead of the men he was initially after.
East Side Gallery: A quick train ride to the east side of Berlin allowed us to explore the remnants of the Berlin Wall that were still standing. Here, 118 artists had decorated each paneling of the Wall with various images, each representing their own unique artistry. The Wall spans 1.3 km and officially became the world’s longest open-air gallery in 1990.
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp: This was single-handedly one of the most sobering and eye-opening experiences on this trip. Every step puts you into the shoes of those who found themselves prisoners of the Germans under Hitler’s rule. The heavy feeling that surrounded the camp made you stop and really take into account the fact that these atrocities actually happened and were no longer words on paper that you read for history class but rather a reality that caused the suffering of millions of people.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe/Holocaust Museum: Rows upon rows of either thin cement blocks or short concrete slabs lined up in front of you create an almost eerie scene of getting lost in a maze. There are 2,711 of these concrete slabs, each one attempting to capture the atrocity that swept through Europe. Architect Peter Eisenman and Buro Happold, an engineer, designed this field of cement in order to give those who were massacred a place to rest and be remembered.
Filmmuseum Potsdam: Fun fact number 1—most film industries in the US have used the set in Babelsberg to shoot very popular and successful movies such as: Valkyrie with Tom Cruise, V for Vendetta, and Captain America Civil War. So if you’d like to catch a sneak peek at someone famous perhaps walking down the street, make your way over to Babelsberg instead of Hollywood!
Author: Hannah Purkey
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
One of the best things about studying abroad is getting to interact with different cultures. I can’t think of a better way to do that than living with a host family. The thought of living with a host family can be overwhelming. You may not speak their language well, the food could be very different, and the cultural norms may be different than the United States. All of the above are true for me. Spanish is not my first language, the food is different than the food in the US, and I do not understand parts of their culture. Because of this, I had many questions about living with a host family. After living with my host family for four weeks, I can definitely say this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The following are important things I have learned from living with my familia tica (Spanish for host family).
All of the families, that students are currently living with in Costa Rica, have hosted students before. Because of this, my host family generally knows what I need help with, what is different for me, and what my academics are like. This has made the process of adjusting to a new family easier for me. Even if a student is a family’s first student–that is awesome too! It is important to know that all host families are evaluated and screened. Before any student lives with a host family, the staff of the study site (for Costa Rica the staff are Heidi and Alfonso) will interview the family and look at their home. They make sure the family is capable of housing a student. More than that, all of the host families here love hosting students! They love building new cross-cultural relationships.
I was very nervous about my family placement, but I ended up loving my family. My family and I both like music, Disney movies, are involved in the Christian church, and like to spend time simply hanging out. No matter what family a student is placed in, they will find common interests. This is a great way to start making connections.
My host sisters (Chiara and Maria Celeste) and I playing together!
As a United Statesian, I grew up believing in the power of my own independence. This idea of independence was one of the first differences I noticed between the culture of the US and the culture of Costa Rica. People from Costa Rica (known here as ticos) function as a collective culture. Their families and friends are one of the most important things in their life. If someone in their family needs help, they will do everything to help them. I experienced this first hand. Last week, I was pretty sick. I couldn’t go to class and spent a lot of the day in the bathroom. My host mom (Maria) checked on me frequently, and she advocated for me when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to the doctor. She constantly worried about my wellbeing. This kind of love in seen through out familial life in Costa Rica.
Spending quality time with our host moms!
This idea of family accompaniment is a new concept for me. Yes, families in the United States are close, but it is different here. Family is the central part of Costa Rican life. I am not just a student living with a family. My host family has completely brought me into their family. Everyday when I come home from school I get greeted with many hugs, giggles, and smiles. My mom always says (in Spanish), “It’s so good to have my daughter back home.” It has been a true blessing to be a part of a my Costa Rican family. I can’t wait to spend more time with them!
Kyra and I eating fruit and ice cream with our host siblings
Author: Abigail Little
Location: Newcastle, Australia
G’day. I apologise for my absence. I will be the first to admit that I have not been the best with any means of communication since I have been in Australia (it’s almost been a year since I’ve been here..crazy!) .. I do not have an excuse. I am simply living. I love sharing my adventures and I am blessed with the opportunity to do so through Valpo Voyager, but to have things to write about, I must first live them out. Which is exactly what I have been doing!
I want to dedicate this blog to anyone who has, at any point in time, did not believe in themselves. If you are reading this and you have felt that you are not enough –YOU ARE. You CAN do things that you never imagined. I PROMISE. I am in my third semester studying at the University of Newcastle, Australia. I am living in the most beautiful country (in my opinion) in this world. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be where I’m at in this world today. Maybe that is why sometimes I struggle to find the words to describe my experiences abroad –because I am still so amazed that this is my life.
The purpose of this blog, or any blog I share really, is to inspire anyone and everyone else to chase their dreams (all of which I assume include going abroad if you are here reading this). I want to share my stories of spending Christmas in Australia, of working for an Australian company, of falling in love in a foreign country, etc. And I promise I will share those stories eventually. But for now, I feel compelled to encourage you to live your best life.
I want you to think about this: one definition of the word ‘follow,’ is “move or travel behind” … the definition of the word ‘chase’ is “pursue in order to catch or catch up with.” I point this is out is because it is necessary to chase our dreams first if we intend to then follow them. It is up to you to go out there and pursue your dreams. They are waiting to come alive!
Through studying abroad, I have been fortunate enough to travel further and more often than I have in my lifetime. Since last February, I have lived in two different countries, boarded 15 separate aircrafts, and visited 8 states worldwide. I went below the surface of the Pacific and swam amongst the life in the Great Barrier Reef. I have been able to do amazing things, that is undeniable. Each time I reflect on that, I remind myself of how I almost did not follow through with my impulsive decision to study abroad. Wow, that would have been a horrible mistake! Each experience is unique, of course. That is true for everything in life, but I find it to be quite peculiar when it comes to experiences such as studying abroad. I embarked on this journey to get away. I was on a hunt for myself because I was stuck amid insecurities and unhappiness. I would have done just about anything to get out. Not only have I found myself on this beautiful journey abroad, but I have found love and a support system as well. The daily relationships I have now are ones that I have made on Australian soil.
You may be sitting there thinking, “but it’s so expensive.. I can never afford it.. all these people going abroad must be rich!” I am here to tell you I once thought that. I am here to tell you that if you are thinking that, we were both wrong. If you are thinking that, I want you to do two things: (1) Accept that you are wrong, and then (2) fill out your application to go abroad. I come from nothing. Yet here I am, entering my third semester of study in Australia. I may be deep in student debt, but I am rich in experience. I am rich in resilience. I am rich in love. I am rich in determination. I am rich in inspiration. I am rich in understanding. I am rich in life.
Through plates of grief served to me since being abroad, I have found my way to serenity. Through facing adversities, I have been humbled with a deeper sense of gratitude. Through the formation of significant relationships, my heart has swelled with appreciation, allowing me to love more genuinely. I have spent too much of the past 23 years in the back seat of my own life, but I have finally found my ground to take control of my direction in this fascinating world.
Several times a week, I am faced with the question, “when do you have to go back to America?” And each time, I am speechless. I have become so immersed in to the Aussie lifestyle that the thought of going back to live amongst the American society is not an option. I want to stay here forever. That is my dream. It’s time for me to go chase that now. I hope you do the same.
Cheers x
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