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“No Matter Where You Go, There You Are” – My Two Week Extravaganza!

November 7, 2010 / Julie Johnson / 0 Comments

It’s no surprise that every study abroad student looks forward to their mid-semester break. It’s shocking how much planning can go into perfecting every little detail of a two-week itinerary, and many long afternoons were spent with our entire house surrounding the kitchen table, double and triple-checking details, and joining in on one another’s plans. I was well aware this trip would be quite the experience, but of course, it was an amazing one.

My trip began on a Friday morning at 5:00 a.m., when I took the bus to London to catch my flight to Athens. It was a long day of traveling, but when I stepped outside of my metro stop and caught my first, breathtaking glimpse of the Acropolis, the entire day was worth it.

Myself in front of the Parthenon!

Despite some of the troubles it has come across in recent times, Greece is such an amazing country. It is incredible how they have maintained their history and culture despite constantly changing times, and seeing all of the ruins was just fascinating. Since I spent four days there, I was able to see the entire city, and really gained a lot of respect and appreciation for the Greeks and how much they enjoy life.

My next stop was Rome, which had been the destination I was most excited for before even coming to Cambridge. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest for parts of my time there, that surely didn’t dampen my spirits or sight-seeing. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and just the Vatican City in general really blew my mind. As a Catholic, I have heard and learned much about all of these places, and being able to see them in person made me feel very gracious and well in touch with my faith.

Of course, you can’t see Rome without seeing the Colosseum and other fun destinations, so a lot of walking was shoved into the few days I was able to be there. The Colosseum was everything that I had hoped it would be, and although I got lost while looking for the Pantheon, I was able to see quite a bit.

Feels just like the B.C.’s 🙂

The next two stops on my tour of Italy were Venice and Verona, both of which I absolutely fell in love with. Walking around Venice was a blast, and I found myself constantly stopping to take pictures of the sun setting on the canals. It’s definitely a place I would like to visit again, hopefully to spend more time out on the water.

Julie & Juliet! <3

To some people, Verona may seem like sort of a cliche, since it is infamous for being the home of Romeo and Juliet. Although this was the main reason I decided to make it a stop on my trip, I was surprised at how much there was to do and see in Verona, as well as how beautiful of a city it really was. I spent my afternoon there mailing my letter to Juliet, seeing Juliet’s house, and sitting on the stairs of the city hall building, watching the sun set. It was definitely the right way to spend my last full day in Italy.

Getting to the airport for my flight to Barcelona wasn’t the easiest due to a miscommunication and the fact that I at one point got on the wrong train, just to hop off of it moments before it left due to a nice Italian woman who could actually understand me. After being anxious while waiting in a long line to check my bag, I was practically running through the airport and security to make sure I caught my flight, just to see that it was delayed forty minutes. I was actually really thankful for this delay, since it gave me a little bit of time to relax before having to travel yet again. My plane finally landed in Barcelona at around 2:00 a.m, and I have never been so happy to see a hostel bed in my entire life.

It may seem weird that I decided to spend an entire week in Barcelona for the last part of my break, but I must say that it was totally worth it. I was able to see and do so much in Barcelona, and I began to know the city as if it were home. The weather was beautiful (in the mid-70’s), so every day was perfect for walking around, or even hitting the beach. I was able to spend plenty of time with many of the members of the Cambridge group, as well as spend more time with my Reutlingen friends.

View from Park Guell in Barcelona!

I could write paragraph after paragraph about how awesome and eye-opening my two break was, but like Amber, I must admit that I’m pretty exhausted from all the excitement. For now, I’m going to go enjoy being back at the Cambridge Centre with some pumpkin pie :). Ciao, bellas!

What a packed full break

Two weeks of traveling. Six countries. I have learned so much about myself and about others while traveling that it is hard to believe it has only been two weeks. For the last 17 days, I have basically been flying, training, walking, sleeping, and doing everything else with the same three people. This was an awesome experience to share these amazing times with the people I love most, and it also taught me a lot about myself.

And truth be told… I’m exhausted. I have had too much walking, too many trains, and too much cold weather in the last couple of weeks. All I need too much of now is sleep… and maybe some massages. Here’s a brief view of my travels – one picture from every country. This is just a glimpse at all the fun I had with my best friends and all of the scenes we saw.

Inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

On a beach in Mykonos, Greece

Me and Matt in the Vatican Museum in Rome, Italy

Me and my roommate in front of a canal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Me and Matt in a park in Copenhagen, Denmark

Andrew fighting a horse in Stockholm, Sweden

Whew! If you haven’t noticed, these countries make a complete circle around Germany… I don’t want to know how many miles we actually traveled!

We Shape the World, yet Sometimes It Shapes Us

November 5, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 1 Comment

With a little over a month remaining, I can’t help but to begin reflecting on what impact the past three months have left on my life.

The importance of being in touch with oneself has never been more evident. Being thousands of miles away from everything familiar, including people, language, cuisine, and culture, inevitably leaves one with a plethora of emotions. And at times, seemingly contradictory ones. It is at these times it becomes increasingly important to examine yourself both objectively and unbiasedly. For some, this may mean ten minutes of a sort of mental regrouping, and for others, a few hours. Regardless of which category you fall under, it is important that such emotional conflict is both expected, and pleasantly dealt with. For, from strife results perseverance.

Those very moments are the ones that stand out to me the most: those moments of profound realization about the beautiful creation existing around me, and my place and view within it all. A few such realizations for me are as follows:

Just a few days before departing for France, heightened strike alerts began saturating the news. With my mom and sister forty-eight hours away from departing Chicago, I remember having a profound spirit of condemnation toward France, for if their juvenile manifestations resulted in my sister and mom not making it to Paris, I would be quite bitter, to say the least. However, I realized that I hadn’t even taken the time to understand what was

First time seeing the Eiffel Tower

causing the French manifestations . After realizing that the French government wanted to raise the retirement age from sixty to sixty-two, I had little sympathy for them, seeing as the retirement age in America is much higher than that. However, in all of this mess, it was clear to me that all things in this world are relative. While to us, the retirement age of sixty-two is substantially low, to them, that is two more years of a lifestyle they neither expected nor value as much as Americans. One cannot place judgment on a culture they are not a part of, and instead should realize that all of life’s circumstances are just that: circumstantial. It is my challenge to you to seek understanding when you find yourself in a frustrating situation, for a discerning heart is most always answered.

On a more personal note, I experienced a deep understanding and admiration for Catholicism. While I myself am not Catholic, being immersed in Rome’s deep Catholic history was enlightening. As I mentioned in my blog about Rome, it is undeniable the devout nature the Catholics have historically shown throughout time. Going beyond my genuine acceptance of the Catholic religion, is my acceptance for all inhabitants of this earth, religious or atheist, Italian or American. For, judgement, whether it is toward a specific culture, religion, or origin, should not hold a place in our hearts.

In front of St. Peter’s basilica

Our purpose on this earth is not to inflict more animosity, but to calm it. The calming of such animosity begins with oneself. It’s obvious, then, that Mahatma Gandhi has had it right all along: “be the change you want to see in the world.”

In both of these examples of some of the realizations I have experienced, the concept of knowledge is at hand. For, both situations required a sort of understanding that I didn’t have prior to experiencing them. I have always considered myself a lover of academics, an individual who enjoys studying, succeeding, and admittedly, over-achieving, but, up until this point, I hadn’t sought much knowledge outside of my academic studies. I immersed myself in whatever subjects I was taking that semester, and any free time I had was spent taking a break from all of the knowledge I was busy learning during the week. However, since these experiences, I have found myself researching politics and theology during my free time. It is my hope that these learned lessons will be applied not only for the remainder of the trip, but upon my return to normalcy in America.

Always growing together (Innsbruck, Austria)

I leave you with the challenge to possess both a discerning and accepting heart. You’ll be surprised how it transcends into all other areas of your life.

A Day for the Dead?

November 4, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 4 Comments

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead)-it’s a beautiful, odd and reflective holiday here in Mexico. Basically, you could call it a combination of conservative Catholic traditions with a raw Aztec attitude. Every year, families in Mexico make ofrendas or offerings for well, obviously the dead but specifically members of the family who have passed on. These offerings will include flowers, a portrait of the deceased, bread, fruit, chocolate skulls, food and drink the family member liked among other items. Offerings can be very simple or extremely fancy.

This was posted on the wall on a family’s home. In English, it reads: “For us, there was no death, you live in our hearts and our pain will not end until we re-unit forever.”

Bread, flowers and fruit-always in an ofrenda!

The ofrendas or offerings are meant to attract the spirit of the dead loved one and celebrate his or her life. At a certain time, family members will go out into the street and create a path with flowers leading into the house guiding the spirit of the deceased to enter the house. The family eats the food from the ofrenda and re-lives the memories they shared with the spirit of the deceased. When the time comes, the family bids the spirit of the muerto (or deceased person) farewell until next year.

I had the recent opportunity to visit the town of Huaquechula with some classmates and our professor to visit the homes of complete strangers to see their ofrendas. This is an official tour the town does every year for tourists. Entering the homes with beautiful ofrendas, I stood there taking in the life of a complete stranger. I realized that the love and dedication between families even when a member has passed on is forever strong. It sounds odd to invite the spirit of a dead family member into your home. I mean in my family, we just put flowers on my grandparents’ graves, say a prayer and call it good. Here, they go to great efforts to make these offerings.

This was a very beautiful ofrenda for a family member that has passed this year in Huaquechula.

Family members invite the spirit of the deceased family member to enter their home.

Going through the different homes and seeing the offerings that the family member’s had painstakingly made was somber, breathtaking and beautiful. It’s difficult to explain experiencing this day because it’s a mixture of emotions ranging from sadness for complete strangers that the loved one was not physically there. However, I felt a sense of peace because despite death, the families still had each other and most importantly, this opportunity to express the loss in a healthy and open manner. Stealing a phrase from Oprah Winfrey and Doctor Phil, in order to heal, you got to feel. Day of the Dead certainly does that.

However, it also goes to prove that no matter the occasion, Mexicans will always celebrate. Remembering loved ones that have passed on is sad and difficult for sure. Some family members laugh and some cry but why not celebrate and remember the life and memories you shared with them? It is a beautiful lesson that in life and death, there is always a reason to keep hoping in the face of death. Even though the body has been buried, their spirit will continue to live on.

Lydia

Why to ALWAYS book train reservations in advance

November 4, 2010 / ajarratt / 0 Comments

It seems simple enough. You have a Global Eurail pass, as part of the Reutlingen Germany program, which means you can take any train in the European Union for free. Figure out where you want to go, what time, and hop on a train!

Well, not really. In most European countries, you must also buy a mandatory seat reservation for each leg of your trip. One reservation can cost between 3 and 15 Euros, which can add up if you have to change trains several times.

Among many other reasons, Germany is an awesome country because you don’t need seat reservations for most trains. Even if a train is full, you can still stand or sit at the end of the car, even if it is less comfortable. And making reservations is a breeze; you simply walk into a train station, ask for any number of reservations for any train in Europe, pay, and you are on your way. No hassle at all.

Too bad the rest of Europe isn’t as user-friendly. I am currently on the 17 day fall break that comes with the Reutlingen program (another reason to study abroad in Germany!). My travel group decided to be smart and book all of our reservations ahead of time. We had planned on going to Nice, France after Italy, but at the last minute we changed our minds because of the massive transportation strike, and simply head back to Reutlingen for a couple of nights. So naturally, we did not make our train reservations from Rome to Reutlingen.

That was a major mistake. I found that Trenitalia is almost impossible to work with. About 4 days before our day train ride home, a time frame that almost always has seats available, I waited in line at the train station in Milan to book 3 different trains for 4 people. I had all the train times and numbers written down so it would be easier for the lady in the booth.

When I asked for the reservations, she replied to me almost in a whisper, which I couldn’t hear. I repeated what I said several times, but she would not talk any louder, even when I motioned that I couldn’t hear her. Then she simply stared at me, frowning, and wouldn’t say anything. I was so surprised! Then she yelled through the glass, “WHY?” At least I could hear her! But why? What kind of question is that? So I replied, “Because I want to go home.”

Then she started yelling at me in Italian, which of course is absolutely no help. I heard the word “ticket”, so I tried giving her my Eurail pass. Then she started yelling at me again, saying I needed everyone’s passes, which was impossible since Matt and Amber were in Greece. Why did we need them here, but not in Germany? Who knows. She was impossible to deal with, so we left.

When the four of us were all together in Rome, the day before our departure, we tried to make the reservations again. After waiting in line for half an hour, the man at the ticket booth said that all of the trains for the entire day were booked. He was very helpful, for once, but there was no possible way to leave. And we needed to be on those trains, or else we wouldn’t make any of our reservations for the rest of the trip.

Thankfully, those with a will and a way persevere. While Amber and I waited in line, Matt somehow found small regional trains that did not need reservations to get to Milan. From there, Milan to Zurich to Reutlingen is our only way home, but we managed to make it. We needed one reservation, and we got 4 of the last 6 seats available. Whew! We were on trains from 6 am to 11 pm, but we made it home.

Lesson learned: Have a plan, be flexible, and make train reservations.

Lovely Venice

November 3, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 0 Comments

Venice, Italy, in all its serene glamour, was the perfect place to celebrate five beautiful years. However, as I’m reflecting on our time, I am finding myself at a loss of words in my attempt to recreate our celebration. For, as our concierge at our hotel alluded to, there is truly no arrangement of words to merit the wonder of Venice.

So, I thought I would let the pictures speak for themselves:

View from the gondola

Beautiful Venice homes

View from our hotel window

Venice sunset

Piazzo San Marco

Celebrating five years

Our anniversary dinner: http://www.centrale-lounge.com/

Our hotel: http://www.abbaziahotel.com/de/

Truman Capote said it most succinctly: “Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.”

Pack Your Bags, You’re Going to Africa!: 5 Packing Tips for Your Semester Abroad

November 3, 2010 / Christiana Redman / 0 Comments

Congratulations to those Valpo students who have been accepted to the Namibia program for Spring 2011! I know you will have a great time – better than you can imagine right now! I hope that this blog has been helpful in giving you a glimpse of what you’ll be experiencing, as well as what to expect.

Now! You’re probably thinking about how to cram 4 months of your life into just a few bags…so…

Here are a few tips (for you, and for others who are curious as to how I somehow managed to condense my gigantic wardrobe into something so small) that I’ve discovered that will greatly assist in the packing process:

1.) Choose your bags wisely – A medium-size suitcase, a duffel bag (or something of similar size), and a carry-on should do. You’ll want to be able to carry everything you’re bringing around the airport and up a couple flights of stairs. The duffel-sized bag will be extremely useful for longer homestays. The carry-on is ideal for the shorter homestay in Soweto.

2.) Pack lightly – Don’t bring your whole wardrobe. Plan on layering things like tank-tops & cardigans. Bring clothes that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. Only bring the toiletry items you will need for the first two weeks you will be abroad. After that, you’ll be able to find a store to purchase more things.

3.) Bring things you don’t mind getting rid of – At the end of the trip, you might want to donate some of the clothes you originally brought because you bought souvenirs or new clothes and need more space in your bags.

4.) Don’t worry about finding name-brands – When I was packing, I was told that there were no (or very few) American toiletry brands available in Namibia. So far I have seen quite a few brands that I use back home: Neutrogena, Opti-Free, Colgate, Pantene Pro-V. Unless you have very specific needs (for example, I have not seen any evidence of Clear Care contact solution), don’t bother bringing loads of name-brand toiletries. It’ll just take up space and put you over the luggage weight limit.

5.) Pack for a variety of temperatures and occasions – It is difficult to do this and still pack lightly. If you’re going to Namibia in the Fall semester, be prepared for some chilly mornings and evenings at the beginning of the semester. In the Spring, it’ll be chillier at the end. It is typically warm during the day, and will get very hot during the summer months (Octoberish – Januaryish).

5 1/2. ) In addition, you’ll need clothing for all sorts of occasions: class, meetings with officials, internships, church, going out at night, activities with your host families (ex: weddings, etc). It is a pretty safe bet to pack several knee-length (or longer) dresses or skirts, a pair of dress pants, some work-out clothes, and some regular everyday casual clothes.

**One other thing I would recommend packing if at all possible would be your pillow from home. The ones provided at the places we stay are not always the most comfortable & it is nice to have one of the comforts of home.**

I hope this helps as you start assembling your packing lists! Good luck!

Great Mosque of Córdoba

November 3, 2010 / John Webster / 1 Comment

Bridge to la mezquita de Córdoba. Muy bonita.

This past weekend, we had a class trip to Córdoba to see their famous Mezquita (mosque), which is now a Catholic cathedral. The history of the building is both impressive and a bit loco. The building was started sometime around the seventh century, and has traded hands between Visigoths, Romans, Muslims, and Spaniards. Thus, in this one building you can see more architectural elements than any other in Spain. I’m no architecture enthusiast, I struggle to pick out differences in Gothic and Baroque art even after taking Spanish Civilization (sorry Professor Miguel-Pueyo), but I still loved seeing it. Just walking through the different sections is like walking through a large museum, but it isn’t a museum!

The cathedral in the very middle of la mezquita

There are four Islamic sections, and then, all of a sudden, acathedral stands in the middle, overlapping in all but one of the Islamic sections. All around the cathedral are the typical Islamic arches, certainly lending you a very odd feeling when you walk through them into the cathedral.

Oh, and did I mention the Phonecian church that’s buried underneath? That fact wasn’t passed on by word of mouth (I wonder why…) and so not many years back when some flooding occured the marble flooring needed to be replaced. Workers must have been shocked when they found out there was an entirely unexplored church below! You don’t need to hear an essay from me on this, so check out good old wikipedia for better descriptions and some good citations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mosque_of_Córdoba

Double arches in the Islamic section. The second arches were added when massive additions were made to the building.

In closing I’ll leave you with a 3d digital video of the Mosque, somewhat hilarious, but very well done:

Experiencing Istanbul

October 31, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

The one place I really wanted to go to in Europe was Istanbul, and I’m so glad I made it there. The city and culture is so unique compared to anyplace in Western Europe. While at first I was cautious about our safety, we had no problems and enjoyed a great experience. The Turkish people are known for their hospitality, and there was plenty of it!

The people at our hostel were so friendly and inviting. They showed us the meaning of true hospitality in giving us great information, treating us to apple tea and a water pipe, and even driving us personally to the airport when our shuttle didn’t show up. While enjoying our free water pipe outside, they all came and sat with us and talked. We talked about where they were from, Turkey in general, and what we were doing there. I even got a free birthday shot for my birthday

The German President outside the Blue Mosque

… yay 21! This initial experience just added to the overall atmosphere of the country.

Our first destination was the Blue Mosque, which was conveniently located a few blocks from our hostel. When we arrived, there were TV crews and a crowd of people gathering around the entrance. This would usually be a time that our adviser would tell us to quickly leave the area, but we decided to check it out anyways. And I’m so glad we did. We got to see none other than Christian Wulff, the President of Germany… in Turkey! It was probably the most random and most exciting thing to happen to us thus far in Europe. Happy birthday to me!

Me standing in the Hagia Sophia

After all of the hoopla died down, we were able to go into the mosque. Cate, Brenna and I all had to cover our hair with scarves and everyone had to take off their shoes. It was so beautifully decorated on the inside, and the atmosphere was entirely different than a church. We also went into the Hagia Sophia (20 Lira later) and saw the most beautiful architecture. The cultural experience gained from just entering these places of worship was fascinating to me.

Overall, I am so glad we were able to go to this enticing country. We were so well blessed to have safe travels especially since a terrorist attack happened only a few days ago at the National Monument in th

e New District. We were standing in Taksim Square where this occurred only one week ago. It is a blessing that no one was seriously injured, thus reported, in the suicide bomber’s attack. This attack has only made me count my blessings for our safety in our travels, but in no way would I not recommend going to Istanbul. The city is too beautiful to miss, and the atmosphere too rare to find elsewhere.

The group overlooking the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul

Road Trip: Africa!

October 30, 2010 / Christiana Redman / 1 Comment

For our Fall Break, five friends and I chose to go to on vacation to Livingstone, Zambia. We spent 8 days taking a break from the hectic nature of classes and guest speakers and simply did whatever we wanted. We had an adventure planned for nearly every day.

On Monday, we experienced the gorgeous sunset on the Zambezi during a relaxing sunset cruise. We saw a TON of hippos and even an elephant hanging out by the side of the riverbank!

Sitting right on the edge of the Falls. One misstep & it would have been “Bye bye, Christiana”!

On Tuesday, we ventured just up the road to the Zambia side of Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world & revered as one of the world’s Seven Natural Wonders. It is so large that it is located in two countries – Zambia and Zimbabwe. This particular event quickly got to be more thrilling than we anticipated – a private guide took us to a place where we could sit on the very edge of the Falls, lean over the edge and look down, and swim in a natural pool about a meter from the edge of the Falls!

We decided to take it easy on Wednesday, so we spent the day catching rays and reading by the side of the pool at our backpackers’ hostel.

Lizz Mook (Valpo) & Kayla Griffin (Pacific Lutheran) free-falling down the gorge on the gorge swing.

Thursday was definitely the scariest of our adventures. We spent the entire day at a gorge near Victoria Falls doing all sorts of ropes activities – including the gorge swing. For the gorge swing, you get strapped into not one, but two, harnesses, take a giant step off of the edge of the gorge, and free-fall 53 meters in 3 ½ seconds until you begin swinging at the end of the rope until they let you down. It is gut-wrenchingly terrifying, but the view was great!

The majestic “Main Falls” on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.

Friday’s adventure was going back to Victoria Falls, but this time we went to the Zimbabwe side. To me it seemed like the Zimbabwe side was more of the touristy side, and the Zambia side was more for the adventure activities. Both sides are absolutely breath-taking!

Our final adventure was our Chobe Safari Day in Botswana on Saturday. In the morning we went on a boat safari on the Chobe River. On that safari we saw lots of elephants, hippos, birds, lizards, and crocodiles. The afternoon game drive in Chobe National Park showed us hippos and elephants out of

Our safari adventure through Chobe National Park was a success!

the water. The hippos are massive creatures – its mind-blowing! Our day in Botswana was definitely a day to remember.

We made it home to Windhoek the morning of Monday, October 24^th. Now we’re getting back into the swing of classes and moving right along. I can’t believe there is only just over a month left of my time here!

Student Stories from Around the World