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Life’s a Beach

The Date: September 18

9:00am – Wake up and pack a few things for a wonderful day of sun and sand

11:00am – Load 19 CGE students into a combie headed to Lake Oanob Resort

12:15pm – Arrive at Lake Oanob to find fewer sandy beaches than expected, but some awesome rocky underwater cliffs to jump off of. Stare in awe at the sight of water after not having seen any in a month. Slather on the sunscreen. Slip into our bathing suits. Dive in.

1:00pm – Discover another area of the resort complete with restaurant, pool, sandy beach, and fewer rocks. Settle in.

2:00pm – Order chicken nuggets from the kiddie menu. Discover that ranch dressing is a lot more difficult to describe than you’d think. Settle for ketchup instead.

2:45pm – Find a comfy spot on the sandy beach area and relax.

4:20pm – Grab some ice cream from the restaurant

4:30pm – Load the bus to head back to Windhoek. Take a nap.

Outdoor Adventures

September 23, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

The past few weekends of big cities and major site seeing have been wonderful; however, over the past few days I have felt an urgent need to do something else. I needed to be outside and go walking, rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, curling, or anything that would make me feel accomplished of something. Obviously, only a few of those options were actually available to me. Perhaps it was the impact of all the nice weather Reutlingen has experienced lately. It was calling people to come outside.

Well, I found the perfect thing to do, two perfect things to do. My roommate and I wanted to get out of our room yesterday since it was so nice out and class ended at 10:45 that morning. An afternoon with nothing to do is not fun… I need either a plan, homework, or activity. Looking outside my window, I could see Mount Baldy (a nickname Cate and I gave the hill). It looked like a decent walk which would lead to a great view of the city. We had no directions and no boys to lead us. It was all on our own. We took a compass and guessed at the directions. After some possible trespassing, we made it to the top of the hill; we went up the steepest parts to get there too. While the pain in my legs was killer, the view was absolutely breathtaking… not only because I was literally out of breath. After a few minutes of gazing at the horizon, we made our descent down the legitimate path we found. Success number one!

Then this afternoon we decided to tackle Bad Urach. It is a city nearby that is on our bus pass, so we could get there for free. Classes ended at 11:45 this morning (doesn’t studying abroad sound great already!?), and we got on a train shortly after. Our goal was to reach the waterfall a few kilometers from the train station. This hike was easier than the previous day, but there were stairs all the way up to the waterfall, which again made my legs not happy. This view was also spectacular. We were able to stand behind the waterfall and look out at the valley below. One of the most gorgeous scenes I have ever witnessed. Success number two!

Although my feet and legs are no longer participating willingly with my activities, I am so glad I have the opportunity not only to see the big cities and touristic sites but I also can partake in outdoor excursions. On a nice day, there is nothing better than picking a direction and walking/hiking/biking. Just get out there!

Mexico: am I Actually Safe Here?

September 22, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 1 Comment

When I first told individuals that I was going to study abroad in Mexico, the number one question was almost always about the issue of safety. The campus of the Universidad de las Americas is perhaps the safest campus I have ever visited because the campus is gated and police are everywhere throughout the campus and at all times during the day and night. I feel very safe here on campus.

Now we go to outside of campus. Behind the campus of UDLA, is the Camino Real, the famous area for the clubs, bars and restaurants in Cholula (in a future blog post, I will discuss the party life here). Because the street is so close to campus, it is constantly patrolled by police. Think of it this way: if the Camino Real was dangerous, there would be no customers for the numerous businesses that consistently make a profit from students. No danger equals business and a good time for all.

The entire campus is completely gated and police protect the campus inside and out.

There are dangerous areas and violence happens in Mexico-and in the US. A foreigner can be a prime target for attacks. Traveling in a group is obviously safe but I actually recommend going to places with a Mexican (and Mexicans are extremely friendly so you’ll make friends easily here) because they will usually have a better sense of the area and how to conduct themselves because it is their culture. However, don’t act like a victim and always, always be aware of your surroundings!

Studying abroad is glorious experience and safety issues shouldn’t be reasons not to travel to an area unless the area is too violent. However, you are safe here. Just stay smart and do your research. Additionally, remember that there’s more to Mexico that drug wars and violence that the media always talks about. It’s a beautiful and vibrant country-and you get to explore it (and to learn more, just read this blog!).

Because this is an important topic, please feel free email me with any questions/comments at lydia.mertz@valpo.edu.

Saludos!

Evenings in Granada

September 22, 2010 / John Webster / 1 Comment

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBBaCldMNdo]

So Short, Yet So Sweet

September 20, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 0 Comments

In response to my most recent post, God brought this blessing into my life: http://bit.ly/99Z2nQ

In short, I am committing to feeding two beloved children a month. Until another opportunity arises in which I can give on a more profound scale, this will be my commitment, my sacrifice, yet my greatest joy over the next few months.

“Give, and it will be given to you” –Luke 6:38

Whether you are abroad or home, I challenge each and every one of you to commit to something that challenges you; whether it is financially, emotionally, timely, or physically.

The Hourglass

September 20, 2010 / derekschnake / 0 Comments

Approaching five weeks, I already feel as though I’m running out of time. The calendar suddenly feels much smaller when you think in terms of weekends rather than days or weeks. It then gets even smaller when measured against the ambitiously naïve list of destinations compiled at the outset of this adventure.

Where the heart leads, the wallet stubbornly remains. The dollar sign—or pound sign rather—looms hauntingly in the backdrop of every travel scheme. Energy, the only currency that matters, can be hard to find if one doesn’t know where to look. The fabled virtue of patience also seems to depreciate these days, while fear of the steadfast hourglass slowly grows with each grain of falling sand. If I’m not careful stress will soon settle in, and much like sand, stress will find its way into every crack of the human consciousness.

But I do feel my priorities shifting. I feel resigned to the unshakable truth that I will not see everything I want to see or visit every destination I wish to visit. The only comfort I get is from my own fervor to make every second count and confidence that I will be back. After all, there is not much else I can do.

I think that once the end of the semester arrives, everyone will have the initial conviction to come back and experience what they missed. The challenge is to not allow that conviction to pass into nostalgic regret—a veritable list of things “I should’ve done.” Ultimately, if one makes the most of every opportunity, then there is nothing more anyone can do.

Sunset over the Thames.

Mexico City (Part II: Out and About in the City)

September 20, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 1 Comment

View from the top of Torre Latinoamerica-maybe it’s not as grand as Chicago, it still look my breath away!

Despite a lively celebration of Independence Day and birthdays, I was able to see a lot of the Mexico City and gained an overall view of the city. On Wednesday, my friend Ciceron and I traveled to the Historic District. There was an anticipating energy throughout the city as everybody prepared for the Independence Day. We visited the Torre Latinoamerica (Latinamerica Tower). This is like the Sears Tower in Chicago; you realize the grandness of the city-it’s spectacular!

Thursday night we went to the Zocalo, the center area of Mexico City. This is the heart and soul of Mexico City and includes the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace. Every September 15th, the president gives a speech to the citizens of Mexico to thousands of Mexicans celebrating the independence of their country.

The buildings in the Zocalo were covered with bright lights-here is the headpiece of the Aztecs.

The entire plaza was decorated with colorful light designs including historical figures such as Hidalgo, Morelos and the pyramids of the Aztecs. There is nothing like the Zocalo, you can just feel the pride and energy of Mexico all in one place!
On Friday, our group went to the Museo de Antropologia (Anthropology Museum). The museum is extremely well organized with an outside plaza with the different areas for the cultures of Mexico. An excellent representation of Mexico’s history and a must for those traveling here! For more information about Mexico City check out this website: http://www.mexicocity-guide.com/.

Palacio de Bellas Artes-a famous place for the arts from around the world (and you thought Mexico was a third-world country!)

During the five days I spent in Mexico City with Ciceron and his family and friends felt like a mere two days, I got a sense of the energy of this city but of this country as well. In Mexico City, the energy is evident as the buildings were dressed in red, white and green colors but also through the energy of the people. Mexicans love life and their country. I felt so honored and privileged to be a part of the celebrations with Mexicans. Like the US, this country fought hard for its freedoms and continues to do so. The enthusiasm of the culture and people make this country very contagious…so Viva Mexico!

Challenge?

September 19, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 1 Comment

I’m praying for a challenge.

After looking at some photos of individuals participating in other study abroad programs, I’m realizing more and more that there’s something I feel is missing from my experience. After some questioning and prayer over the past couple of days, I was in a state of bafflement as to what could possibly be missing with regard to my experience. I have my boyfriend of five years, two dear sorority sisters, and some new and emerging friendships taking place. I’m even meditating on this at the most beautiful café in Reutlingen, drinking a cappuccino! What more could I want?

But maybe that’s it–I have (most) everything I could want with me in Germany. This very blessing has reaped so many benefits thus far and I thank God for them every day. However, now that I’m almost a month into the trip, I’m ready to start bringing in an element of sacrifice or challenge every single day. There have been (laundry) and will be (low-rated hostels) days that present several challenges and require of me certain sacrifices, but when the day does not call for it, I want to pursue it. Whether this pursuit is emotional or physical in nature is not of importance, what is of importance is that I am pursuing a greater purpose.

This idea became increasingly clear to me as I took a long run among paths I had yet to travel. The sun set as my body shed goosebumps and I realized how truly lucky I was to have this experience–to be able to run along these paths–to be able to run at all. It was a weird feeling to feel both blessed and guilty all at the same time. I didn’t know what to make of those feelings I was experiencing, but I do know that my feelings of guilt could be energy toward action.

They say God works in mysterious ways, and I’m willing to bet that calling me to greater challenges is all a part of His plan. I don’t know how or what this entails, but I know He prevails.

Here’s to a new perspective, and many new experiences to come!

In between two hectic cities, there were a few moments of peace.

September 19, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

The past two weeks have been absolutely crazy. With the class, we all went to Berlin for the entire week going to museums, palaces, and a concentration camp. By the end of the week my feet hurt, my thoughts were filled with historical information, and my whole body ached for sleep. In a brief overview, I visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Neu Palais in Potsdam, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Deutsches Historisches Museum, Jewish Holocaust Museum, Pergammon Museum, the Berlin Wall, and a lot of random tourist sites. With all of the rain that occurred that week, it made the time absolutely draining but totally worth it. The Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery was especially amazing.

After all the craziness of Berlin, a couple of the girls decided to travel down to Wittenberg before going all the way to Augsburg for the weekend. The small town atmosphere was a welcome change after all the hustle and bustle of the capitol city. The entire town of Wittenberg was such a quaint area that was entirely devoted to Martin Luther. The Castle Church and the City Church were relatively easy to walk to and venture inside. I stood right over Luther’s grave and got a picture in front of the infamous doors where the 95 Theses were supposedly nailed. To imagine that the basis of my religion started here almost 500 years ago was truly mind blowing. Walking through his house made it all the more real since I was able to see one of the Bibles he had copied hundreds of years previous. It was, simply put, peaceful.

And then… more craziness. Probably the craziest of all craziness: Oktoberfest. Being there on opening day of the 200th Anniversary of the festival was most definitely the busiest day we could have picked to go there. People were everywhere, and we were lucky to get a table outside. We deserved it though since we got into the festival at 8:30am. Beer was officially served at noon, and the craziness just got crazier. We met some awesome people from Koln and elsewhere, and overall it was a great time to socialize with everyone. Although I am officially the most exhausted from traveling as I have ever been, every minute was worth it. Now to rest up for the next adventures in Dresden and Leipzig come Friday!

Once Traveled, Twice Shy

September 19, 2010 / Julie Johnson / 3 Comments

Now that I have my first (successful) trip to the European continent under my belt, here are a few tips I can offer after the valuable lessons I learned from my trip to Munich this weekend:

1) Research, research, research: The only information I had actually looked up about Munich before I left was the address of my hotel and what time my flights left. As soon as we stepped off the airplane, I realized this was an awful idea. I had no idea how far out of the city of Munich the airport was, and had totally misjudged the taxi fare, among other things. We also had a free day on Friday that we had planned on using to explore Munich, but we soon realized we had no idea of anything to do in Munich, other than Oktoberfest. With no access to the internet, we aimlessly wandered around Munich, finding little to do, and being pretty disappointed.

2) Brush up on the language: Coming to Germany, I had the assumption that almost everyone would be able to communicate with me in English, at least well enough to get around and get everything done. I assumed wrong. Although most people could at least talk to us enough to give us directions, we had some bad experiences with the bus systems, taxi drivers, and some of the hotel staff from where we were staying. When I go to France in a month, I will be sure to bring along a book of common French terms in order to make this much less of a problem. Luckily, we didn’t end up in any dire situation where we needed to know the language.

3) Pack once, recheck your packing, and pack again: Although some European airlines, such as RyanAir and EasyJet are cheap, it is only worth it to not check a bag and just pack a carry-on. Both airlines have strict restrictions as to how big your bag can be, so no matter where you’re going, you have to pack extremely light. The 100 mL liquid restrictions are also a pain, just like in the United States, so plan to spend some money in a drug store when you get to the airport (after they confiscate all of yours). Through our hurried packing, worried about not having enough clothes, we also forgot our electrical adapter, and therefore weren’t able to use any of our hairstlyers the whole weekend. Boo.

4) Enjoy the culture as much as you can: Oktoberfest was quite the experience, and its’ reputation aside, it gave me a really good insight to German culture. We met a lot of great German people, as well as others from around the world, who we compared lives and customs with, and it was really interesting. We also had the pleasure of enjoying German food and shopping, and it was very insightful. No matter where you are, it’s important to have a lot to remember it by and compare it to.

Traveling is a blast, and I look forward to my trip to Portugal this coming Thursday. Although things can get a little complicated at times, the experience you have is always ultimately worth it in the end!

Cheers, Julie

Student Stories from Around the World