Valpo Voyager

Page 35 of 124

Go Rogue

November 22, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambrige Study Center

I know it may sound cliche, and everyone has probably said this (and also said it sounds cliche)…but when you go abroad, your cohort becomes your family. I am with at least one member of the Cambridge cohort almost 24/7. Whether we are traveling to brand new places, eating, shopping, studying, or even sleeping (I have a roommate), everyone always seems to have a buddy. I broke this notion of always having a buddy on adventures when the Cambridge cohort went to the Lake District. The way I decided to break this habit of constantly having a partner was to climb a mountain.

With our time at the Lake District, our group went to the Grizedale Forest, a public forest preserve that includes many hiking paths, a sculpture walk, and ziplining. The majority of the Cambridge group wanted to go ziplining, but while they were figuring out all that went into that, I was fumbling through the hiking maps. Eventually, my finger finally found the red, bold letters that said “strenuous.” That strenuous description was for the Carron Crag Trail. That was the path for me.

That hike up to the highest peak in Grizedale, a height of 314 meters, was the longest time I have spent by myself with my time here abroad, and let me tell you something – It has been one of my favorite moments. I know my list of favorite moments is growing with every trip, but this moment will always stick out to me. Although I literally climbed up and down a mountain bike trail for a good chunk of the hike, I enjoyed every minute being on my own. I even celebrated getting to the very top by eating a sandwich and gazing out to all that I could see.

I know that some people would always like a buddy when they go off and experience never before seen places, but I advise those people to try it solo at least once while they are abroad. It can be as little as what I did – being in the same general area as the group, but doing your own thing. Or it can be as drastic as traveling to a whole different country on your own! Anything that will tell you, “Hey, I did this all by myself,” will feel like the greatest accomplishment. I promise you. To be honest, I felt like I was starring in my own version of 127 Hours on my entire hike. However, I did not have to cut my arm off. When you go rogue, don’t fall into a situation where you have to cut your arm off. Just go rogue.

Stay Fresh,

Caroline Dienes

Una riqueza de la naturaleza – Nature’s Wealth

November 17, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program: San Jose, Costa Rica – Study Center

¡Hola Todos!

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with the Macartneys for 2 whole days! I was most nervous about traveling there, since it involved finding taxis and taking a ferry. As it turns out, it was super easy to get there, and it was less than $12. Something that I learned was that when I go visit for Thanksgiving, I should take the 11AM ferry home instead of the 2PM ferry. Because it was dark when I got back to San Jose, I had to take a taxi all the way home from the bus stop in San Jose (which bumped up the cost to around $17).

Double rainbow sighting, Caylyn Moglia

On the ferry to Paquera, I saw 2 (double) rainbows; it was super cool. Sadly, my camera does not capture all the colors that God allows my eyes to see, so the better pictures have the saturation and contrast turned all the way up. The colors were amazing and I could see each individual color!Something that wasn’t so cool on the ferry was that I saw a lot of trash in the ocean. It did not necessarily come from the people in Costa Rica, it could have come from the other side of the world for all I know, but it is disgusting, and I wish we lived in a world that could take care of its trash better.

On Friday, I went to school at Escuela Futuro Verde with everybody and got to hang out in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade Spanish classrooms. One thing that is super cool about this school is that all of the kids are either bilingual, multilingual, or on their way to becoming so. Something else that is different culturally is that the students call their teachers by their first names, something that could get a student in major trouble in the United States.

Surfing on the beach, Caylyn Moglia

On Saturday, we spent the whole day at the beach, and I learned how to surf! BJ showed me the basics on land, and then helped me figure it out in the water. I spent most of my time wiping out, but I stood up 3 or 4 times. The only bad thing was that I rubbed all the sunscreen off of my thighs and now have a really bad sunburn, thankfully, BJ gave me his rash guard, so my stomach is not burnt.

Red Macaw sighting, Caylyn Moglia

On the way home from the beach we saw 3 largish caimans in the river, and they were the small ones according to one of the guys who keeps track of them. I also saw the blue macaws that the neighborhood is currently breeding, and the red macaws that were recently released. There were 3 red macaws right outside the house Saturday evening, and I got some good pictures of them.

Hasta luego!

Caylyn

Man-go to Hefang Street

November 15, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Tiffany Luehrs

Program: Hangzhou, China – Study Center

Today my Valpo cohort and I visited Hefang Street (河坊街 – hefang jie). Hefang street is a bustling avenue filled with vendors selling local snacks, silk shops, tea houses, traditional Chinese pharmacies and restaurants.

A snapshot of Hefang Street, Tiffany Luehrs

Various historical and cultural aspects of the area have been maintained and are still intact such as the drum tower and even an original section of a road used during the Song Dynasty. Throughout the street stood various statues of Buddha such as a very memorable red statue that emphasized the curved features of the Buddha and a large bronze Buddha with many small figures of children climbing on him. I learned that the large belly symbolizes prosperity, the reclining pose represents spiritual contentment, and the children around him signifies many descendants. While there is an evident historical and cultural feel to the street, you can still find McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Dairy Queen scattered about and more modern stores as well.

After roaming around the shops and vendors, we stopped at a café

Glutinous rice balls and mango, Tiffany Luehrs

that specialized in mango dishes and drinks. I ordered glutinous rice balls with fresh mango, and it was the absolute, best mango dish I have ever tasted! The juxtaposition of the warm glutinous rice and the cool, sweet mango was mouth watering. I wish I could remember the name of the café but it completely escapes me. Next time I go, I will definitely write it down and let you know so you can try it as well if you ever find yourself at Hefang Street. I know I’ll be back for some more mango!

This is University

November 10, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambridge, England – Study Center

Sometimes, learning does not come from in the classroom. Studying abroad has taught me that learning can come from anywhere and anything, whether it is in the process of traveling, going to view a play, or simply people watching while sitting at a coffee shop. Another member of the Cambridge cohort, Alec Chase, and I made a lone journey to Ireland a few weeks back and we collected quite a few lessons along the way, none of which we could have ever learned in a classroom.

Cliffs of Moher, Caroline Dienes

Our first learning experience occurred at the Cliffs of Moher. The beginning and the middle of the day went absolutely perfect. The weather was beautiful (sometimes you can’t even see the cliffs because it is too foggy!), and I was able to hike on rugged terrain (one of my all-time favorite things to do). Alec and I also snapped some unbelievable pictures of one another, which people think we created on photoshop. However, this flawless day started to get a few blemishes from our decision to “wing it”.

Don’t ever “wing it” when it comes to traveling. Before we even went to the Cliffs of Moher, our Airbnb host asked us, “When are you guys getting back?” Our collective response was, “We’ll wing it.” After walking to both ends of the Cliffs of Moher, we decided to figure out what bus we could catch to get back to our Airbnb. The last bus was at 5:30pm. We figured out this vital information at 6:45pm. To make a very long story short, we ended up walking about a mile down a dark road toward a tiny town (both of our phones had died at this point) until we finally stopped at a random house and asked if they could call us a taxi. Lesson one: You may want to wing it, but never wing it when it comes to how you will get home from somewhere.

Now, we were told by several people to prepare ourselves to be approached by Irish people at pubs because they are apparently super friendly. On the final night in Ireland, Alec and I were slowly giving up on this foreboding because we sat in a pub for about five hours, and we were not approached by anyone. Then, I got up to pay the bill and the trip to Ireland was changed for the better.

There I was, standing at the bar minding my own business, when an elderly gentleman looks at me, starts singing “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” grabs my hand, and starts dancing with me. To make another long story short, Alec and I ended up at a different pub with Sean and Jerry (the dancing man and his friend). We listened to them sing Irish pub songs while being accompanied by literally everyone else at the pubs. We learned that everyone at this specific pub basically knew every other person there, and we were definitely shown that the Irish are the most friendly people out there. We also got some life-changing advice from our new friend, Sean.

As the night progressed, Sean unleashed his hidden power of guidance giving onto us. He said, “Classes with professors and exams isn’t university. This (gestures toward entire pub) is university.” It may sound like a simple saying that any old, slightly intoxicated, man would blurt out at you, but it really hit me at my core. People keep asking me, “Are you even going to class when you’re abroad? Are you learning anything?” I am going to class here. I’m taking notes, and exams are just around the corner. On the other hand, going out to witness the pub culture, exploring places you have never been before, meeting people you would have never had the chance to meet if you were to be back at Valpo, and being completely on your own is what I think studying abroad is all about. Sean was right. This… this is university.

Stay Fresh,

Caroline Dienes

Oh the Places You’ll Go

November 8, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

When I graduated from high school I remember receiving a book written by Dr. Seuss from my then girlfriend. Titled Oh the Places You’ll Go, it is one of his most famous works, full of color and poetry. Originally I passed that gift off as simply a kind present with an inspirational, if metaphorical, message. I had always professed a desire to travel, wanderlust if you will, but I never imaged the opportunities that would soon be presented to me a few years later.

In the last few weeks, I have traveled all the way from Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany to the tip of southern Sweden with an extended stop in the German capital, Berlin. I’ve taken a variety of transportation from cars to buses to trains and boats. At one point in my journey, the train I was aboard even took a boat of its own while crossing the Nordsee from Sweden to Denmark.

While staying in Berlin, our group took a series of small day trips to significant historical areas in the region. Probably the most breathtaking and emotional site was Sachsenhausen Concentration camp about 40 kilometers from Berlin. The camp was established in 1936 and became one of the largest in Germany with an estimated 200,000 prisoners detained. Visiting the camp was a hallowing endeavor- just imagining the horrors and atrocities that were committed at this camp.

Being a city of culture and historical significance, Berlin attractions range from the Brandenburger Tor, to the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie to Tempelhof Flughafen, the center of the Berlin Airlift, there is no shortage of interesting sites. I rented a bicycle for the day and was able to see so many historical sites that I often read about in history books. If you have the chance to visit Germany, Berlin should be at the top of your list!

After returning back to campus, I was able to reflect on the amazing journey that I have been having so far. I couldn’t but help think back to that Dr. Seuss book and marvel at how far I’ve come in such a short time. I’d recommend a semester abroad to anyone without a hint of reservation. It has been one of the biggest highlights of my life. Don’t hesitate to apply now!

– Ian

Farm Fresh

November 3, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Tiffany Luers

Program: Hangzhou, China – Study Center

Often when you visit a new country you hit all the tourist spots. And while those sites are important to see, sometimes it is also worthwhile to get away from the tourist traps and see some of the lesser known and more authentic areas. I had the opportunity to do just that during our time in Xian. While we did all the tourist activities such as biking on the city wall, visiting the Wild Goose Pagoda, and gawking at the Terracotta Warriors, it was a nice change of pace to spend a day visiting a dairy farm a few hours out of the city of Xian.

Xian is filled with the richest coal reserves in China, contributing to the lower air quality within the city. In addition, Xian is surrounded by mountains, and while the mountains add to the feng shui, the pollution and dust is trapped and sits in the city. The air at the farm was noticeably fresher than in the city of Xian although there was an evident trace of cow manure and corn mixed in the air.

The dairy farm belonged to Li Zhi also known by his American name, Bruce Lee. 14 years ago he knew nothing about cows. His father had oxen so he knew how to raise oxen, but raising cows is a whole different venture. Yet, Bruce persevered and learned through trial and error how to successfully run a dairy farm. He began with around 16 cows and today tends to approximately 500 cows. One of the ways he was able to successfully run his farm was by researching farming methods utilized in other countries. On his dairy farm he uses tactics from Australian farmers and technology that efficiently milks each cow 3 times a day for 5 minutes each. He also gave us a tour of his gardens, where he grows a variety of fruits and vegetables. We learned that the irrigation system he uses for his strawberry fields was inspired by irrigation methods used in Israel.

Lunch was a delicious assortment of dishes made from ingredients grown on the farm. We also tried creamy milk and sweet yogurt courtesy of Bruce’s cows. Well fed and more knowledgeable about farming in China, we headed back to the city of Xian.

A Student’s Guide to Voting Abroad

November 1, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Maia Moore

Program: Hangzhou, China – Study Center

If you are at least 18 years old, a US citizen, and studying abroad during an official election, you will need to turn in an absentee ballot for any and all elections. This can be a little confusing and complicated whether it’s your first time voting or 99^th time voting. This guide will show you a simple step-by-step guide on how to vote abroad!

Step 1: Look up your state’s rules and regulations on absentee voting.

The first thing that one needs to do is find out the deadlines and rules on absentee voting for your state. You can simply use Google to search your state’s guidelines and it should take you directly to the state government’s website. For those of you who have limited access to Google (i.e. students in China), you can go to www.fvap.gov which will have the guidelines and deadlines for all 50 states plus territories.

Step 2: Fill out the FPCA

FPCA stands for Federal Post Card Application. This application registers you to vote and also requests your absentee ballot at the same time. The sooner you turn it in, the better. If you can turn it in before you leave the States, that’s fantastic. If not (like yours truly), that’s okay too! Make sure to check your state’s deadline on when this form is due and your state’s preferred method of delivery. Many states will accept it electronically, but there are still some states that use good old-fashioned snail mail. If your state is a mail-in state, then brush up on those language skills and head to the post office as soon as possible.

Step 3: Voting

Next, you need to actually vote! If your FPCA was received on time and approved, your absentee ballot should be sent to you either 30 or 45 days before the election. Keep in mind that once again, every state has a different method of sending and receiving the absentee ballot. Whether you receive yours electronically or by mail, make sure to fill it out and return it early! If you have not received your ballot and fear that you will not receive it in time, you can always send in a FWAB (Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot). Your local embassy/consulate will be able to help you with this.

Step 4: Reward yourself

This process can be stressful and time consuming if you have to physically mail in your FPCA and ballot. So go out and reward yourself for a job well done with your favorite local treat. You deserve it.

Academics: What’s Different?

October 27, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program: San José, Costa Rica – Study Center

Hola todos!

I have now finished my 6^th week of classes here in Costa Rica, and I have made some interesting discoveries. I am taking 3 classes, one of which is Imperialism to Globalization in Central America: The Ethnology and History of Costa Rica with Heidi and Alfonso, and I am the only student. This has created an interesting class dynamic since I don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of, or to rely on in class if I don’t quite understand a reading. Despite the downsides of being the only student, there are benefits, such as rearranging class to fit my schedule and allow me more time to do homework for my other classes. One thing that is different about this class is that I have to conduct interviews for my field books (short papers). I am not a fan of this since I am shy and find interviews to be awkward, but I am also improving my speaking and social skills by conducting these interviews, so there is an up for every down to a situation. This class overall has been pretty similar to what I am used to since we meet for 2 hours 3 days a week.

San Jose, Caylyn Moglia

On Tuesday evenings, I have a church history class at the Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (UBL). In my last post I explained how I get to class biweekly, and I have now discovered that I can take time to eat or shop in San Jose before taking the bus to Cedros by taking the 4:15 bus instead of the 3:55 bus. Any who, my church history class has a total of 4 students, and we are all women, so my professor changed up the syllabus to focus more on women in the church as well as other themes that we are interested in. This is incredibly different from any other class I’ve had, and I really enjoy it. For this class, we receive a homework sheet each week that outlines the homework due for next week, which ensures that we actually talk about what the homework is. I am thoroughly enjoying this class because it is small, flexible, and the content is incredibly interesting. It’s been a challenge to speak in Spanish about theology and church history since I don’t have the vocabulary, but things are getting easier as time goes on.

Wednesday evenings I’m back at the UBL for my hermeneutics class. This class has eight students, and feels very similar to my Christ College Freshman Program classes since it is very discussion based. The class itself is much harder because I have no background knowledge. There is also a whole new vocabulary to be used that I’m not even familiar with in my native tongue, much less in my second. Homework in this class is handled differently from my church history class, we have a syllabus and are expected to read it and follow it without talking about assignments in class. This class is really interesting even though it is my hardest class, and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

San Jose, Caylyn Moglia

One big cultural difference between my classes here and my classes at Valpo is that during my evening classes, we have a coffee break. This is a great time to let my brain absorb what was just discussed and ready it for the rest of the class. Usually though, I don’t drink the coffee since there isn’t any milk (powder or liquid), and I don’t like sugar in my coffee. The first few weeks of classes were awkward because all of my classmates asked me why I didn’t drink coffee during the break, but now they have accepted my strangeness and leave me alone. My favorite nights are Tuesdays because my professor brings food. Profe (short for professor in Spanish, we don’t really use names) brings us different cakes/breads such as coffee cake, ginger bread, a banana bread, etc, and they are always delicious. Sometime I’d like to make my favorite food, Yorkshire pudding, to share with my class on Wednesdays since there usually isn’t any food.

Overall, the academics have been pretty different from what I am used to, but I love everything about it. Having only three classes has allowed me a fair amount of freedom, which I am now starting to feel comfortable with taking advantage of. It will be interesting to see how my schedule changes in two weeks when my class with Heidi and Alfonso ends, and I start my 3 week long Spanish lit class on the 24^th of October, and in five weeks when my only classes are my UBL classes.

Hasta luego!

Caylyn Anne

No Spain, No Gain

October 26, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambridge, England – Study Center

We started in Germany, Amsterdam, and Prague. Next, we moved to Amsterdam and Ireland. Then, we shifted to just Ireland. And finally, we ended up in Spain. This was the Cambridge cohort’s thought process while planning our first ten day break. As you can see, we veered off in completely, and literally, opposite directions.

To be honest, Spain wasn’t on my list of destinations I wanted to visit with my time abroad. I don’t speak too much Spanish and going to a place where they only spoke that wasn’t really my bag. Also, Cambridge is chilly. I brought tons of sweaters and jeans. Shorts and summer clothes didn’t necessarily cross my mind while packing. I did, for some reason, pack two pairs of shorts and my bathing suit. So, I was somewhat prepared. But, in other ways, not prepared whatsoever for a trip to Spain.

Now, I already mentioned that Spain was never a place I was dying to go to. It was basically a last minute decision made because of a lack of planning for other destinations. However, one of my favorite days out of all the days I have been abroad, has been a day consisting of laying on the beach in Sitges, Spain. I never thought I would be laying out in the sand on a gorgeous beach with my time out of the country.

Telling the story of my time in Spain would take about five pages, so I am going to choose to give some traveling advice instead. The first is about planning your trips. Our group’s original plan was to travel to a variety of places in Europe, places everyone wanted to go. However, we began planning our ten day trip the week before which is the biggest “not to do” on the not to do list. All the prices sky rocketed from flights to places to stay, and everything in between. Thus, we all started searching for literally the cheapest place to
go with such a short notice. And this week, Spain won that battle. Start planning trips well in advance to get the best prices on the places you absolutely want to go visit. Planning and buying tickets isn’t the most fun thing to do, but trust me. It’s better than scrambling to find a last minute resort (no pun intended) when your original places become incredibly out of your price range.

Here’s another helpful tip, which I think is even more important than preparing for all of your traveling. Spain wasn’t running through my mind at all while planning and when it surprisingly became the official next destination, I was almost tolerating it. But in the end, I loved Spain. The gardens and parks were breathtaking, the beaches were the most serene bodies of water I have ever seen, and the people were willing to help in anyway possible, even though the language barrier was a thing. It goes to show that even though plans can go awry in one way or another, make the most of the situation you’re having and turn it into an experience you’ll never forget. Spain wasn’t even a thought, but it was turned into quite the learning experience. That’s why I always say, “No Spain… No gain.”

Stay Fresh,
Caroline Dienes

A Bohemian Vacation

October 20, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany

The Czech Republic is a country with many faces and a rich history dating over a thousand years. It was first known as the Kingdom of Bohemia, which flourished in the area of central Europe with its music and arts. It was later incorporated into the Soviet Union under the Warsaw Pact where it was known as Czechoslovakia. In the late 1980s, the country went through another political change and quickly evolved into the Czech Republic we know today. Very few cities can accurately show the amount of change and evolution that has happened in Europe quite like Prague can. From Soviet era architecture that is painted in vivid colors to classic Gothic cathedrals to traditional Bohemian capital buildings, Prague has it all.

Prague Castle, Ian Olive

I spent four days in Prague, which is just enough time to get to know the layout of the city and see some of its famous attractions. Old Town Plaza, Charles Bridge, and the Prague Castle are all must see landmarks. The Botanical Gardens as well as the Pub Crawl are all things that one must do while there. The city is a glorious melting pot of architecture and culture with endless things to see. Taking the bus or train from Leipzig is super easy and lodging is very affordable. Don’t hesitate to check out Prague and the rest of the beautiful Czech Republic.

My airbnb was in this 500-year-old building.

Student Stories from Around the World

Page 35 of 124

Go Rogue

Una riqueza de la naturaleza – Nature’s Wealth

Man-go to Hefang Street

This is University

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Farm Fresh

A Student’s Guide to Voting Abroad

Academics: What’s Different?

No Spain, No Gain

A Bohemian Vacation

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