Valpo Voyager

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Not Like Other Cities

I’ve been here about a week and have come to the conclusion that four months is simultaneously a very long and very short span of time to spend here. England and I got off to a bit of a rocky (okay, boulder-y) start. Admittedly, by the time we had landed I was running on about .2 seconds of sleep, and the line for customs had us slowly serpentining through the room. An hour later, we were sitting on our luggage, waiting for our director Matt, who was stuck in traffic. I was ready to deem the arrival gate as my new bed when Bryn walked into the airport. Bryn, who has been gracing this site with her insightful blogs since last semester, is one of my closest friends at Valpo and Julia (my best friend who is studying abroad with me) and I almost tackled her with hugs. After our reunion, Bryn stayed to greet her cousin also studying abroad, while we hopped on a bus to Cambridge.

I’ve had the privilege of going overseas before, and most of the bigger European cities that I have encountered have become overwhelmingly modernized. Most would imagine Europe to possess a purely historical atmosphere, or at least that’s what I had always expected. Many of them though, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, have been taken over by modernity. Obviously they still have certain marks of their history: Rome still has the Colosseum and the Ruins, Paris has Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. But they also have smoggy, clogged streets, a McDonald’s on every other corner, and huge steel buildings. I knew Europe was a victim of time like the rest of us, but it still disappointed me slightly every time I saw a poster advertising the McMuffin.

Downtown Cambridge

Cambridge is not like these cities. The sidewalks are cobblestone or a jagged puzzle of small cement rectangles. The buildings, connected and rising a few stories on either side of the narrow streets, are centuries old. Spires and towers poke through the town, marking the countless churches and colleges. I felt as though I had been transported back in time, if I turned a blind eye to the H&M. It was beautiful, surprisingly sunny, and unmistakably British.

Our house, too, is not without its English idiosyncrasies. For example, the pipes run outside the walls. Some run next to my bed, so I always know when someone is taking a late-night shower. Also, the bathroom on my side of the house (the house is actually two houses that the Valpo people connected. I live on the “Alpha side”) is located on floor 1.5. Halfway up the stairs to Julia’s and my room, which is on the second floor, the stairs fork, one heading upstairs, the other jutting off to the bathroom and showers. So, if I want to use the bathroom, I have to go down the stairs and back up in a little arc. I’m just saying, the architect may have had one too many beers at the pub before designing this beauty. There are also no screens on the windows because apparently there are not any bugs here, though Julia and I disagree since we saw a huge (okay, relatively small) spider dangling from the knob of our room’s radiator our first day here.

All in all, though, this place is amazing. Julia and I love our cozy room (number 9 ¾) and the monster-size movie collection in the living room. It’s a short walk to downtown, just down the hill and over the bridge (I feel like I’m in a nursery rhyme sometimes when I give directions). Thankfully, fortunately, luckily, we have Bryn. She has already been here for four months, so she knows everything about Cambridge, the house, traveling, etc. She was even incredibly helpful when I, exhausted and already homesick, had a mini breakdown after not being able to properly cover my duvet.

Bridge over the river Cam

This past week has been a great learning experience in multiple ways. We took a tour of Cambridge as a group and found out about the vast history behind Cambridge and the 31 colleges that make up Cambridge University. Fun Fact: former kings of England used to dub themselves kings of France as well, even though they weren’t, and even put the French flower fleur-de-lis on the national flag. Talk about massive egos. Bryn took Julia and me around her favorite parts of Cambridge and helped us navigate through the town. I learned when I went to the pub Baron of Beef that I sadly fall into the feminine stereotype of liking fruity drinks. We all grew up and went to

view of Cambridge from Castle Hill at sunset

Aldi’s to buy groceries sans parental guidance. On the plus side, I can buy whatever I want here, which means chocolate bars and mini pizzas. I figured out when we went to a pantomime of Robin Hood, mainly for kids, that British humor can be pretty raunchy even with a 10 and younger crowd. We also discovered how to plan our own travels, which was slightly liberating but mostly terrifying. Finally, I learned that Julia talks in her sleep in a high-pitched voice, which is really scary at 3:30 in the morning.

This weekend we are going to London, which should be a lot of fun. Julia keeps randomly going, “Ahhh, we are going to London, wooooo!” Which is fine when she’s not doing it in the adjacent bathroom stall. Just a quick aside, my computer is currently not connecting to the internet, which is why I haven’t been posting (I’m on Julia’s laptop). Hopefully that will be fixed soon, so I can post more frequently and won’t have to cram a week’s worth of events into one blog.

So, pip pip, cheerio,

Danielle

PS: I forgot to mention we also started classes this week. My theology professor used to be a punk rocker and my history professor firmly believes that the British “let the American colonies go” during the Revolutionary War because they were “too much of a nuisance.” Decent start.

Me, Bryn, and Julia on our Cambridge adventure!

Expectations, Elations, and Alliteration

January 14, 2014 / Danielle Steinwart / 2 Comments

Although I have already arrived here in Cambridge, I thought I would put something I wrote before I left as my first post. This basically tells you a little bit about me as well as explains what I was hoping to get out of my study abroad experience:

Within the cushiony confines of my mind, I always like to entertain the idea that I’m brave. I would skydive, trek through mountains, scale down buildings, get sorted into Gryffindor, slay a dragon— I submit my daydreams as evidence. But inevitably I remember the truth. I’ll see a spider dangling from the ceiling or something and remember that panicking and I are on a first-name basis. I’m scared of storms (at least I’m situated in the Midwest, a stone’s throw from tornado alley..), flying, insects that look like they could eat small animals, and Quentin Tarantino to a certain extent. Far from courageous, I tend to spend my downtime snuggled up with my roommate watching New Girl.

Thankfully, author John Maxwell in all his wisdom offers some consolation: “Courage isn’t an absence of fear. It’s doing what you are afraid to do. It’s having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory.” And so I applied to study abroad: let the forging begin. I don’t mean to paint myself as a hermit who’s too scared to experience life. I’ve travelled a lot before, mostly to Europe, at different ages and with different people. I have hiked and zip-lined and traveled via dogsled. But all my trips have been no more than two weeks in length. They’ve been escapes, temporary departures from my customary life and self. My time in Cambridge won’t be an escape or a visit; I will be living in England for four months, buying groceries and going to school. If studying is involved, it can hardly be called an escape. I know that there will be moments when I will be nervous, frustrated, and homesick. But the mindset is that there will be infinitely more moments of excitement, contentment, and growth that only a place like England can give me.

This is a travel journal Bryn got me for Christmas!

As a (wannabe) writer, I seem to be perpetually in pursuit of a too elusive prize: inspiration. I feel like a villain in those old cartoons where I’m sprinting to the point of exhaustion while the scene behind me keeps repeating itself, and still I come out unsuccessful. Again and again I try to articulate the jumbled ideas in my mind through beautifully-crafted sentences. But the words don’t come. The inspiration and motivation to write what and how I want is not always present in a musty dorm room. But countless poets and novelists have made England their muse. From breathtaking nature to cobblestone streets of small towns to London’s unique mix of history and modernity, England offers inspiration at every corner. I need this jolt from my familiar Valpo life to a place immortalized in poetry and literature. Although I know that I will still need focus and willpower in England to succeed in my writing endeavors, I believe that either inspiration will finally stop running from me or I will gain the motivation to speed up and catch it.

Apart from honing my personal writing skills, I want to meet new people and learn about their cultures. I don’t like being stereotyped as the typical American who doesn’t know that there is more going on outside of her smartphone or friend group, let alone beyond the oceans surrounding her. I admit that being an American makes me short-sighted sometimes, and there is honestly so much about politics that I fail to grasp. But by leaving home and experiencing and understanding the cultures and lifestyles of other countries, I learn more about the world around me, both its suffering and triumphs, as well as better form my own beliefs. It’s important to befriend people who have different values and opinions than yourself. They challenge you to defend your beliefs and give you bits of their wisdom and insight in the process. It turns out humans can be pretty symbiotic when they want to.

I know during this journey, I will make mistakes, cry for my mommy, and just have those miserable days. I am bound to lose something valuable, and I know the weather won’t exactly be a pick-me-up. But I am willingly exchanging the sun-kissed trend for the sun-snubbed look (and if that isn’t firm proof of my dedication, I don’t know what is). I want to learn and grow and make friends. I want to explore and laugh and be spontaneous..even if it means death-gripping my best friend’s hand the entire flight to Heathrow.

Danielle

Packing for 4 Months: My Attempt at Minimalism

January 14, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

When I was first applying to study abroad, one of the most daunting challenges I faced was figuring out how to pack. A quick google search on this topic will yield some valid, but generic advice. I was able to piece this together into what I thought was a more appropriate list for me and other study abroaders. I wanted to dedicate a post to the great challenge that is packing for a long-term trip. Because that’s the kind of travel blog I want this to be. Not just a list of all the places I go and things I do, but rather a source of practical tips, honest observations, and general guidance for future study abroaders.

One of the biggest inspirations I found in my online search for packing tips was a video posted by a woman who travelled around Asia for a year with just a normal-sized backpack. She’s a real minimalist, and while I surely wouldn’t advise packing that light for a study abroad semester, she proved to me that we don’t actually need anywhere near the amount of stuff we think we need to not only survive, but to have a great time.You can wear most clothes more than once per wash, you don’t need to pack for every “what if,” and you will, in fact, be happier if you don’t have to carry your weight in luggage. This philosophy helped me take a hard look at each item I wanted to pack and honestly assess whether or not I really needed it. Miraculously, I neither over- or underestimated the amount of stuff to take (from what I can tell at this point). The stuff that I decided to put in the “yes” pile was the exact amount that would fit in my suitcase later. Now, I don’t claim to be an actual minimalist. I did fill the absolute maximum amount of free luggage, but I’m proud of myself because a few years ago, that’s the amount I would have packed for one month. In fact, that’s the amount I did pack for one month and it was way too much. This time, I really think it’s gonna last four months.
So I think I’ll start my packing advice with a few examples of what not to pack, most of which stem from my shock and horror at what some of the study abroaders of YouTube suggested. Most of this is more applicable to women, but hey, we’re the ones who usually need help with this kind of thing.

Things not to pack:
Hair dryers/curling irons/straighteners—That’s an obvious one, you don’t want to light your hair on fire. Personally, I decided to avoid this issue by re-perming my hair. Bringing the 80s back! And of course, they sell hair appliances abroad too.

Full-sized soaps/shampoos—It really bugs me how people can’t live without their very specific brands. Don’t waste space and weight in your luggage with this stuff. Just pack travel-sized bottles to last a week, and after that, be adventurous and try the local products. One exception to this is all prescription and OTC medication, which may be unavailable in many areas.

Season specific clothing—Know the climate before you go, and don’t pack a bunch of heavy sweaters or a bunch of short shorts if you won’t need them several times.

Too much clothing/accessories—Don’t bring your entire jewelry collection. I packed one necklace, one bracelet, one ring, and 2 pairs of earrings. Tangent time: I saw some girl giving packing advice on YouTube who had about 15 bras in her suitcase! I can’t imagine why that would be necessary.

Feminine products—This one really gets me, at least if you’re going to Europe. Several girls have
advised bringing your own, but before you waste space on that, just take a second to ask yourself how millions of European women manage to get by with what’s available in their countries. Another YouTube nut actually packed 2 giant Costco-sized boxes of tampons for her trip and acted like that was a good tip. I don’t want to judge others and I know that we all have things we won’t budge on, but I actually laughed out loud at that video and the size of those boxes. Becoming adaptable to new environments is a life skill. Come on girls, let’s learn it!

Too many shoes/heels—The final YouTube nut advised brining about 8 pairs of shoes, 3 of which were heavy boots. Believe me, I wish I could do that, but with no room left in my one suitcase, I had to pick just 4 to pack in carry-on and the heaviest to wear on the plane. Also, you really, really, really don’t want to bring heels to Europe. Heels + cobblestones = pain and embarrassment.

And finally, the worst offense of them all…
American junk food—IF I HEAR ONE MORE PERSON TELL ME TO PACK PEANUT BUTTER AND/OR KRAFT MAC & CHEESE, I’M GONNA LOSE IT! And it’s not just because I don’t particularly like these 2 foods. It’s the principle of it. First, I wish people knew how easy it is to make real mac & cheese that’s infinitely better than the box. In fact, I think I’ll make that my first abroad recipe post! Secondly, I hate the idea of clinging to comfort junk food instead of trying local foods. You have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try some really yummy stuff that you’re gonna miss when you go home. Embrace it and enjoy it!

And now for what you should pack:
Disclaimer: I don’t know if I made all the right decisions, but I did my best, and I feel confident that I’ll have what I need. Sometime during my semester, I’ll do an update post to talk about what I wish I would have packed or left at home.

To start the process, I spread out a big sheet on my floor and pulled things out of my closet, organizing them first into “yes” and “maybe” piles and then into item categories. This is all the clothing I ended up packing:

Some people may find this boring, but I want to list everything I packed because I found it extremely helpful when other people posted their packing lists on their travel blogs. Just in general, I tried to pack mix and match clothiers in mostly neutrals with a few pops of color. I opted for comfort, layering, and versatility above all. If a particular item didn’t match with at least 2 other things, I wouldn’t bring it. I didn’t pack clothes I don’t like, but I also didn’t pack my favorite/nicest things either. Many pieces are hand-me-downs, thrift shop gems, or just sort of on their last leg. That way, if I need to throw things out at the end of the semester to make room for accumulated junk, I won’t have a problem doing that. Finally, remember to wear your heaviest clothes and shoes on the plane. In my case, that’s jeans, my snow-proof walking shoes, and my winter parka.

In the big suitcase:
8 t-shirts/everyday shirts (all short sleeves for layering with cardigans)
3 either casual or dressy tops
1 dressy top
4 cardigans
2 pairs of jeans
1 pair of khakis
1 black dress pant
1 casual khaki skirt
1 pair of longer khaki shorts
1 pair of black leggings
1 pair of yoga pants (that double as pajamas)
2 workout/sleep t-shirts
1 lounge/sleep short
2 versatile black dresses, 1 printed
2 pairs of black tights (because 1 will rip)
5 tank tops/layering camis
1 swimsuit
1 swim coverup/PJ
1 dressy coat
1 spring windbreaker
5 printed scarves (plus a warm one with hat and gloves)
socks, underwear, and bras (but not 15 of them, see above)
minimal toiletries and makeup

To actually pack the suitcase, I first used all of my roll-up space bags, and then packed things by category in gallon ziplock bags. Those are like the poor man’s space bag because you can squish all the extra air out. Every piece of clothing (except jeans) is in an airtight bag, tightly rolled, not folded. I’m really not usually so OCD, I got the bag idea from YouTube too, and it’s brilliant. There’s no way I would have fit everything with any other method.

Carry-on baggage:
My airline allows one carry-on and one “personal item.” Because I would probably go nuts if I didn’t have a guitar for 4 months, I bought a really cheap as-is, travel-sized one that counts as my carry-on. Then i stuffed the case with all of my paperback books. It’s probably not great for the guitar, but I’m not wasting any space. And isn’t it pretty?

So that meant that I only had the “personal item” left in my luggage allowance. Usually, they say this is supposed to be a purse or laptop bag, but I’ve never been stopped in all my years of using my regular-sized school backpack and calling that my “personal item.” That way, I can fit my laptop, my entire purse, plus some other stuff in it. These are the other miscellaneous items I recommend bringing:

Shoes—because there’s no real weight restriction for carry-ons, or at least, they don’t check it. I will wear my good walking shoes and I packed a pair of black flats, converse sneakers, comfortable walking sandals, and shower flip-flops. If it was summer, I would have bought flip flops there but unfortunately, it’s January.

laptop, camera, smartphone at least for wifi use, plus all the cords and chargers, and an adapter
laptop lock
regular lock (for hostel lockers)
ethernet cord (unless you’re confident in the wifi wherever you’re going)
small umbrella
a folder with important documents
one notebook (This is study abroad after all.)
medication/contacts/glasses
sunglasses
minimal jewelry
a bunch of ziplock bags–I heard that they don’t have them in Germany, but I guess I’ll find out.
American measuring cups—For me, that’s a necessity.

Except for a few other little things, that’s pretty much it. Of course I’m afraid that I forgot something, but in the end, the most important thing to remember is that I can’t be prepared for everything, but I will figure it out when I need to.

“Just Like a Tourist” (Costa Rica)

January 13, 2014 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

“Yesterday, our first Saturday here in Costa Rica, the Valpo group met up bright and early for a tour of the National Monument. Thus, we loaded up a van and took a trip to Guayabo de Turrialba, which is an archaeological site.

Once there, we decided to take the tour in Spanish even though they offered to do it in English. What would you have done? 😉

A mini re-creation of how the village would have likely looked.

What is actually present – only the raised bases of the homes, which are actually taller than you think.

After touring Guayabo, we visited the Iglesia de San José de Orosi, which is the oldest church in Costa Rica still used for worship. A larger, more modern church is under construction next door.

The final stop was the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, which is dedicated to the “Lady of Angels.” She has a very unique back-story, in case any readers have a taste for the unusual.

We made a quick coffee stop between church visits, briefly watched a soccer match, and finally worked our way back into San José.

The garden outside the Iglesia de San José de Orosi. ¡Qué lindo!

This weekend trip was the first time I truly felt like a tourist, whipping out my camera at every place we stopped and several times in the van too. However, it was completely worth the while because being a tourist meant learning more about how the history shaped modern culture, and thus how to better understand life here.

There are more weekend adventures to come…beware! :)” -Nola

We’re Capable of More Than We Think

January 12, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

Hi! I’m Kaitlyn Carzoli, a junior German major and French minor studying in Reutlingen, Germany this spring. You can follow my adventures on this page as I dive into the life and culture of Germany and hopefully many other places across Europe! For now, I have a bit of catching up to do, so I’ll start by posting the three entries I wrote before arriving. This first one should give you a little bit of background on why I chose to study in Germany and my hopes for the semester:

As of today, I have about a month left before I leave to spend the spring semester in Reutlingen, Germany, and I couldn’t be more excited! Still, it goes without saying that I’m nervous too. Some of my biggest passions in life are travel, foreign languages, and foreign cultures, but even so, my decision to study abroad was not an easy one. I always knew I wanted to study in Germany at some point, but my fear of the unknown kept making me feel like I wasn’t ready yet. There were so many questions to answer, lists to make, and problems to solve, but if only I had just a few more months, maybe I would be ready by then. And then I realized something. I’m never going to feel ready, so I just have to get on the plane and figure it out as I go along. I’m never going to have all the answers or know exactly what to expect. There will be unforeseen challenges, and I have to make peace with the fact that not every decision I make will be the right one. But learning to meet those challenges is how I’ll grow and learn to trust myself. I know I’ll be a different person when I come back, and I’m excited for that transformation.

Luckily, underneath all my nervousness lies a stronger peace. I know that everything will be okay, because on a smaller scale, I’ve experienced this sort of transformation before. In high school, I studied German for four years, and for some strange reason, I really had a knack for it. During the summer before my senior year, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a month living with a German host family and travelling around Germany with other students. On the first day, I was so terrified that I almost didn’t get on the plane, but by the last day, I would have given anything to stay just a little longer. On my last morning there, I sat down to breakfast, and my host dad told me something that I’ll never forget. Roughly translated, he said that we’re always capable of more than we think. I’ve decided, that’s going to be my mantra in Reutlingen. It sounds cliché, but that summer profoundly changed my entire way of thinking about myself and the world, and somehow, I felt more at home in Germany than I ever have anywhere else. So in a way, I’m thinking of my semester in Reutlingen as a homecoming of sorts. I’m going back to a place that I love, and I’ll get to rediscover all the things that I’ve missed about it.

Like the breathtaking landmarks:

And 500-year-old buildings that look like this:

And this:

And of course, the amazing food!

So that’s just some of what I’m looking forward to this semester. Next, I’ll post my general study abroad packing tips and some pre-departure thoughts. Then, I’ll be all settled in and ready to add new content about my first week in Reutlingen. If you are at all interested in studying abroad at Valpo, keep up with this blog, and if you want to know even more, check out my travel/food blog at spoonfulofzucker.blogspot.com .

Bis morgen!

–Kaitlyn

Seeing England

November 23, 2013 / bryncooley / 1 Comment

So this past weekend, our group did what is called ‘The Castles Trip.’ It’s kind of a strange name, considering there are only two castles we see on the trip ( I say ‘only’ as if that’s a bad thing… I mean, how many castles do you see in America? We’re lucky to be seeing ANY castles!) but the trip was pretty fantastic anyway. It started out, as many of our trips do, very early in the morning. I was pretty dazed, so I don’t remember too much of the bus ride to our first stop, which was Coventry Cathedral. There was some confusion about our tour, which actually gave us time to wander the ruins a bit and even head downtown for some coffee and crepes. The ruins were really cool, still standing from the bombings during WWII. We were lucky it was such a gorgeous day, too. My favorite part of the ruins themselves was the words ‘Father Forgive’ inscribed on the wall behind where the altar used to be. The story goes that the minister or pastor or whatever walked into the ruins after the bombings, found two wooden crossbeams from the roof fallen in the shape of a cross, bound them together, and ordered the words carved into the wall. He didn’t want to say ‘Father forgive them,’ meaning the Germans, because he saw all humanity as fallen, not just the Germans bombing them. It seems pretty incredible to have that kind of compassion for people while standing in the ruins of your cathedral. The new cathedral, built next to the ruins, was absolutely beautiful as well. It was certainly much more modern, and it actually reminded me a lot of the Chapel of the Resurrection back in Valpo.

Next we headed toward Warwick Castle (the second ‘w’ is not pronounced, so it sounds like ‘warrick’). The castle itself was kind of contained, and we weren’t allowed in to all the exhibits with just our regular pass. We did get to go down a small passageway to the ‘gaol’ and through a recreation of one of the Warwick lords trying to become king. I think he managed it, actually. I was mostly disappointed that I didn’t get to go into the BBC Merlin exhibit, because that looked really cool. But that was all okay, because the grounds totally made up for it all. There were these elaborate gardens and a cool river with an old, picturesque boathouse and peacocks wandering around pretty much everywhere. We also got to see a ‘birds of prey’ show, featuring a hawk and a vulture. That was pretty cool, but a bit nerve-wracking when the hawk caught sight of a cat wandering through the show and paused, seemingly contemplating whether going after it was a good idea or not. Thankfully, he left the cat alone and all animals exited the arena safely.

After castle #1, we hopped on the bus and had a short journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, which any self-respecting English major would recognize instantly as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. This was basically the coolest thing ever. I know I say that about pretty much every place we go, but in the moments that I’m in each place, it’s true. This place was cool because we got to tour Shakepeare’s childhood home and walk on stones that he probably walked on 450+ years ago and Kristine, Rachel and I may or may not have been completely freaking out at that point. I mean, we got to see the first folio, and Shakespeare’s signet ring, and the house he lived in. It was pretty freaking amazing. That night, we went to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform Antony and Cleopatra, and we were completely blown away. This performance was fantastic. The casting was flawless, the acting was superb, the set was stunning and the vocals were unbelievable. I mean, really, this was a truly incredible performance. Not that we should expect anything less of a Shakespeare play in Shakespeare’s hometown, but hey. You gotta appreciate excellence when it’s right in front of you. The walk back to the hostel that night was a bit long and a tad scary, but it was totally worth it because that hostel was the bomb. I definitely slept well that night.

The next morning, we took the bus to Bath. Those of us still on an English kick were instantly reminded of Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, but we did not see any references to her in the actual city, unfortunately. What we did see were the wonderfully excavated and preserved Roman Baths, built there over 1500 years ago using the hot spring water, rich with minerals, that flowed from the land. The process of going to a bathhouse was actually much more complex than I had previously imagined, involving saunas and oil massages and the scraping off of dead skin and dirt, all before even stepping foot in any sort of water. But the baths were amazing, considering how far north they are, and how large the complex is. Many people suspect that there are many more intact Roman ruins underneath the rest of the city of Bath, but understandably, no one wants to go looking for them at the cost of huge swaths of the city. After the baths, we checked out the Abbey, the Circus, and the Royal Crescent, some of the cool architectural aspects of the city. That night, at the YMCA hostel we were staying in, a few of us played charades that got progressively more difficult and ridiculous as the night continued. Oh, and I also got a ‘Mississippi Mud Pie’ McFlurry from the McDonald’s… I thought that was ironic.

The next day we went to Stonehenge. The morning was perfect, a bit damp and misty, which added the perfect eerie ambiance to the ancient stone circle. It was crowded but not overly so. We also got those free audio-guides, so we could be told over and over again all about how no one really knows what Stonehenge was for, or how the built it, or why it faces a certain direction, or what it means. It’s a very mysterious place, and I could certainly feel the power of that mystery while walking around it. I’ve heard that some people are disappointed in it, that it’s smaller than they expected or something. I didn’t feel that at all, just for the record. It may have been a tad smaller than portrayed in pictures, but the sheer force behind something that ancient and rustic was enough to make it huge in my perception. Plus, when you think about it, a third of each stone is actually under the ground, so it’s at least 33% bigger than what we can see. It was pretty amazing, and I loved it. The problem with Stonehenge, for me, was that my camera ran out of battery, so those are the last pictures I have of the trip. Thankfully, we only had one more stop before heading back to Cambridge.

Our last place, and castle #2 of The Castles Trip, was Windsor Castle. It is one of the largest British palaces still used as a residence by the royal family. We were all rather offended by the fact that the queen didn’t greet us herself, but well, she must have been busy ( I don’t know, running a country or something. Whatever.). But the castle was really very cool to walk around in. We couldn’t go inside the castle’s chapel, because it was Sunday, but we did get to tour the State Apartments and Queen Mary’s Dollhouse. Both of these things were extremely lavish and exquisitely decorated, and even if my camera had been full of battery life I would not have been allowed to take pictures. I wish I had the room to explain every room we went through that I can remember, but there were at least 20 rooms and I don’t think anyone wants to read the minute details of each and every one. Personal favorites, however, included St. George’s Hall, which was covered in the personal shields of each Knight in the Order of the Garter, and the octagonal room that houses a much of the gold-plated dinnerware and King Henry VIII’s suit of armor.

Basically, this trip was the most quintessentially English whirlwind I’ve been on to date, and I loved every second of it. I feel like, at this point, I have truly seen what England is proud of. I got churches, castles, Shakespeare, and Stonehenge-what more could a girl ask for?

With happiness, awe, and much love,

Bryn

Exams, Experiencing Culture Shock, and the Effect of Snow

November 20, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

No I didn’t get taken, but I have been relatively missing from social media these past couple weeks and I wanted to apologize. I officially have a fully functioning computer, so from now on, I promise posts will be much more consistent.

I’ve done a lot within the last month: explored Madrid, sprained my ankle falling down some ancient steps, entered the famous mezquita of Cordoba, saw Big Ben with my own eyes, and received my official Spanish residency card for the year. Though I’ve had my usual share of fun and adventure, these last couple weeks in particular have been a giant wake-up call back to reality.

The week before last happened to be midterm week.

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if,

A. I was like every other student and had regular midterms every semester. In the history field, I usually have papers. Don’t get me wrong, papers themselves are a lot of work. They just require a different type of work than a multiple-choice test. I haven’t had a proper midterm since the days of living in the basement labs of Neils when I was a science major…

and

B. All of my grades this semester were based upon more than 2 things: my midterm and my final. In all actuality that is how all of my classes are being graded. Only 2 grades for a semester’s worth of work.

That’s a lot riding on just 2 tests.

If you know me well, you know that I am a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to school. I knew that this year of classes entirely in Spanish would be a huge risk for me. I’ve had my fair share of failed tests and bad papers throughout my time at Valpo. Usually, however, classes are weighted with enough papers, tests, participation, and the like to allow for one or two not so perfect assignments. Apparently, it doesn’t work that way in Spain.

So while it’s extremely nice to have 4 day weeks and not have boatloads of readings, 20 pg papers, and in general outside of class work, that also makes for ensured stess leading up to midterms and finals. Not to mention, everything is in Spanish.

It’s a whole new education system to get used to. One that I quite honestly wasn’t expecting.

There have been so many things that I’ve had to adjust to while living here that I never anticipated. It’s amazing how seemingly little things such as your host mom refusing to refrigerate milk, or classes being graded 10-1 vs A-F, all add up to create a huge feeling of being foreign.

Some days, that feeling unfortunately takes over. I’m at the point in the semester where the “honeymoon” is over. I’m still as deeply in love with the city of Granada and with Europe as ever, but now that I know the city like the back of my hand and am a lot more comfortable with it, homesickness has begun to set in a little bit.

On days when I need to buy something, but can’t at the exact moment I want to because the whole city is closed for siesta, or moments when I can’t seem to speak or think a word in Spanish, all I want to do is be back at Valpo where I’m much more comfortable.

Fortunately, I have days like today to remind me just how much I love being here.

This morning on my walk to school, I caught a glimpse of the freshly fallen snow on the Sierras. Suddenly not caring so much about getting to class on time, I took a few moments to soak in the beauty around me. Granada is perfectly nestled within the mountains and I will never get sick of the incredible view. Seeing them covered in snow for the first time was beyond words.

After such a good start, my day and attitude only continued to get better. Booking my flights to Portugal and Germany for winter break, I realized that I only have a month left here before Dec-January break. I won’t be back to Granada until classes begin again in February. Though I’m beyond excited to visit with friends and see more of Europe, suddenly it seems as if my time here is growing very short. I’m blessed to have another semester here and can’t wait to see what it holds. Until then, as I count down the days til break, I’ll be cherishing every moment I still have in this beautiful city.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about those exams I was so worried about? I got my results back. All were not perfect, but I did manage to far exceed the expectations I set for myself.

Maybe I can speak a little Spanish after all.

Putting the ‘study’ in study abroad

November 19, 2013 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

“Studying is an easy aspect of studying aboard to neglect. While we all came here as exchange students knowing that we would have to go to class and study as if we were at home, it’s very easy to get swept up in the exciting and new environment around you and forget all about classes.

Last week we had midterms that counted for seventy percent of our grade. We had four midterms in total covering each of our class. If I had been asked a week before midterms what helped improve my Chinese language skills the most while in China I would have said it had been my day to day interactions with the people in my area. It was not until I started studying for my midterms that I realized why my interactions with people in China had helped improved my Chinese language skills so dramatically.

Every lesson I learned in class gave me the foundation I needed so that I was able to build on it through my daily activities. I never noticed before how dependent the amount I learned outside of the classroom was on what I learned inside the classroom. The material I was taught inside of my different classes allowed me to retain the information I received outside of them.

While studying for our exams last week was both stressful and tedious, it gave us the chance to reflect on how far we have come in such a short while. What I will take away from last week’s midterms is to appreciate the study aspect of study abroad because despite the fact that the classes can be difficult at times, they have greatly influenced my experience in China and have pushed me to strengthen my skills and understanding of the Chinese language.” -Marquisha

Trip to Beijing!

November 19, 2013 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

“About a week ago we traveled to Beijing for the weekend. There was some hesitation early in the week as pollution there has been quite bad. But we took off, knowing the conditions would not be ideal, but that the iconic sights would still be there.

We left early Friday morning from the station and proceeded to sit for about 5 hours on the long but fast ride. We were greeted upon arrival by Professor Lin (he had been touring the country for a week), who put us on a bus and took us to the Temple of Heaven, where we were welcomed by rain, pollution, and our tardiness. We were unable to actually enter parts of the Temple as it was too late in the afternoon. The Temple itself is a humongous park/square type of place with some interesting history relating to the emperor and The Mandate of Heaven.

After a walk around the Temple, we came out by the Pearl Market, where we were those typical tourists bartering and consuming in the portrayed Chinese market. We bought and bought and asked for cheaper prices. Still, a noteworthy place.

Dinner was incredible that night. We celebrated a couple of birthdays in the group over Beijing Duck at one of China’s most famous Beijing Duck restaurant chains. Professor Lin ordered well and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Professor Lin left Saturday open for us to plan our own day. That meant many different things for all of us. However, we all started the day out together by going to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is comparable to the National Mall in DC. On the four sides of the square lie The Forbidden City, The National Museum, The Building of the People’s Congress, and Mao’s Mausoleum. Some of us toured the sites around the square. I chose not to, and I spent my day with a friend eating great food, walking around Hou Hai (a lake surrounded by shops and restaurants in old buildings), and shopping at Beijing’s markets.

Sunday morning we woke up ready to visit one of the sites of the Great Wall. After two days of pretty horrible smog, we woke up to a clear, blue, and beautiful sky. After a short drive but a long trip to the site, we were dropped off at the foot of a mountain. While there, we had a couple of hours to make a climb up and down the wall. I think most of us found the site pretty incredible, as the hype of the site was matched by our experience. A noteworthy feature: the discrepancies between the sizes of the steps. This made the climbs up and back intriguing as some steps varied very noticeably in height.

After the Wall, Lin treated us to another huge meal. We followed that with a traffic-filled ride back to the train station and long ride back to Hangzhou. Overall, a very enjoyable weekend. While we spent a short amount of time in Beijing, I don’t think any of us wasted time, as we all were able to visit and experience the parts and sights of Beijing we found most fascinating. Hopefully though, the short stay there will prompt us all to return and experience more of the nation’s capital. ”

-Calvin

Feeling at Home

November 11, 2013 / hannahheagy / 0 Comments

Hallo alle! I should start out by apologizing that I didn’t post anything last week as I promised. I realized after the first round of “Blog Monday” that although weekly updates would be informative, I might not have something interesting to post every week. A blog every two weeks or so should give me more time to think of good stories and reflect on my experience here rather than just giving a “blow-by-blow” of my week. So I’m back, with (hopefully) some more interesting stories to tell.

: Hiking to Schönbuch!

I have had a beautiful past couple of fall weeks settling into classes, homework and spending time with great people! Last weekend a few friends and I went hiking through the Schönbuch forest past Bebenhausen, which is a small town and monastery near Tübingen. The ground was covered with crunchy fall leaves, which is always fun, and the weather was warm and absolutely perfect. After going hiking in the snow in Oberstdorf, Bavaria a couple weeks before, the warm weather was definitely a positive change! Throughout the Schönbuch forest there are “book trees,” which are tree-shaped cabinets filled with books. Hikers can take a book to read while in the woods or bring a book with them and exchange it for a book already in the tree. How cool is that? After our day of hiking, we carved pumpkins, ate candy, and watched a horror movie to prepare for our Halloween celebration in the upcoming week. A few of our friends had never carved pumpkins before, and it was so much fun to see their reactions to the process (sticking your hand into the pumpkin goo, making a unique pumpkin creation, eating roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin stew, etc.) When Halloween is involved, some traditions from the US naturally have to be involved as well!

: Pumpkin carving!

The next weekend, after an eventful Halloween party (I dressed up as a Starbucks latte, in case anyone was wondering), a few people from Deutsch-Kompakt and I went on a Kennenlernwochenende, basically a “get-to-know-each other weekend,” with the SMD at UniTübingen. SMD stands for “Studentenmission Deutschland,” and they are one of the Christian groups here. I was a little nervous going into the weekend since I knew that I would have to speak German from waking up until going to sleep each day. I was completely right about this, but I had nothing to be nervous about. Everyone we met was so welcoming and willing to talk with my friends and me. The weekend was filled with games, lots of food and hot tea, worship services and praise songs. A few people in the group had studied abroad in different countries in Latin America (including Chile!!), so I even got to speak a little español! This weekend meant a lot to me, since it reminded me how important having a church family is to my idea of being “at home” in a place. Over my first couple of weeks in Germany I went to church by myself, either because I didn’t know anyone or I (wrongfully) assumed that no one would have wanted to come with me. The services were really beautiful and by my second week in Germany I had already made great friends, but I really missed (and still miss) worshipping with friends and the community in the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valpo. This weekend I was pleasantly surprised that along with praise songs in German, we also sang some of my favorite songs from Wednesday night Celebrate services at the Chapel. While sitting in a circle and singing “God of this City” with friends from Deutsch-Kompakt and new friends from Germany, I once again realized that I don’t have to limit “home” to one specific location. I have a home in Christ, and in Him I’ll always be at home wherever in the world I am. This weekend really helped me realize that although I can miss Valpo and Pittsburgh, I can’t let any homesickness get in the way of enjoying and taking advantage of my experience here. I am so blessed to have such great friends here in Tübingen, and people from both Deutsch-Kompakt and around Germany to make up a new church family. “Der Herr behüte dich vor allem Übel, er behüte deine Seele; der Herr behüte deinen Ausgang und Eingang von nun an bis in Ewigkeit” Psalm 121:7-8

Keep checking back every couple of weeks to see what I’m up to! I’m also keeping more day-to-day updates on my ValpoAbroad twitter account @HannahinGermany…follow me!

Peace

and more music!

Student Stories from Around the World