Study abroad – Page 3 – Valpo Voyager

Tag: Study abroad (page 3 of 13)

Pamplona

This past weekend, I visited Pamplona with a friend. You may not know anything about Pamplona, but don’t worry! I would love to let you in on Pamplona’s famous sites and festivals. This city is most known for its Festival de San Fermin which is also known as The Running of the Bulls. (I bet now you are saying, “Oh, that city!”) This festival happens every year from July 7-July 14 in the small city of Pamplona which is to the northwest of Zaragoza. The Festival de San Fermin is one of Spain’s most known festivals and people from around the world come to see the craziness that is the Running of the Bulls. My friend and I only visited for the day because it is not a very big city, and one day is enough to get the feel of Pamplona and visit its well-known spots. When we first arrived in Pamplona, we started out at the beginning of the route that the bulls run, “ruta de encierro”. This famous tradition started out of pure necessity as it was the way of getting the bulls to the bullfight located in the Plaza de Toros. People from the city would lead the bulls to the bullring starting the tradition. Later, the tradition of having them run through the streets was banned but still happened every year because it was so popular and unique. Since then, the ban has been lifted because it was practically impossible from having this tradition stopped and the festival now brings many visitors to the city each year. The actual route that the bulls take is very short, only 825 meters. There is one point in the route where the bulls have to complete a 90° turn, the Curva de Estafeta, which is quite dangerous. The end of the route is the Plaza de Toros which is a huge bullring. We were not able to get inside, but judging from the outside, it is huge and historic. If I were ever to go to the Festival of San Fermin, I would try to watch from a balcony overlooking the route. I think that would be the only way to actually see everything safe and sound!

The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)

The Plaza de Toros

The bulls run on this street during the Fesitval de San Fermin

The Plaza de Toros

The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)

We were very surprised to encounter a festival while we were in Pamplona. After some research, I found out that it was called the Fiestas de San Fermin Txikito which took place Friday through Sunday. This festival included music, concerts, activities, and much more. We walked into (quite literally) the festival in the morning when there was a parade of the “gigantes y cabezudos”. “Gigantes y cabezudos”, popular in Spanish festivals and parades, are giants and big heads that are worn during festivals. They usually wear traditional clothing and commemorate historical and acclaimed people. It was interesting to see this and hear everyone singing while a parade of sorts was going on. We picked a good day to visit Pamplona!

The Camino de Santiago goes through Pamplona and the city has many hostels and hiking stores to accommodate those who walk the Camino. The Camino de Santiago (St. James Path) is the name given to the multiple routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. People that walk the route are called “peregrinos” or pilgrims and can choose how long they walk which usually varies from a week to a few months. Many people walk the Camino for spiritual growth and understanding. People have been walking to the shrine of St. James for centuries, and now, people from around the world take part in walking this route. Some routes of the Camino also lead people through Zaragoza next to the famous Basilica del Pilar. While in Pamplona, we walked part of the Camino which is always very well marked. The shell is the symbol of the Camino because shells are commonly found in Galicia, where the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is located. Peregrinos often find shell markers on the sidewalks that lead them along their walk.

A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

The Camino along the ancient city walls

A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

We also spent some time at The Cathedral of Santa Maria which is very gorgeous. We loved looking at all the beautiful chapels and alters. There is also a museum included in this cathedral called the Museo Diocesano. This was also petty interesting as it included a variety of religious relics.

La Ciudadela, another famous site in Pamplona, is an enormous park that is almost as big as the city center itself. It was constructed for military uses centuries ago, but now is a huge grassy area. The unique thing about this park is that it not just flat, but is constructed from many layers. It’s actually quite difficult to describe, and therefore I will let the pictures do most of the writing. This place was quite fun to walk around it. Oftentimes we could not figure out how to get to another level of the park. La Ciudadela is also a great place to rest and catch some sun in the middle of a day of walking.

I obviously did not take this, but it shows a great view of La Ciudadela. http://www.aireg.es/la-ciudadela-de-pamplona/

I did not expect to learn as much as I did in Pamplona! I you are ever in Spain, I suggest spending a day or two in Pamplona to walk the route the bulls run and explore this charming city!

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Side Note: If you follow world news, you probably heard about the Catalonia voting which occurred on Sunday (9/27). Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain that is home to Barcelona. Catalonia has been trying to become an independent nation and this voting for seats might propel this into action. My professor said basically that the Catalonian party for separation (Junts per Si) won seats in the parliament, but it is still a long process if they are able to get independence. I have found two articles about this topic here and here. I am by no means qualified to inform others about Spanish politics and I think these will help you understand this subject if it interests you.

The Pyrenees/Los Pirineos

September 23, 2015 / Bethany Weiss / 1 Comment

On Sunday, a group from the University had organized a day trip to El Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido in the Pyrenees Mountains (Los Pirineos) which is in the north part of Spain and borders France. This park has 22 different hiking routes and is the second largest national park in Spain. I quickly signed up for this opportunity to go on a hike and get out of the city! While I am learning to love the city, I needed a break from Zaragoza and have been eager to see the countryside and mountains which I had been told about before coming to Spain. For someone who has only ever lived in flatlands, this trip seemed like it would be a fun and memorable experience.
Our group of over 100 foreign students left at 9:00 am for Ordesa which is about 167 kilometers (103.7 miles) north of Zaragoza. After a few stops and wrong turns, we finally arrived to the start of our hike at 2 pm. It was a little scary looking out the window and seeing the steep cliffs below. The roads were narrow with bends, twists, and curves so we were happy to arrive and ready to start the hike.

The view from the bus

At a stop before the hike

The hike was 17 kilometers (10.56 miles) total and had an elevation gain of about 500 meters (1640 feet). A majority of the time, we were walking along a stream which included waterfalls occasionally. The hike started out pretty flat, but that ended soon enough. Every corner and turn during the hike seemed more beautiful than the last one. When we were done with 2/3 of the way to the final waterfall, we stopped to have lunch by the stream. Some friends and I ate while sitting on top of the rocks in the water allowing our feet to take a break and feel the cold water. The rest was much needed and a great chance to take in the serenity of the land. After that, we set off to get to our destination before turning around to leave. The last 1/3 of the trail to the final point was definitely my favorite. After hiking some steep trails, the trail opened up to a huge valley with greens, streams, and more waterfalls. The scene was quite different from what we had been seeing the rest of the hike. This valley was very open and vast.

Where we stopped for lunch

The open valley

With friends from Germany and Italy

I have read that Spain is a pretty popular destination for hikers, and now having a bit of experience, I can absolutely agree. The hiking websites and books will tell you this, but I suggest hiking in the fall or spring. We went hiking on September 20 and it was the perfect day. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze throughout the day which did not make it hot. Any earlier in the summer probably would have had me complaining about the heat and the sun.

Our final spot before turning around was a grand waterfall at the edge of the valley. Many hikers continued on past this point, but it was very steep and for more experienced hikers. After some time spent here, we headed back. The way back took much less time because it was downhill. We got back to the buses at 8:30 and left shortly after. We returned to Zaragoza at midnight which was pretty tiring (it’s all ok though, I took a four hour siesta [nap] the next day). I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to go hiking in Spain! If you are ever in Spain, please consider hiking a trail as there are many different trails with varying length and difficulty.

The waterfalls were gorgeous!

The final waterfall

The City/La Ciudad

September 9, 2015 / Bethany Weiss / 1 Comment

Zaragoza is home to around 600,000 people and is the capital of the comunidad autónoma of Aragon. (Comunidades autónomas are comparable to US states.) Zaragoza (sometimes spelled Saragossa) is the 5th largest city in Spain and has become a tourist destination for many Spaniards and Europeans. Zaragoza was the host of the 2008 International Exhibition (Expo 2008) which brought many tourists and attention to the city.

Caesar Augustus

Before coming to Zaragoza, I did not know much about this city except that it is rich in history and is a major city in Spain. My knowledge was pretty limited. However, I have increased my understanding of Zaragoza and been appreciating its beauty and history during this past week and a half. I learned before going on this trip that it is a good idea to travel within the city the first few weeks of a study abroad experience. By doing so, the city you are staying in will feel like home and you can discover your favorite spots in the city right away. I have already found some of those spots in Zaragoza because of my travel through the city with friends and my host mother.

I have learned that Zaragoza was founded by the Romans in 24 BC under Caesar Augustus’s rule and the name Zaragoza comes from Caesar Augustus. If a numerous amount of people say his name hundreds of times over many years, his name eventually turns in Zaragoza. His statue is in an ancient part of the city nearby the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar which is a special part of the city that I love to visit.

El Pilar

El Pilar

La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar/The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is what I previously referred to as the Cathedral, but is actually the Basilica. (The Cathedral of the Savior is another famous site in Zaragoza which I have not gotten a chance to visit yet. Living in a city with so many famous churches can get a bit confusing!) Most people here just refer to The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar as El Pilar. I was able to attend Mass here on Sunday which was a really wonderful experience. The churches here usually have around 3-4 services each Sunday and El Pilar has even more. There is Mass every day at El Pilar, but on Sundays alone, there are 12 different services. My host mother and I went to the 1pm service which was very full. El Pilar was crowded with people attending Mass and people just visiting the building. Many of the people at the service were visitors, but some live in Zaragoza and come every week. Later, we went up one of the towers of the El Pilar to see the entire city. When the elevator door opened, we were greeted by a spectacular sight of El Pilar and the city. We then climbed a small spiral staircase to the top of the tower which confirmed my slight fear of heights. I cannot write enough about the excellent view of Zaragoza surrounded by mountains.

I went to the top of this tower of El Pilar!

The Ebro River and El Pilar

El Pilar

As you can see, the Ebro River runs through Zaragoza with picturesque bridges like the Piedra Bridge and Santiago Bridge. Further down the river, la Pasarela Del Voluntariado shows its beauty as a pedestrian bridge. This bridge was built to honor those who volunteered with Expo 2008.

La Pasarela Del Voluntariado which is a pedestrian bridge built to honor volunteers who helped with Expo 2008 in Zaragoza.

Zaragoza is also home to the beautiful Palace of La Aljafería. Originally an Islamic Palace, La Aljaferia, along with other ancient buildings make up the Mudejar Architecture of Aragon known as a Cultural World Heritage Site. After being an Islamic Palace, it was ruled by Christians and later was the Catholic Kings’ Palace. Since then, it has gone through renovations and restorations. This Palace is an incredible treasure of Zaragoza and is similar to La Alhambra of Granada, Spain. I already want to go back to this site to take it all in once more. I went through it fairly quickly, but plan on returning with more time to spend in this famous palace.

Courtyard inside the Palace of La Aljafería

La Aljafería

I still have plenty to see and do in Zaragoza, but I have gotten a good start on experiencing the whole city. I already know which sites I want to visit again with friends. I am thankful to be learning about this fantastic city!

The Past 48 HRS

September 6, 2015 / Brianna Bennett / 0 Comments

Traveling to China was an experience in itself. As I entered the airport terminal the flight attendant announced that the passengers would soon begin to board. First class. Business class. Premium economy and then there I was, my seat number had been called. I then grabbed my carry on, along with my passport in hand and prepared for a journey that would change me for the rest of my life. I didn’t know what to think of the 17 hr. journey, however I did come prepared with countless movies downloa 20150824_090503 ded on my Ipad as well as an awesome playlist that would keep me grounded as I flew through the skies. 10 hrs of sleep (more or less), 2 movies, and a 2hr playlist later there I was, in Hong Kong. It was not my final destination but rather the first of two stops I had before I would reach Hangzhou. As I landed in Hong Kong a huge sigh of relief came over me as the hard part was now over. I had another 2 ½ hr flight from Hong Kong to Shang Hai but that seemed minuscule compared to the 14 ½ flight that I had dealt with previously.

Everything had gone well, the hardest part of the trip was now over and I was that much closer to Hangzhou. That is, until an error occurred with my groups tickets. Unfortunately we were booked on two separate flights, half of us had a connecting flight as soon as we landed in Hong Kong to board a plane to Shanghai. The other half however, was booked for a flight to Shanghai the next day. Essentially, we were all stuck in this foreign country where English was not the first language and had to figure out what to make of this situation. We had two choices: work with the airline company and try to stay together or we separated and hoped for the best. We chose to stay together and as we did our stay in Hong Kong got longer. We were put up in a hotel, courtesy of the airline company, and that following morning we would all depart from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

Although calling our teacher, calling our travel agency, conversing with the airline company and panicking in our spare time only allowed us to have 4 hrs of sleep, in an actual bed, we knew this trip would be worth it. So, the following morning we arose from our beds, and headed back to the airport we had only been 4hrs previously. Again with tickets and passports in hand, I walked into the now, Hong Kong terminal and awaited for my departure. That is, until the plane got delayed for another hour but nonetheless we made it to Shanghai. From there it would only be a three hour drive from Shanghai to Hangzhou, our final destination but who could have known that a 3hr drive would quickly turn into 6hrs. due to rush hour traffic. By then everyone was both mentally and physically exhausted but there we were, finally standing in front of Zhejiang university, A place we would call home for the next four months and it had been so worth the wait. 2 days later, Chicago–>Hangzhou ETA 48hrs.

The Journey/El Viaje

September 2, 2015 / Bethany Weiss / 6 Comments

The bus terminal at the Madrid airport, one of my first impressions of Spain

I am here at my home for the next 4 months, España. The act of coming here by myself sounds slightly terrifying, but it actually could not have gone smoother. The trip was long, but, call me crazy, relaxing in a sense. I think when you are left in an airport or in a plane for a certain amount of hours, there is nothing left to do but use those moments to take a break. I left my home in Bay City, Michigan around 9:00am on Friday, August 28. My parents and I were at the Detroit airport around 12:30 (after a stop for breakfast) and a few minutes later I was saying goodbye. Then I took a flight to Atlanta and around 7:00pm I was on the 8 hour flight to Madrid. On this flight, I sat next to a student from Ohio who is spending this semester in Madrid. Before I left for this trip, I was told by veteran solo travelers that I’ll meet people easier when traveling alone. I was pretty surprised at how quickly that happened for me. I enjoyed her company just being reminded that there are a lot of people like myself not only studying in Spain, but studying across the globe. After landing at 9:45am local time and getting my luggage, I had a few hours to kill before boarding the bus to Zaragoza which was spent people watching. Once aboard the three and a half hour ride to Zaragoza, I took in the Spanish countryside in between moments of sleep. I noticed a few things during the bus ride. 1. Mountains for days. No, they are not the huge ones in Colorado or Alaska, but they are mountains nonetheless (especially for a flatland girl like myself). 2. The countryside looks pretty dry (at least where I was). I did not see much green grass at all 3. The heat. The inside of the bus showed the temperature, but of course, in Celsius and I am not super familiar with Celsius. I saw 35° and thought, “Oh, that can’t be too bad.” Then I got out my phone and used the converter and saw that 35°C is about 95°F. Definitely warmer than when I left The Mitten State.

The view from the bus ride

I arrived at the bus stop around 5pm local time which was 11am Eastern Time where I was greeted by my gracious host mom. Much to my surprise, I was not that tired even though I had only gotten a few hours of (not so great) sleep on the plane and bus. My host mom and I took a bus to her neighborhood and then walked to her apartment (during which I was wondering why I had packed so much) where I ate some food and took a much needed shower. That night, we went to some stores near her apartment and walked around the city. It was then when I got my first view of the famous Cathedral in Zaragoza. La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is known throughout the world and is a truly fantastic sight. We turned down the road to the Cathedral and a musician was playing Ave Maria on the violin. The music, people, and Cathedral all together resembled a dream.

The musician with the Cathedral at the end of the road

La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Since then, I have gone inside the Cathedral briefly and have seen only a portion of the beauty that this Cathedral holds. I’m looking forward to going back often. My host mom showed me around some other famous sights of Zaragoza, and I tried to take it all in. I was also struck by how Europe, in some cases, is just like the movies. Yes, I have only been here for a few days, but the mopeds are everywhere. It’s so picturesque when I see them coming down the cobblestone road with a gorgeous old building in the background.

As far as first impressions go, this one was pretty wonderful. My journey here went very well and my first few days have been great. I’m looking forward to an adventure-filled semester here in Spain!

Three Down, One To Go| Why Africa?

April 8, 2015 / Katie Wilson / 0 Comments

This is one of the biggest questions I’ve gotten since I announced back in September 2014 that I was going to spend a semester studying, traveling, and interning in Southern Africa.

For starters, why not? Africa is beautiful and it has beautiful people. To be honest, Africa has held an allure to me for as long as I can remember and I’ve had it on my bucket list for a long time. Many people I know put Europe or Asia first on their list of places to travel, but mine has always been Africa. Something about the culture, the environment, the mystery had me completely smitten. When I started surfing a few years back then the amazing surfing culture in South Africa also caught my eye. Some people might view Africa as this untamed place, almost wild, and that’s what hooks me. I loved the prospect of being in a culture that was so different from my own Western world and being with people who I knew could teach me new viewpoints and a way of thinking. I loved how historical and influential Africa had been on the rest of the world. Part of the mystery and pull Africa had for me was the fact that I would be so out of my element like nothing else in my life and I relished that challenge. I knew that no matter what, I’d be in Africa (whether volunteering, working, or just on my own crazy backpacking whim) the very first opportunity I got.

When I started college, I knew I wanted to go abroad. I was willing to do whatever possible in order to make it happen. Interestingly enough, one of the colleges I looked at had a study abroad program in Southern Africa offered to students sophomore through senior year. I would be lying if I didn’t say that was one of my main deciding factors when I finally choose a University. Freshman year rolled through and I kept talking about eventually going to Africa without really knowing how to put my plan into action or what it would really mean or what would actually be involved– I just really wanted to go! Then sophomore year rolled around and I experienced some major life changes. It was in a very blah night that I decided I needed a life change and right then and there I decided I would follow my heart and the desires that had been rooted there for so long and try to go to Africa that spring. I went to my parents and my academic adviser the next day and that started the giant ball rolling. Surprisingly everyone was SUPER supportive and encouraging and the more I found out about the Southern Africa study abroad program, the more I realized it was a perfect fit for me and my academic studies. Africa really was perfect for me.

During the final month I spent stateside and after I made my travel plans official I had a lot of people come up to me and ask about my trip. I got a variety of responses but some common ones were “Oh good for you”, “Are you going to work in an orphanage?” “Aren’t you afraid of Ebola?”. The stigma and misconceptions surrounding Africa are huge but I knew that I was going to be taught. What I’d be taught was a little more obscure but I didn’t care. I was completely willing to be open to this new experience and whatever was thrown my way. I wanted to be broken down and remade. I was fearless in traveling to Africa because I knew deep down that it was exactly what I was suppose to be doing with my life.

So it’s now three months into my travels through and studies in Africa and I can happily say that each of my desires have been fulfilled and are continuously being fulfilled every day. Africa has been challenging, heartbreaking, miraculous, and beautiful all in one. It has given me everything that I hoped and provided so much more than I could have ever imagined. Things have happened where in the moment I didn’t know I needed and I’d spend a lot of time confused or making gripes, but looking back I realize it was exactly what I needed. During my first two weeks here, I learned more about life and humanity than I learned in thirteen years of school. And in three months, I have learned more about myself and what I am capable of and I am so thankful. Not every day here is easy and not every day is happy, but what matters is how each day is taken in side and each day is a chance to discover a little more about yourself and the world around you. Coming to Africa has been a blessing and with one more month left to love, I can’t wait to see what other joys are coming.

(Spending the day with my Host family’s little ones.)

Pretoria and Welcome to Namibia!

January 23, 2015 / Katie Wilson / 0 Comments

To say our final thirty-six hours in South Africa, were bittersweet is an understatement. While all of us weary travelers were exhausted and home stays had given us a teasing taste of finally being settled in again, Johannesburg was beautiful and no one was ready to leave South Africa yet. Our final day full day we packed a ton of activities in, which also was tribute to the intense academic and adventuring schedule that had occurred for the past nine days. We woke up as the sun was starting to come up and headed out to Pretoria — which is the capital of South Africa– to visit the United State’s Embassy, Freedom Park and Voortrekker Monument. The drive to Pretoria takes about an hour so I took advantage of that time to doze back off but woke up in time to view Pretoria as we passed through. First glance, Pretoria seems a lot cleaner than Johannesburg, it’s also notably smaller in size and population. I wish we could have spent a day or two exploring Pretoria because aside from it’s tourist and historical monuments and elements, it looks like a fascinating place to be.

Pretoria from the Hills

The visit to the Embassy was educational and is home ‘base’ to approximately 28 Government departments and agencies. Part of this can be contributed to the United State’s strong business and trade partnerships with South Africa. As of 2010, the United States was South Africa’s third largest trading partner falling after Germany and China. The US is also the largest source of foreign direct investment in South Africa and the Embassy regularly holds workshops on entrepreneurialism, small and medium business management, and financial planning for businesses. It was an interesting visit as the traditional blanket role is to protect the American individual overseas, but the Embassy reveled to me that it’s also any American investments and accessories. It also put somethings in perspective for me since I have considered professions within the International Government sector and the trip shed some more light on what that would actually be like in practice.

After the embassy, we went to Freedom park and took a long walk around. Freedom Park is a beautifully constructed tribute to those who lost their lives in South Africa’s turbulent history. There is a wall of names which dedicated to all those who were killed during the South African Wars, World War I & II, and during the Apartheid.

Wall of Names

The museum part of the Park hosts elements from the beginning of Africa’s geological conception, 3.6 Billion years ago all the way to recent years where it serves as a means of symbolic reconciliation where past elements can be laid aside in order to heal.

Following Freedom Park, we went directly across the hills to the Voortrekker Monument which memorializes the opposite side of history. The Voortrekker Monument pays tribute to the other side of South African heritage.

The inside was pretty spectacular. It is called the “Wall of Heroes” which is decorated by 26 hand-carved, marble, Italian mural like works that chronicle the Afrikaner assent into South Africa and the pioneer history that the country has. The large circle opening is where the Cenotaph in the Cenotaph Hall can be viewed.

Wall of Heroes

But the most incredible part of the Voortrekker was the view from the very top of the monument. You could see for miles in every single direction. It was absolutely breathtaking to see Pretoria in this fashion. I’d also say that for this reason, the Monument was my favorite thing we did that day.

It was really fascinating to see Freedom Park and the Voortrekker in the same five hour time span. Both cover vastly different sides of history and it’s very interesting to see how each side has been memorialized and celebrated by the South African people. After a long day of running around, our group had dinner in Mandela Square and I got to take a picture under the giant dancing Mandela statue with my friend Jordan.

Mandela Square!

The next morning we flew to Namibia and got to see our new home! The house is beautiful and I’m feeling so blessed to be here. The last ten days have flown by fast and it’s crazy to realize the first leg of my adventure is over. I still have 102 days of adventuring left and I plan on taking advantage of every second.

Horseback Riding to a Waterfall in Puriscal

January 19, 2015 / Navy Browning / 0 Comments

Soweto, Guateng, South Africa

Welcome to Johannesburg!

January 15, 2015 / Katie Wilson / 0 Comments

Greetings from South Africa! It’s been a crazy last couple of days since arriving late on the 11th of January. The weather is warm, the sky is blue, and my heart is open to everything around me. The beginning of our trip (Jan 11-21) kicks off with ten intensive days in Johannesburg, South Africa and the surrounding area. Believe it or not, the flight here wasn’t horrible. The journey started with leaving home at 5 in the morning, flying out from O’Hare at 9, landing in Washington Dulles and hanging out there for six hours and then boarding South African Airlines. We also had another layover after seven hours of flying in Dakar, Senegal but most passengers did not deplane. Finally, after a few take-off delays we landed in Johannesburg at 7pm (which is 11am CST). Everyone was pretty exhausted so we ate some dinner and toddled off to bed.

Flying South African Airways

The first two days were spent learning about the South African liberation struggle and the Apartheid. We had an incredible speaker and guide named Moleffi who was personally active in the liberation struggle. The culture here in South Africa is something to be embraced, and I am so excited to absorb every second of the next four months. We traveled around Soweto which is the largest township in South Africa, home to 32 communities and estimated 4.5-5 million people.

Soweto, Guateng, South Africa

We also visited many sites that are significant to the liberation struggle such as the Hector Pieterson Museum and Kliptown where the Freedom Charter is inscribed. The Freedom Charter is a set of core principles “made for the people and by the people” that the South African Congress Alliance developed and contains such statements such as: ‘The People Shall Govern’, ‘All Shall Be Equal Before the Law’, ‘All Shall Enjoy Equal Human Rights’, and ‘There Shall Be Peace and Friendship’. Yes, it is an idealist document but a revolutionary one at that.

Looking up in the Freedom Charter monument

Hector Pieterson Museum

We also drove around Kliptown, which is one of the oldest communities in Soweto. It’s beautiful and resilient here and I’m getting use to being stared at as our big bus drives by. Most people are super friendly though and if you gibe a smile, you’re guaranteed to get one back.

One of my favorite places we traveled to was Orange Farm. Orange Farm is small in land, but large in community with an estimated one million people which makes it one of the largest informal settlements in South Africa. While we were there we visited a rycycling center which is a source of many women’s income. It’s awesome to see a community creating and developing an eco-conscious program which directly benefits back to it’s community.

We also visited the local preschool and since it was the first day back to school for the little ones, we got to visit them too (yay!). In talking to some of the lovely women who run the preschool, it was great to hear how passionate they were about these children and providing them with an education. After visiting Orange Farm, I’m walking away with a new appreciation for how much I have but also an appreciation for the Human resilience and determination. The hearts and hopes of the people we met there are bigger than the sky, which is incredibly inspiring, and they do so much within their community from the recycling plant, support groups, and the preschool.

On Friday, I departed for my first homestay in Soweto with Maddie another girl from my group. We stayed at a B&B (Bed and Breakfast) and had the most incredible time. Friday Maddie and I both were sick (which was really unfortunate) but our Hostfamily was incredibly gracious and understanding. When we were feeling better, we spent most of the weekend hanging out with our host-sisters, going for walks, hanging out in the park, going to the mall, and just getting to know eachother.

Maddie and I with our beautiful host-sisters.

We had a ton of amazing conversations and I loved asking my host sisters and their friends questions and answering their questions in return. Just in conversation alone, I learn so much about the culture and the daily life that goes on. We also visited some of the other people in our group that were staying with their host family to have lunch. I’m pretty sure I could have died completely happy that day from the amount of fantastic food MaChanza made for us.

Homemade Bread with MaChanza and Abbie

For me, it’s an amazing experience to be immersed in such a beautiful country that is rich in both history and culture. Each place we visit is not only historically significant in regards to the Apartheid and liberation struggle, but often also a juxtaposition between what used to be and what currently is. There’s so much to look forward to this semester and this is only the beginning so stay tuned!

Hugs from around the world,

Katie

Why You Shouldn’t Study Abroad: End of Semester Thoughts

December 20, 2014 / Katie Rinda / 0 Comments

Everyone who has ever studied abroad comes home saying the same thing:

“It was the best time of my life! I learned so much! Saw so much! Everyone should study abroad!”

I’m not home yet (I won’t be until June, as I have an internship next semester here awaiting me), and so I’m not going to echo what so many study abroad people before me have said. Those are the kind of people that tend to make me suspicious, whose blind adoration is intimidating, rather than welcoming. I will instead, lay down the reasons that you shouldn’t study abroad. No, I’m not going to go into logistics, like money, time, or the other details that can prevent you from heading off to see the world. These are the things that ensure that your time abroad will be wasted.

Like everything else, going off to learn and experience life in a foreign country can be pretty awesome while simultaneously being very awful. You have to take the good with the bad, like how engineering majors balance heavy workloads and sleepless nights for a challenging rewarding career. If these cons outweigh the many, many advantages of study abroad, don’t go.

Why You Shouldn’t Study Abroad:

1. You absolutely cannot function outside of your controlled environment. You are the kind of person who is absolutely worthless when you don’t have your coffee at precisely 9 am, when your alarm clock isn’t set to the loudest buzzing known to man, when the class schedule varies a bit. You plan everything, and everything is organized. Study Abroad, is not for you, my precise friend. There will be too many unknowns, and you will be unable to predict them. It’s really okay. I’m not judging you for this, as you are probably the person who keeps the world running when I’m off traveling.

2. You are deathly afraid of not understanding what’s going on. If you depend on understanding everyone else’s words, and the cultural norms, study abroad is not for you. There is never a moment that you will ever be able to understand every aspect and every conversation in a new culture. More importantly, study abroad requires a brave heart, one that does not cower in the face of the new and unknown.

3. You cannot survive without your support network, or you are the key support for someone else. If you rely on a group of people to navigate all life matters, you will be lost in the lost distance world of time zone changes and internet communication. You will not have the means or time to contact home everyday. While the internet has made communication across the pond much, much easier; it cannot fix all ills. If you need to be in someone’s physical presence, you should not study abroad.

4. You don’t think experience is a good way to learn. If you think the best way to learn is in a classroom, from a textbook, written by an expert, instead of by your own life, then do not study abroad. You will not get anything from the myriad events and lessons that life in a foreign place will teach you. You will not enjoy the full experience of new food, new people, and new ideas.

If these don’t sound like you, then you really should study abroad. If these aren’t obstacles, but challenges, you can handle the growth experience that is study abroad. Go and see the world.

Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Tag: Study abroad (page 3 of 13)

Pamplona

The Pyrenees/Los Pirineos

The City/La Ciudad

The Past 48 HRS

The Journey/El Viaje

Three Down, One To Go| Why Africa?

Pretoria and Welcome to Namibia!

Horseback Riding to a Waterfall in Puriscal

Welcome to Johannesburg!

Why You Shouldn’t Study Abroad: End of Semester Thoughts

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