Kia Ora! Welcome back to my blog! It has been one crazy week! This week I had the lovely ladies of JCL visit me! JCL (Junior Class Learning) is the program that we are here student teaching with. Mary and Judy (the ladies who run the program) came by to see me and to make sure that everything was running smoothly. Always love a visit from them! Continue reading
Studying abroad has been one of the best opportunities that I have been able to experience in college! It was one of my goals for my college career. And I am grateful that Marymount has such an amazing study abroad office that helped me get here. Going to a new country to spend a semester learning is filled both opportunities and challenges. I get to learn about another place while fully immersed in the culture. I get an opportunity to further develop my understanding of a language. And I also get to meet new people and discover new adventures. However, studying abroad does not come without its own set of challenges. Continue reading
For this blog, I had originally wanted to go in a more fun and lighthearted direction. Being currently sick and last minute events have caused my post to take go in a different direction. The beginning of last week was very laid back, nothing more than just a few days of hanging with my friends. Though nothing exciting happened, I always enjoy just hanging with friends at our favorite cafes during the week. I believe most of our conversation was on the topic of Thanksgiving, making plans for celebration. Though we may have to celebrate Thanksgiving a little differently this year, the fall scenery has made up for it. Fall has been extremely beautiful here and has put me in the best of moods. Though I am currently getting back to these great spirits, it has been an anxious few days. Continue reading
More often than not I find myself overestimating my abilities. This may have come to my detriment when filling out the housing questionnaire for my study abroad trip. On the questionnaire I emphasized my desire to be in a household that I was able to practice Spanish. In my mind I was going to be able to speak fluent Spanish by the end of the month long program. I mean I know how to conjugate -ar, -ir, and -er verbs, what more could you ask for? Another piece of evidence I used to justify my unobtainable goal, was then fact that while in Cuba I was able to order food on my own and asked for directions in Spanish. Of course, I failed to remember the strange looks on native speakers faces when I uttered grammatically incorrect phrases. I simply remembered the fact that I spoke Spanish, and I received an answer in Spanish, which I partially understood. Continue reading
Dobery Den!
Hey there, it’s been a while. So, last week it officially snowed in Prague for the first time. Let me tell you it was nice in the beginning, seeing the snow and touching the ground was relaxing, but when it was time to go outside and go to class, it was brutal. Just imaging walking in the sticky and icy snow; mind you in Prague you don’t get cancelled classes or closed schools. Continue reading
Dobry Den!
So, it been a week since I have been in Prague and I am so glad to say that I am so happy that I have pushed myself to travel abroad for several months. I am so excited to do new things and see new places and meet new people. Prague is so lovely and beautiful; the landscaping here is very ecstatic and elegant with a hint of modern buildings. I just wish that the people here are warmer and friendlier, but they are not, and I get it because it is a part of their culture.
Saying goodbye is the hardest thing to do, but starting all over in a new place is even harder. My journey starts with traveling from D.C. to Turkey to Prague. I was rushing to say my goodbyes to my friends and family since my plane to Istanbul turkey was leaving in under 30 minutes. Continue reading
My first week in Florence has been filled with overwhelming emotions. Happiness, excitement, and nerves to say the least. Moving to a different country for four months is a big change followed by lots of adjustments. These past seven days have flown by. I feel like just this morning I was saying “arrivederci” to my family and friends back home. Continue reading
With the end of the semester so close it seems as if time is moving at twice its regular speed. All of sudden assignments are due, travel dates are approaching, finals are near and all with just under a month left in Melbourne. It is overwhelming mixture of emotions a person can feel all at once and yet I know many international students are feeling the same way.
Incorporating travel within my education beginning my Freshman year was something that I will always be proud of myself for doing. Taking an upper-level course with upperclassmen during my Freshman year so that I could travel over Spring Break, was something that most first-year students shy away from. Since taking that leap, I have been non-stop on the go and wanting to see the world as much as I can. From the Netherlands, to Australia, to Dubai, and to Florence, Italy, I have learned so much about myself and about the world around me that I had not known before. Continue reading
Last night, I experienced something that I have been continuously warned about while living in Madrid – pickpocketing. My iPhone, university ID, and Metro card were all stolen from my purse in a matter of seconds. My stomach instantly felt like it had dropped from the Empire State Building when I became aware of this – I couldn’t believe that I had been so oblivious. Waves of panic, anxiety, fear, and anger surfaced as it hit me that I was in a foreign country with no source of communication, no student ID, and no way to get back to my flat that evening. Additionally, with a trip planned to Ireland next weekend, I will assumingly be traveling without any means of communication if I am unable to find my phone. Continue reading