agliwa | UD Abroad Blog

Hungary: The House of Terror

Submitted by Devan Just on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Budapest, Hungary sponsored by the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration…

I’ve been looking forward to this excursion for quite some time, so when the day finally came that we were visiting the House of Terror, I was beyond excited. The building itself is extremely unique, and there is just a feeling of sadness when looking at it. Walking in, I was a little confused, as I guess I was expecting something else. The 1st floor was pretty interesting, especially the setup with the tank. When walking through the rooms, some were definitely more hard hitting than others. Some rooms made my heart sink, as they brought up some pretty painful historical context, whereas others, I felt like the audio guide didn’t explain enough and left me somewhat confused. In class that day, we had discussed how we should pay attention to the way history is presented to us, as it has almost been rewritten by the current political party. I definitely feel like I saw that at the House of Terror. I felt that the significance of some of the events was somehow downplayed. I was honestly disappointed that some of the events weren’t explained as much, and that the violence of this particular era was partially skipped over. The only time that I truly felt that the House of Terror impacted me was when we went down to the basement. That was really what made the visit stand out to me, and I definitely would’ve felt disappointed in the museum if it wasn’t for the basement. Even after feeling as if the House of Terror did not live up to what I expected, I do recommend it. I do think that it holds a lot of historical context and does a decent job at explaining parts of its history. I wish the museum spent more time on the victims, as I feel like the House of Terror does not do them justice. I also have questions about the room with the bricks. I still have no idea the significance of it, and the audio guide did not explain it at all.

I took this picture when we were doing our tour of the Buda side of Budapest. The gates were gorgeous, and some people actually put love locks on them. Behind me, there were guards set up, and right after this picture was taken, they actually did a change of guard ceremony, which was incredible to watch live.

Brazil: Introduction to Manaus

Submitted by Lawson Schultz on the 2020 winter session program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences…

Manaus, the capital of the State of Amazonas, is our first impression of Brazil. The streets in this neighborhood of Manaus are primarily one way. Cars and motorbikes can be seen and heard winding through the city, and unlike many cities in the United States, dense tree coverage can be seen randomly throughout the skyline. While the city has clusters of skyscrapers, most of the buildings are only a few stories high. Very few locals we encountered spoke English, but all were extremely patient and kind. Learning a bit of Portuguese is not only helpful, but also allowed us to express our appreciation for their efforts to make us feel welcomed.

Manaus is primarily a stopping point before we head off to a floating lodge further west in the Amazon rain forest. We spent the day involved in our first Plants and Human Culture and Field Sketching of Landscape Subjects classes. Following an introductory lecture, our group took a walk to a local park. The area included an amphitheater, pond, playset, multiple paths, and unmarked structures. As we arrived, a handful of adults were break dancing on stage, and the whole park was embellished with street art, some appearing to be more officially sanctioned than others. While in the park, we engaged in multiple assignments, all with the focus of developing stronger observational skills. Throughout our time in Brazil we will continue to hone our observational skills to remain present in our travels and add depth to the writing and drawing we practice.

Manaus Buildings This image is an aerial view of the buildings next to our hotel. Near by are dense patches of tropical trees and skyscrapers. — Manaus Buildings – This image is an aerial view of the buildings next to our hotel. Nearby are dense patches of tropical trees and skyscrapers.

Spain: Reflections

Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

The past four months have really flown by. I remember before I came to Spain, I was so nervous about being away from home for so long, but now I am sad to go back! I have really found a new family here with the 20 other students in my program, and I will always be thankful for all of the ways they helped me become a better version of myself. Now that it is nearly time for me to leave, I am able to do a lot of reflecting about the life changing experience I have just had. I got to travel all around Europe with my new best friends, I got to learn so much about the Spanish culture and lifestyle, and I got so much better at speaking Spanish, too! I know that I will be able to take all of the lessons I’ve learned here in Spain and apply them back in my life in the United States. I’ll miss my Spanish life and I’ll never forget all of the incredible memories I made here!

Spain: Good-bye, Barcelona!

Submitted by Ceara Stewart on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…

This is an email containing my wrap-up of my time in Barcelona. It was an amazing three months and I am extremely sad, but also happy to be going home. This place has been my life for the whole semester and I have gotten to know the city so well. I became a local who knew her way around public transport, where to get the best coffee or tapas, and where the best sunset views were. I was able to travel to 8 countries and visit 4 Spanish cities other than Barcelona.

I will miss all the professors that widened my global experience and challenged me. I will miss all the Art Nouveau, especially Gaudí’s fine works (I will be back in 2026 to see you finished Sagrada Família, don’t you worry). I will miss the Spanish food and the people who always would walk up to me and speak Catalan (thank you sir who asked me directions in Catalan and when I said I only spoke Spanish you turned around and left, I will miss you). Yes, maybe there were times or hardship when public transport got messed up because of the Independence riots.

I will miss my host mom Gloria and her amazing traditional Spanish cooking, and her little dog Samba, and her daughter Claudia. Gloria and Claudia helped my Spanish so much and pushed me daily to branch out and become more comfortable speaking. I cannot wait to come back and catch up with them. Along with my host family, I met so many people both from UD and from other universities that changed my life for the better. I think I will miss those people the most because I will be back to Barcelona, but the people who shaped my experience are going back to their own lives and it will be hard to not to be able to message “hey let’s meet up and get tapas”. So good-bye Barcelona. Thank you for an amazing time and it will be something I will carry in my heart forever.

Churros and Chocolate that my host mom and I got at a little Sunday market

My host mom, Gloria, Me and Gloria’s friend, Nati

Visit to Berlin, Germany

Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

On our long weekend, a few friends and I traveled to Berlin, Germany. It was a very impactful experience as Berlin is a important place in history. In this photo, we are at the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall in front of one of their most famous paintings. I am sad that this was my last trip, but I am very happy that I got to visit Germany, a country that I always wanted to go to.

Spain: Class Excursion

Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…

Over the weekend, SAE took us to Seville and Cordoba. We got to see so many amazing things there and also had some free time of our own. Being in the south of Spain made me realize how much I love this country and want to see more of it someday. Of course, Barcelona has already made Spain important to me, but seeing a completely different aspect of the country made me even more intrigued. I never traveled much before coming abroad besides a couple of tropical vacations and most of the traveling I have done here has been to major city centers (which are still super cool and exciting to see!). Seville was just so quaint and beautiful. It made me see that I want to eventually travel to smaller towns with lots of soul and character. I think these places have so much to teach us.

This is the terrace of Palau Guell. My professor took our class here for a field trip.

Spain: Change of Plans

Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…

This week, I had plans to go to Venice for the weekend. They unfortunately needed to be changed ASAP because Venice was in a state of emergency due to flooding. We were flying to Rome on Sunday for the day, so I did already have a flight home and easily booked an outbound flight to Rome to change my plans. My roommate who I was going with no longer wanted to go to Italy because she did not want to spend money on another flight, so I was going to Rome alone. I was back and forth about the idea of traveling to a country completely alone for the weekend because this was something I have never done before. My father wasn’t too fond of the idea and I did not even tell my mother about it, so that made me even more unsure about the idea. It ended up working out that another friend of mine was in the same boat as me and decided to go to Rome for the weekend. However, in the future, I feel like I should be more confident in myself and try to make decisions without the input of others. I am smart and probably would have been okay by myself for a couple of days in Rome, but let my Dad’s opinions get to my head and I knew my Mom would have never supported that plan.

I visited Casa Batlló, one of Gaudí’s most famous works in Barcelona.

Denmark: Two Weeks Out

Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

At this point in my semester, no matter the semester, I always like to look back and think about the broad themes and lessons I learned from it. I’ve been doing this since I studied in Rome, Italy during my first semester of college. Each semester provides an abundance of opportunities to learn new things about yourself, your interests, and your place in the world. In the midst of four papers, two presentations, and a two-hour exam, I’ll have to find some time to squeeze in those thoughts.

The last several weeks have been relatively dormant. I had the opportunity to visit London and meet up with some fellow World Scholars and friends from UD. That will most likely be my last trip outside of Denmark, which means the remainder of my free time will be spent appreciating the country in which I’ve lived for the past three and a half months. I am extremely grateful that I was able to see as much of it as I was, in a huge part due to the determination of my host father in introducing us to Denmark and all of the little treasures it has to offer.

Some people consider Denmark’s small size to be a point of weakness, but in my opinion, its compact size allows its citizens to feel deeply connected to its natural beauty, landmarks, locations, seasons, and everything else that makes the country unique. Moving from one of the largest countries on the planet to one significantly smaller, it has given me a sense of coziness that I’m sure the Danes feel on a day-to-day basis.

Likewise, the introduction of cold weather to the semester has pushed me downstairs to the family room, where I have been doing homework alongside my housemate, socializing with my host family, watching movies and television, and enjoying dessert with some coffee or tea. I’m sure this is what the Danes refer to as “hygge”: appreciating the current moment with those around you and forgetting all of your worries for the moment. I hope, more than anything, that I can bring this ability to appreciate the present moment home with me.

Spain: Thanksgiving with Friends

Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

This past week, we had our Thanksgiving dinner with our program. I absolutely loved it. I am so grateful that I could still celebrate my favorite holiday with my friends who have become my second family here in Granada. As my time here is wrapping up, I am trying to enjoy every last bit of it and spend as much time as I can with my friends.

England: Bristol

Submitted by Danielle Tahan on the 2019 fall semester program in London, England…

I am elated that I ventured to Bristol this weekend, as it was a goal of mine to explore while in England. My favorite UK television series, Skins, was set in Bristol. The series is extremely sentimental to me, so it was extraordinary to visit this location. Bristol is a smaller city surrounded by the countryside, yet is still very lively. I noticed that it is much more of a local area, compared to London in which its diverse nature encompasses more people of different nationalities.

We were able to explore the harbourside and center of the city. I adored the harbor and its tranquil vibe with beautiful views of the colorful neighborhoods. Then the center of the city provided such a lively atmosphere, which was a pleasant contrast from the harbourside. I fell in love with this city and I am inspired to find my way back here, as it is somewhere I would love to live.