Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
On Monday evening, I received the news that my dog had passed away at home. It was a phone call I never expected and never wanted to hear while I was so far away. It was by far the worst night I have had since I’ve been here. I was absolutely devastated because she was our dog for 14 years and I left for Spain not knowing that was the last time I would see her. My roommates were really supportive and even bought me some ice cream to try and cheer me up a bit. I wasn’t myself for a few days. I was quiet, not in the mood to socialize much, and was easily flustered or frustrated when something went wrong. This was definitely, and hopefully will be, the greatest challenge for me here.
Some of my friends and I went kayaking in Costa Brava over the weekend. We got to kayak through beautiful coves and snorkel in some of the reefs.
Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
At the time of my writing this, I am only about 24 hours into my trip to Berlin, Germany, but next week’s blog post will include reflections from the entire vacation. For the time being though, I would just like to reflect on the trip so far and what it means for my semester going forward.
To begin, I should point out that this travel adventure is unlike any I have ever embarked on in my life. At the same time that I am unburdened by the typical social pressure of these types of excursions outside of the host country, I am solely responsible for my itinerary, budget, and problem-solving. Fortunately, Berlin has no shortage of things to do and see; I also pride myself in my frugality. But problem-solving? Well, I suppose that depends on the problem. Certain problems like travel delays (which I had) and language barriers (which are a dime a dozen in Europe) are easily workable. Travel delays are not typically crippling to one’s experience, and mine was a simple 30-minute bus delay coming into the city. In terms of the language barrier, only certain individuals grow impatient when you can’t quite understand them; restaurant employees and ticket salesmen are used to misunderstanding tourists.
Far and above the worst problem I have ever dealt with during a study abroad program involved money. When I studied in Rome, my ATM card was dysfunctional for the first week, stripping me of my access to any of my money. I had a similar issue in the beginning of my semester in Denmark with my credit card. Both of those issues eventually straightened out, but not after days of headache. I assumed that my money problems were all, but gone by this point in the semester.
Then, just as I was getting comfortable, my ATM card stopped working. On top of that, my credit card was only selectively working, but that didn’t matter much in a city much more cash-oriented than Copenhagen. I was running out of options, and there was no way to contact my bank and solve the problem. I plunked myself down at a nearby Dunkin Donuts (thankfully, they took card), completely defeated with no idea what to do. I was inches away from hitting the panic button when I realized something. That just wasn’t an option.
I had no safety nets, no friends nearby to help me, and no one to call and have my problem fixed. I was in a brand-new city, with almost no access to money, and it was daunting. But in any situation where the obstacle seems insurmountable, your response to it boils down to choices. If I had chosen to sit in that Dunkin Donuts, with free Wi-Fi and a charging station, I would have spoiled one of my few days in this city, and perhaps not identified the solution I eventually did. Instead, I took out my notebook and wrote down every positive thing I could think of regarding this trip; a safe place to sleep, the ability to purchase food, etc. Then I compiled a list of all of the places I want to visit in Berlin and divided it by those that cost money and those that do not. To my delight, more than half of the items on that list did not cost any money, and I spent the day focused on them.
This is what being a traveler is all about. You will never go on a trip without having to put up with some problems. Sometimes those problems will be minor and easily fixable, and sometimes they will force you to dramatically change the course of your trip. In those moments, it is crucial to keep your head, focus on the positives, and work your way to a solution. Find a way to learn from what happened, and most of all, enjoy yourself.
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
Had a lovely weekend here in Granada! I love traveling, but I also love staying in Granada because there is still so much to see and do! It’s nice to have a good balance between the two. I went to the Science Museum this weekend! It exceeded my expectations and was the coolest museum I have ever been too. I loved all the exhibits about music, the human body and animals. They also have a BioDome and a planetarium, but we couldn’t do it all in one day because there was so much to see. Can’t wait to go back and see the other parts of the museum.
Submitted by Danielle Tahan on the 2019 fall semester program in London, England…
I can’t believe we have already had our fall break! This sadly means that my program is already somehow halfway over. I had the absolute trip of my life that would not have been possible if I had not studied abroad.
I started break with fourteen other CAPA students in Mykonos, Greece. We stayed in a beautiful villa and got to enjoy the picturesque island even though it was near the end of their season. This meant that it was not overcrowded with loads of tourists, so we gained more of a local sense of the area. I really appreciated exploring the island at a calmer time so that I could experience all it had to offer. I loved walking around the beautiful streets of Mykonos Town which was full of local products and creations. We also had a beautiful boat tour to two other islands including the archeological site of Delos Island. Greece is definitely somewhere that I plan to return to and explore more areas of!
I spent the second half of break with my friend in Amsterdam. I am so intrigued by the Dutch culture and lifestyle; we constantly questioned how certain elements were possible because we could not fathom it in America. I greatly admire their freedom of expression that is very evident in their culture and I would love to understand and explore more of it in the future.
On boat tour to Delos IslandStreet in Mykonos TownOne of the many canals in the center of Amsterdam
Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
Over the weekend, three of my friends and I went to Switzerland. It was supposed to be five of us, but our one friend bailed at the last minute after already paying and committing to the trip. She texted us this Thursday night when our flight was at 7:00 am the next morning. She claimed that she needed to stay in Barcelona so that she could catch up on homework, but we saw that she was out having fun with some other friends while we were in Switzerland. I know that I didn’t lose my money from her not coming, but I was mad that she lied to us about why she didn’t want to come. We have a couple of other trips planned together, but now we feel like she will bail on the rest of them, too. Loyalty is one of the most important qualities I seek in a friendship, and this experience taught me that just by being somebody’s friend does not make them a loyal friend.
This is the fountain in Parc Ciutadella. I walked around and explored the park after class one day by myself.
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This week we started our new classes in the CLM! I am very excited because all my professors are very nice and I get to meet other students from the US, China and Japan. I was a little nervous to take Economics in Spanish, since it is already hard in English, but my professor is great and I feel that I am going to learn a lot from him. On Wednesday, we had a reception in the CLM where during the day they gave out churros con chocolate and had a parrot! At night, the directors spoke about the program and a beautiful choir that sang! I had a great first week of class and an excited to continue to improve my Spanish.
Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, I went with a large group to Morocco. It was my first time in Africa and I did not know what to expect. The first day we were in Tetouan. It was a very large city, and a little bit more dirty and run-down than I was used to. I saw so many children, many of whom were very excited to see foreigners walking their streets. It was crazy for me to think about how different life is in a city like this, not only compared to my life in the United States, but also compared to my new life in Spain just a short ferry ride away.
On another note, Morocco was way more beautiful than I thought. I did not know much about Morocco before going, and expected to see a sparsely populated country with a lot of desert. In the north part of the country, this could not have been more wrong. The land was way greener than I thought, maybe even more so than Granada and southern Spain. There were incredible hills and mountains surrounding us at all times. My favorite place we went to was Chefchaouen, the blue city. I had seen pictures of this city online, but they do not do this place justice. Nearly every building in the city was painted blue, with the doors usually beautifully decorated, and seeing it in person was beyond belief.
I am happy that I was able to cross another continent off of my bucket list, but nothing beat the feeling of returning to my home in Granada at 1:30am, to my host mom still awake preparing me something to eat! I am grateful to be having such an amazing experience this semester, with my host mom, the amazing people in my program, and the always beautiful city of Granada.
One of the small blue side streets in ChefchaouenMe and a couple friends after taking in a beautiful view of the mountains and lake outside of Tetouan
Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…
Even though I’ve been an international exchange student here for just one semester, I was lucky enough to be asked to perform in the annual Inter-Residential Talent Competition at the University of Auckland on behalf of my residential hall. My hall was fairly new to this, which I did not know, and apparently it was strange to only have one person representing the residence the way that I was! When I arrived at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the venue for the event, I was greeted by large comedy groups, dance squads, and dozens of musical duets and trios that were practicing for their representation of their community. My inexperience gave me the opportunity to observe this yearly ritual as a soloist, and it was heart-warming. These people were not here to win, even with the prestigious venue or the end-of-year pressure, they were there to demonstrate how well they’ve come to know one another.
Throughout the showcase, there was raw talent and a million inside jokes all being poured onto the stage, and I felt lucky to be a part of it, albeit a tad disappointed that I was not offered the chance to partake. I hadn’t seen true university spirit on the University of Auckland Campus up to this point, especially since I missed the beginning-of-year orientation period, so I was relieved to see that the tradition of tightly knit living communities also thrives here in Auckland. Each hall presented the strengths of individuals and the cohesion of their cohorts and it was so exciting to see them win their trophies! Hopefully, the residence hall I lived in has more of a presence at next year’s competition, and my greatest wish is that it remains a humble gathering of community rather than any kind of cut-throat match. This lack of toxic competitiveness was refreshing, especially since American Universities often advertise their own competitive edge at all costs. Despite that, though, a large portion of my first-year students came to support me, and although they may not have been on the stage, I consider that their own contribution to the demonstration of genuine community that night.
The auditorium inside the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This week, I attended a cooking and learning Spanish class! We made paella and gazpacho. I learned so many new vocabulary words around the kitchen and ingredients in each dish. Our group worked together really well and we were able to make traditional Spanish dishes. I had so much fun making and eating the food with new friends!
Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…
I took a few of the first year UD World Scholars with me to the Auckland Zoo during a weekend off, and while I typically think of zoos as loud and possibly inhumane spaces, this one was different. The well-documented cultural thread of eco-friendly tourism and business of Aotearoa was apparent throughout the zoo – the open spaces and free-roaming exhibits along with the visible bath houses and feeding grounds were enough to convince me. However, what we all really came to see was the nation’s bird, the Kiwi! The North Island Brown Kiwi is a fragile, flightless bird native to Aotearoa that eats small bugs during the night and sleeps during the day. They are, frankly, adorably goofy looking! However, they are also a strong symbol of uniqueness and they and their feathers are a treasure to the indigenous Māori people. Now, there are only about 35,000 of them left in the world. A creature that used to dominate the underbrush is now struggling to survive, with staggeringly low egg survival rates each year. What happened? Well, ultimately, colonization happened.
With the arrival of the British Crown in Aotearoa also came the hordes of invasive species like snakes, rodents, spiders, and more. Before the 18th century, New Zealand had no native snakes, only one native venomous spider, and had no native rats or large rodents, cats, or dogs. Since the arrival of these pests, however, the natural ecosystem of Aotearoa that allowed the evolution of fragile, native creatures like the Kiwi has been devastated. It naturally follows that the Kiwi is a modern, endangered species. So what can we learn from this? In the end, Aotearoa was invaded by both lawless settlers and invasive animal species at the same time – and both have had a similar effect. There is a stronger need than ever before to preserve and promote the protection and value for those that were here first. The longstanding ecosystem and the Kiwis that live in it are under threat and require strong policing of importation and international travelers. The indigenous culture and way of life necessitate political and social advocacy to combat the violence and the worldviews of the initial settlers and the institutionalized discrimination that resulted. Our goal should not be to keep the Kiwi in the zoo to be observed nor to simply preserve the Māori Culture for the sake of speculation – the goal is to protect and encourage the native world of Aotearoa and allow it space to thrive beyond its current level.
A North Island Brown Kiwi in the Auckland Zoo Kiwi House Exhibit
