Marie A Gleason | UD Abroad Blog

Italy: Pompeii

Submitted by Lucatamo Duncan on the 2017 winter session program in Siena, Italy sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures…

Two weeks have already passed on this study abroad program, and I can honestly say that every moment has been impact full. So far there have been visits to Rome, Naples and Pompeii. However, the most dumbfounding experience was when the group visited Pompeii. Seeing a city that was completely destroyed, yet perfectly preserved, was a surreal experience for me. Not too many sites in America have been preserved in time for the public to observe. This observation of history, years before our existence, was a jaw dropping experience and one that has yet to completely sink into my thoughts.

Flying Solo

Submitted by Jaclyn Roman on the 2012 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…

As I find myself relishing the ambiance of spring in Granada, I also realize that I’ve reached the halfway point of the program – already! I try and push this thought to the back of my head and continue to enjoy all that I can. On the subject of fun, this past weekend I had the opportunity to visit a friend studying in London.

My trip to London was only my second time leaving Spain, and I did so solo. For me, it was an extremely gratifying experience traveling alone through foreign countries – and that includes all obstacles that came my way such as a delay in my flight due to technical issues, a never ending passport control line and the stress of using an unknown metro system.

London is a city I have always wanted to visit, and my trip did not disappoint. Thanks to my friend acting as a guide, I saw all of the famous sights imaginable – Buckingham Palace, the Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the London Eye. For me, however, the time most cherished was when exploring local markets such as Camden and Borough Markets. Here, people of all nationalities come together to sell food and whatever other goods they specialize in. Not only was it great to sample all of the foods, but I felt completely immersed in the British culture while at the markets. Along with a few new stamps in my passport, I will forever retain great memories of London.

Now onto the more serious subject, I have my midterm exams to look forward to next week. The nerves are definitely kicking in because I have no idea what to expect, but I’m hoping for a positive turnout. At this point all I can do is continue to enjoy the latter part of my journey in Spain.

Thailand: Elephants

Submitted by Isabel Gomez on the 2017 winter session program in Australia and Thailand sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…

After traveling to several different cities throughout Thailand, I would have to say Chang Mai is my favorite. The people have beautiful personalities, the city is less busy and there are more activities to do. My absolute favorite activity from this past week was visiting a rescued elephant sanctuary. These elephants came from circuses, labor farms, logging, and were sent to Baan Chang Elephant Park where they are able to live out their lives with their intended purpose. They have rescued 45 elephants and there was a recent birth of a 53 day old one! They eat, sleep, walk, and I learned are extremely social elephants with feelings. Hearing about the background of where some of the elephants had come from was truly shocking. One elephant was sent to the camp two years ago after killing his owner. The owner used him for logging and would hit him with a spear whenever the tasks were not done right. Elephants have astonishing memories. One day the owner turned his back on the elephant and got picked up by the trunk and thrown across the room and died. The park received a phone call asking for the elephant. Another moving story is hearing about the poaching problem in Thailand. One meter of an elephant tusk can go for $3,000,000. I was just incredibly shocked and moved by how gentle and friendly these elephants were after going through such traumatic experiences. It definitely moved me more because these are problems we never really hear about from our side of the world. But after seeing the after effects first hand, and riding, feeding and bathing elephants, I want to help bring more attention to the issues they face. These creatures were truly beautiful and we hear about these issues, but I was truly shocked by the culture here of how mistreated a native creature is in this country.

London Bucket List

Submitted by Sara Feldman on the 2012 spring semester program in London, England…

When I came back from spring break, it was a HUGE wake up call that there is only a number of weeks left to really take in everything London has to offer. So I sat down with a couple of my close friends and we created our “London Bucket List”. We wrote down everything in London that we haven’t seen yet and that if we didn’t see before we left, we would be filled with regret. Slowly, we have started to tick activities, sights, and places off that list. This weekend, we decided on five things that we wanted to do from the list and did them. We saw a play, “39 Steps”; went to two exhibitions at the Tate Britain and the National Gallery; wandered through Green Park; and shopped at Portabella Markets. It was really amazing the things we experienced that we didn’t except when choosing each activity. At the National Gallery, right in front in Trafalgar Square was a talent performance where hundreds of people were assembled and video cameras were filming them dancing and singing. In Green Park, it turned out to be a beautiful day with the sun shining which is rare in the UK. We lounged in the grass and turned to see some type of march or protest. It goes to show you London is a city filled with exciting surprises!

A New Zealand Style Road Trip

Submitted by Ashley Gold on the 2017 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Computer and Information Sciences…

After a week of class that reminded us that we were indeed here to study, the much anticipated “long” weekend arrived. This was a four day weekend that our professors planned out for us to explore New Zealand on our own. All thirty five of us students had exciting excursions planned, some of us planned to traverse the South Island, while some got on planes to fly to the North Island. Personally, I was in a group that decided to rent a car and make the eight hour drive to the area of Te Anau on the South Island. The ride there was incredible as we saw many lakes and mountains, my favorite of which was Lake Tekapo.

After about only six hours of sleep, we got up bright and early at 6:00 am to drive another two hours to the famous Milford Sound. This is part of Fiordland National Park, and has been said to be the most beautiful site in New Zealand. It didn’t disappoint. We took a boat tour through the tall mountains and saw hundreds of tiny waterfalls along with some huge ones. Our boat even went under a waterfall and got many of us soaked!

Next we went to Queenstown, proudly nicknamed “The Adventure Capital of the World”. While there, we took a gondola to the top of a mountain where we then luged, which is basically sitting on a kart and letting gravity take you down the mountain, which was a thrill. We also ate at local restaurants, one of which was a burger place that most of our group described as the best burger they’d ever had. Our time in Queenstown was short, because we had to get back to Christchurch. I drove on the way back and it was a slightly unsettling experience driving on the left side of the road, but I got everyone home safely and ready to continue our stay in Christchurch after a fun road trip.

Spring Break

Submitted by Sara Feldman on the 2012 spring semester program in London, England…

Studying abroad in London has been such an amazing experience, but my ten days traveling from Spain to France was extraordinary! Starting out in Barcelona was a little unnerving since I have never spoken a word of Spanish in my life. Yet, the language barrier didn’t cause much of a problem since the other girls I traveled with spoke Spanish. It was actually a fun learning experience. I learned phrases and words like: Lo siento (I am sorry); La cheque, por favor (the check, please); Café con leche (coffee with milk); and Quiero bailar (I want to dance). Additionally, it was amazing to see the sun again. Our first afternoon, we hit the beach and soaked in those vitamin D rays we so dearly missed. The next few days we got to see Sagrada Familia, Guëll Park, Parc de la Ciutadella, Plaça de Catalunya, La Boqueria, Arc de Triomf, and more! We even witnessed an attempted pickpocket on the metro (scary)! Leaving Barcelona we flew to Seville. In Seville, we took in the the sights, streets lined with orange trees, the sun, and the most amazing food! My friends and I really took the time to embrace the culture of southern Spain. We enjoyed the afternoon siestas, eating tapas, and watching a live flamenco show. Finally, we finished off our trip in Paris. Arriving in Paris was one of the highlights of my trip! A few hours after landing, we headed straight for fashion week. We were able to get into a fashion show, and watch models walk down the runway in the newest upcoming designs. Afterwards, we went to Angelina’s and enjoyed the richest hot chocolate in the world with flaky croissants. With only a few days in such an historical city, it felt like we never stopped moving. We walked to most of the historical landmarks, climbed to the top of Montmartre to watch the Eiffel Tower light show, hopped on a train to Versailles, observed the art work in the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, walked down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, and more! Overall, it was an unforgettable trip filled with laughs, sights, history, food, and excitement!

Hungry in London, England

Submitted by Veronika Lynch on the 2017 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Theater…

If you have ever wondered why everyone in Europe is so beautiful and fit it is because no one seems to eat. Ever. Throughout the course of my study abroad so far, I have never been so hungry. While we walk through the beautiful streets and view amazing historic architecture, my stomach yells at me with such ferocity that it is hard to focus and really appreciate what I am seeing, but the moment I place that fork in my mouth its like heaven.

When I first noticed that my stomach was beginning to eat itself from the inside out , we took a quick jaunt to the London Eye. A group of 16 of us went to one the most popular tourist attractions in London, and the entire time we were riding in the worlds’ tallest observation point, I was more focused on just how much bread I would shove in my face in the privacy of my hotel room (the answer is a lot).

But on the plus side, all this starvation has allowed me to have a growing appreciation of food and really begin to understand just how much effort and time that restaurants really put into their meals. The weight loss from not eating as many calories paired with walking around six miles a day gives me some leeway on just how many plates of food I can destroy without feeling like I want to vomit. London has taught me to really take the time to look into exactly what it is that I am eating and not just grab whatever is most convenient. Over the meals I have had here, I have been able to have meaningful conversations, build relationships, all the while unwinding from the busy day I just had.

Its only been one week, and I cannot wait to see what else there is in store.

The Great Outdoors in Granada

Submitted by Caitlin Baker on the 2012 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…

The arrival of March has brought an exciting air to Granada. The beautiful weather is warming up the city, both literally and metaphorically. There is an abundance of sun here that makes being outside and out and about extremely enjoyable. The many restaurants and cafes are filled with people taking in the sun in the outside seating areas. There are musicians who wander the streets and plazas playing and promoting their music. The local park draws lots of sunbathers and people reading on benches. It reminds me of the way Main Street and the Green become filled with people at the first sight of good weather at UD. I spent this past weekend just hanging around Granada, taking advantage of all the things I described above. Traveling to different places is always fun and exciting but Granada´s atmosphere makes spending a weekend here, “at home”, just as nice!

Costa Rica: Untamed Nature

Submitted by Dylan Nicholson on the 2017 winter session study abroad program in Costa Rica and Panama sponsored by the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology…

As we move from eco-lodge to eco-lodge on this journey, I keep thinking to myself there is no way the next location will be more captivating. Yet, at each new location I’m blown away by the different sounds and smells. At our last location, I woke up to the sounds of Scarlet Macaws talking and the waves breaking on the beach of the Osa Peninsula. As I stepped out of my platform tent, I was met by the smell of the salt air and tropical flowers. While these senses are present at home, the feeling is different here in Costa Rica. The air is rich and refreshing. The sounds are new and completely wild.

At each new eco-lodge, I am surrounded by untamed nature that has seen minimal intrusion from man, whereas, at home there are paved trails through the woods. The trails at home cut through the landscape distinctly showing human footprints on the environment. What I’ve noticed during this adventure is that man’s footprint on the environment plays a larger role than what I could have ever imagined. Without the intrusion of humans here in Costa Rica, the rain forests come alive with the sounds of birds and monkeys. Animals move freely, almost playfully. The trees and plants move effortlessly in the wind. I have never seen an environment with such rich biodiversity and I credit the biodiversity to a smaller footprint left by man.

Spring in Granada

Submitted by Jaclyn Roman on the 2012 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…

Spring has sprung in Granada! The beginning of March has brought with it incredible weather. Over the past week temperatures have reached upwards of 66 degrees Fahrenheit! The sunshine has only added to my pleasant mood, and I truly enjoying passing through the city as the streets become more and more filled with people.

A tremendous fact of living where I do, is that in an hour’s time it’s possible to arrive at the beach or the slopes. This past weekend, I finally made it to the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range here in Granada. After renting skis here in the city, I found it very ironic to walk home to my apartment and pass palm trees. By bus, travel time was about 45 minutes – extremely quick and easy!

Never in my life had I skied in such conditions. To begin with, the elevation of the mountains is high enough so that there are no trees, and the altitude is actually above the clouds. To me, this truly made skiing an incredible experience. Also, as I previously mentioned, since the weather has been so agreeable, I couldn’t even say it was that cold on top of the mountain! In fact, my sensitive skin managed to burn somewhat in just a day’s time.

Granada truly is an amazing place, and I believe there is something for everyone to enjoy. I still try to push myself to experience all that I can in the short time I have left.