Europe Fall Semester Semester Programs

Czech Republic: Exploring

Submitted by Lia Naselli on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…

It seems almost impossible that I am almost halfway through my semester abroad. I have absolutely fallen in love with Prague, and it is starting to hit me that I will have to leave soon. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I haven’t seen or done enough with my time here. The stress of school and midterms is really starting to wear me out, so sometimes it is hard to muster up the energy to venture outside my apartment. However, this past Friday, my friends and I decided to go hiking. We thought it would be good for us to get some fresh air and exercise, and to get a change of scenery from the busy city.

We discovered a hiking trail in a small town called Karlštejn, which is about a 40-minute train ride from Prague. It is a quaint, quiet town with a large castle at the top of the hill. The hiking trail starts at the castle and goes all the way through the next town, Mořina. We actually ended up getting lost at the start of our journey. We went completely off-trail and had to climb up very steep, muddy hills to find our way back. It was a little scary at first, but we had some good laughs! The views along the way were definitely worth it. I’m so glad we went and got to experience the more rural part of the Czech Republic. This trip definitely made me want to explore more of this beautiful country.

My friends hiking through the town of Mořina

Spain: Sierra Nevada Mountains

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

This past week went by so quick! Over the weekend, a few friends and I took a trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and hiked the popular Los Cahorros Trail. It was a perfect day for it since due to the Spanish holiday many stores were closed. The adventure of finding the right bus stop to get to the town of Monachil was almost as difficult as the hike. We hiked many miles and saw many beautiful views of the mountains. My favorite part was going over the hanging bridges. It was nice to get out of the city for a few hours and just enjoy nature and the fresh air.

Czech Republic: FOMO while Studying Abroad

Submitted by Emily Gray on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…

Nearing the halfway point of my time here, I have begun to reflect on how different my life here has been. I have met so many new people, seen so many places, and done things I never dreamed of doing. However, I think it’s important to remind myself that I do not have to be doing something every minute that I’m here. I’ve talked to a lot of my peers, and we all share a sense of guilt when we take a night in to watch Netflix or read a book. And that’s understandable, we want to make the most of our time here. Yet, we must also acknowledge our own personal needs. For instance, this past weekend was amazing. I went to a medieval city, saw my first ever opera, and befriended people from other countries. While this weekend was brilliant, I found myself incredibly drained from it. I needed time to decompress and be alone for a while.

Living in a new country can take a lot out of you. Tasks like going to the market are infinitely more difficult when you don’t know the language, and it’s easy to get lost or confused. It’s only logical, then, to feel exhausted sometimes. The fear of missing out is strong in Delaware, but it’s so much stronger here. My advice to people studying abroad in the future is to make the most of your time abroad without the constant fear that you should be doing more.

Medieval city of Cesky Krumlov

The U.S.A. from a New Zealand Perspective

Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…

Local professional theatres in Auckland have had quite the American kick this season – the two latest shows have been School of Rock and American Idiot, two musicals that are inextricable from their American context. I never planned to attend because I did not come to New Zealand to learn more about America, but the closing night of School of Rock happened to fall on the night before my birthday, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity! While I anticipated just enjoying a night out with some friends, I did not realize that I would be coming away from it with a new understanding of how America is seen on the global stage.

Everyone knows that America is stereotypically viewed as an obnoxious, patriotic, global superpower. We even self-reflexively acknowledge that reality in most of our own media – the movie for School of Rock has a particularly strong penchant for displaying American music and pop culture in this way. This musical was trying to capture that egocentric, American vivacity in its set design – there was an American flag over the main character’s bed and even in the bar. However, there was a clear lack of depth to this presentation, as the New Zealand set designers did not know to put an American flag in every classroom for the morning pledge. Reading into this minor detail, we can tell that while America holds a strong presence abroad, our relations lack nuance and specificity. Everyone knows that we have patriotic citizens and that we are loud lovers of rock and roll, but they don’t know that we have a daily pledge. We share our products and our artists, but we don’t share our day-to-day experiences or our woes with any real sincerity.

Being an individual American abroad has involved answering a million questions about life and politics back home, and as much as I want to learn about my host country, I know that the people here want to learn about my home just as much. It is important for me, as an ambassador for America, to recognize my role in perpetuating or deconstructing American stereotypes and fostering a genuine understanding between my culture and that of my host country. The same way Kiwis may not know that every American classroom has a flag in it, I didn’t know that all New Zealand primary schools had mandatory dance sessions to promote national exercise until I was made to do one for a warm-up in a rehearsal. Little details like this may seem trivial, but relating to other human beings relies on daily experiences, and sharing those is the individual basis of international relations.

Sitting in the audience of the beautiful Civic Theatre of Central Auckland

Spain: Supporting Each Other

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

On Monday of this past week, a girl in my class approached me as we were waiting to go on our field trip asking if I or the girl sitting with me had 1.50 Euros on us. She left all of her money at home by accident and didn’t have a card on her either – failing to realize this after she already ordered a coffee. I, of course, willingly give her all the spare change I had, which was about 1 euro, but the girl sitting with me seemed really reluctant to help her out. She almost seemed annoyed, but she gave her some change anyway. I knew it was the right thing to do to help out our classmate since we are all still getting adjusted to being in a new country and sometimes we have our off days. She was so thankful we were there to help her since no one else around her was a student or spoke English. I know if I was in her situation I would’ve wanted my classmates to do the same thing for me, especially since it was less than 2 Euros she was asking for.

We spent the weekend in Zaragoza, Spain with the Barcelona SAE program. In the background is the Cathedral of Pilar.

France, Ireland And The United States – Cultural Differences

Submitted by Haleigh Kidd on the 2019 fall semester program in Paris, France…

First let me apologize for this delayed post! Classes are starting to pick up and I’m starting to get a fair amount of work and on top of that I just started a babysitting job! Babysitting has been another great way to practice my French (the boys are 9 and 7 and haven’t started formal English classes in school yet, they only know colors and greetings) and to immerse myself in school and family culture in France. My weekend travels have also really opened my eyes to how culture can vary tremendously even across short distances.

My recent trip to Ireland really illustrated this to me – the Irish are very much like Americans in that to make small talk they ask you about what you do, they talk about family, they share stories, etc. etc. They are pretty open about sharing about their lives and want to know you like Americans. We were warned at our first on-site meeting in France that the French are just more protective over the details of their private life and, from my experience, I can tell you this is true. I met another Frenchman during my time in Ireland and after our conversation, I learned nothing of his private life, but his name and his hometown and our conversation mostly consisted of details of our hometowns, the differences between the north and south of France as well as the United States, etc. Even with my supervisors at work, our conversations mostly stay within the realms of politics or cultural differences, and when they both mentioned to me recently about their wife/girlfriend I was a little floored and I felt pretty special being let into their private lives just a little! So fair warning to any Americans, don’t overshare with a French person you’ve just met, delving into personal topics to get to know someone just isn’t the norm here, here it’s normal to share a wall with your neighbor for years and never even learn their name! The only pictures I have to share this week are actually from Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher, only because I was so proud of myself for truly conquering my fear this time by taking a peak over the edge and I have the cliffs I hiked in Normandy to thank for getting me over the first hurdle! My advice: conquer one fear in your life, you’ll never feel any other liberation quite like it.

Ireland: Weekend In Dublin

Submitted by Victoria Vinson on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…

This week was a bit boring as we are approaching midterms, but this weekend’s adventure was spent in Dublin, Ireland! Two friends and I visited the city, and even though the weather was a bit dreary we still had a wonderful time. We took a tour of the Guinness factory, visited the Cliffs of Moher, and discovered a few genuine Irish pubs. It was a wonderful experience and a great time, and the Irish were friendly as ever! I will definitely be going back someday.

New Zealand: Conservation

Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…

Throughout my travels in New Zealand, the respect that Kiwis have for nature astounds me. Whether it be in the zoo, in tourist attractions, or in hiking trails, there is a kind of sanctity prescribed to the conservation of the natural environment. At the zoo, for example, there was a distinct spirit of authenticity and naturalism with open pens, wide expanses, and natural décor rather than fierce isolation or separation! The philosophy surrounding this tradition of New Zealand eco-consciousness grew from the indigenous Māori values, and the enforcement of these values can be seen in the New Zealand government.

The Māori concept of Rahui, a temporary restriction on a region for the sake of regeneration, has been instated through law – there were trails in Karekare Beach that were explicitly banned in order to allow the trees there to recover from a severe arboreal disease that had been spread through hikers’ shoes. The tourist attraction known as the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves also took this spirit seriously; visitors were not permitted to touch the cave walls or to take photos in order to protect the natural wonder from the desecration that it had experienced in prior centuries from tourism waves.

Each of these protective rules didn’t just preserve the environment, though, they also enriched the experience. At one point in the caves, we reached a “cathedral” or domed portion where our guide asked someone to sing, and I volunteered. Singing Amazing Grace to a group of strangers in a deep, foreign cave and knowing that no one else could share in that moment made it even more sacred and beautiful. At the Karekare Trails, when I washed my shoes at the cleansing station and avoided the restricted areas, I knew that I was doing my part to protect the native forests of New Zealand. Environmental advocacy is not only about making rules, it’s about creating individual accountability and connection to the natural world, and that connection is something to be treasured and respected.

The mouth of the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves upon exit

Weekend in Paris, France

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

I’m so glad that I was finally able to visit the city that I have always wanted to see. My fascination with Paris only grew after taking three levels of French in college. My weekend adventure to the city was beautiful, yet I wish I had more time to explore. It is overwhelming to gain an understanding of a deeply historic city in only a few short days. I wish I had even more time to explore the lovely attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe.

My friends and I experienced our first real challenges with a language barrier. Although I anticipated it to be difficult, I did not expect it to be as overwhelming as it was. My minimal French knowledge did not suffice when I was immersed in the culture. It is an extremely difficult circumstance when you are unable to effectively communicate with those around you. I’m sure that it would only take time to adjust, but for our short visit it was definitely a challenge.

My absolute favorite aspects of the trip was visiting the Eiffel Tower and going on a boat tour! Enjoying a picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower with my friends is now one of my top memories of all time. Although it was an exhausting weekend full of a quick overview of the touristy sites, I thoroughly enjoyed the city and only wish to come back again soon!

Spain: Architecture Class

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

On Wednesday, one of my classes took a field trip to the German Pavillion to sketch any part of the architecture we wanted. I have never been interested in art and have never taken any art classes at UD, but there was something very soothing about sketching a picture for this class. There was no pressure for it to be perfect- he just wanted something on the paper. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would have and was actually really focused on the detail of my drawing. I don’t know if I will ever pursue drawing/sketching as a real hobby, but it is definitely something I may start doing when I want to relax and take some time to myself.