Submitted by Tiffany Nurse on the 2024 Summer BUAD program in Paris, France…
To start off my trip, I had a bit of a rough time. My first flight was cancelled but I ended up on a later flight to London. However, when I got to London, I ended up stuck in the airport for 5 hours. Finally when I was able to arrive in Belgium, I was able to head to dinner with the rest of the people in my program and it started some of the greatest bonds I think I could ever have. We walked around the Grand Plaza. The first week was more focused on getting adjusted and getting to know the area. We did a tour of the campus we were working with and made plans to hang out as a group. (Submitted July 18, 2024)
Submitted by Isabella Bates on the 2024 Summer Visual Communicationsprogram in London, England…
Today, my friends and I visited Big Ben during our day off in London. Having only seen the iconic clock from a distance before, we were thrilled to finally see the tower up close! As soon as we emerged from the tube station and walked up the steps, Big Ben gleamed in the sunlight, leaving us in awe. I was completely suprised by its beauty in person, and we couldn’t have chosen a better day for our visit. The sun was shining, and the streets were bustling with Londoners enjoying the summer weather. After spending some time near the tower, we explored the surrounding area, including the historic buildings of Parliament. Every structure in London is steeped in history, and the intricate architecture left us fascinated. I’m excited to see what the rest of our trip will bring! (Submitted July 7, 2024)
Submitted by Kat Severson on the 2024 Winter SPAN program in Costa Rica …
Sarchí – The Artisan Capitol of Costa Rica
My painting of an ox cart wheel!
Art is a big component of showing one’s culture. In our final week in Costa Rica, we visited Sarchí, which is known as Costa Rica’s artisan capitol. Though the town itself is colorfully painted, the main attraction here in Sarchí is the elaborately painted ox carts. These “carretas” as they’re called, symbolize hard work throughout Costa Rica, thus being decreed as the country’s National Symbol in 1988. Ox carts were used throughout Costa Rican history, and still today to aid farmers and other laborers in transporting and hauling their products throughout the rough terrain.
Each carreta is carefully made and painted by these artisans, each unique. As you can see in the picture below, as the years progressed, so did the artistry of the wheels. During our excursion we had a great opportunity to put our artistic skills to work, we took an ox cart wheel painting class! We were guided by Guillermo, who has been painting since he was 12, over 50 years of experience! Though my wheel does not rival the wheels of the professionals, it was fun to learn and to try!
After our painting class, we explored around town. We saw more amazing artwork painted on pavilions, parks, walls, pots, pretty much everything! In the central park we stopped to look at the world’s largest oxcart, named in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006. Across from the oxcart, there is the famous “wedding cake” church, named for its pastel color and decorative ornaments. It was amazing to be in a town with this much art. As someone who is a Global Studies: World Cultures major, seeing a place with this much expression and culture is incredibly wonderful. (Submitted February 3, 2024)
Submitted by Meghan Rydell on the 2024 Summer SPAN Intermediate program in Granada, Spain…
As someone who loves cooking and baking, I was delighted to attend a cooking class this week! We made four dishes: gazpacho (a cold tomato soup), chicken paella, vegetable paella, and a fruit salad. I was surprised by the simplicity of most of the recipes; granted that quite a bit of ingredients were required for the paella (spices and vegetables wise), I could easily see myself replicating these recipes in my kitchen at home. One thing I love about the food in Spain in general is the freshness of the food. When making the gazpacho, for example, the vegetables were ripe, the olive oil was locally sourced, and the bread I had dipped the finished product in was from a local bakery down the street. It tasted so much better because the ingredients were organic. Throughout the class, it was evident that our cooking professor, Annabel, saw cooking as a love language, a common theme I have experienced around Granada, especially with my host mom. I loved the atmosphere of the class and that cooking was not necessarily about how the food tasted (though it was excellent) but about the process of using what you have around you (in terms of vegetables and spices that are native to the climate), trying new flavors, and having fun! I was horrible at identifying the different olive oils and their unique features, but I had yet to learn there was a proper way to eat the bread sample and that there were so many different types of olive oil. Additionally, I loved our dance party between cooking and our olive oil tasting, which made the kitchen even more lively. Overall, I had so much fun trying new foods and practicing my cooking skills and vocabulary while spending quality time with an incredible group of people! I will definitely make paella for my family and incorporate my appreciation for locally sourced fresh ingredients when I return to the States! (Summitted June 2, 2024)
Submitted by Meghan Rydell on the 2024 Summer SPAN Intermediateprogram in Granada, Spain…
The angel that welcomes visitors into Cordoba, a city in Spain where we took a day trip. The images shows the beautiful view of the city that was only accentuated by the music of an accordion (which is not seen in the picture).
One of my favorite things about Spain so far is the music, which ripples through the narrow streets of Granada. Some afternoons, I take walks to explore parts of the city, and at every turn, I see a guitar or violin player performing palos of Flamenco music. I truly realized the prominence of musicians in Granada when walking through the Plaza de las Pasiegas and shops near the Royal Chapel where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried. At the beginning of my walk, I ad put my headphones in, but when I saw the first guitar player, I took them out to listen and realized the music of the city was constant, and better than anything I was listening to! There were at least four or five performers whose music echoed through the streets and filled them with rhythmic, passionate songs. In U.S. cities like New York, you often see street performers, but there is something so raw and authentic about the music in Granada. To the artists, playing is about more than just receiving a few pennies or trying to get discovered. Performances are not about using the crowd to advance the art; they are about telling a story of culture, which includes love, triumph, loss, and grief, all within a string of notes and chords. Besides the fact that every musician was so skilled in their ability to play their instruments, the passion of the performance was visible. On a simple walk, I felt the artist’s emotions as the music died down from exciting peaks to quiet solace. (Submitted June 14, 2024)
Submitted by Lana Negronon the 2024 Summer SPANprogram in Granada …
Today (June 2nd, 2024), was my first full day in Granada, Spain. We started the day with a walking tour of the city, which is filled with vibrancy, religion, and an extensive history. I took notice of all the important historical buildings with such beautiful and antique architecture. Most of the streets are lined with orange trees which is such a cool and rare sight to see. In the morning, the cool air helps swift the citrus smell of the fruit throughout the streets. My host parents, Agustin and Maria, and their daughter, Maria, have been extremely welcoming and have introduced my roommate and me to many of the different aspects of their culture like food and history. It has been fascinating to speak with all of them. I have learned so much about Spain so far and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the month has in store! (Submitted on June 2, 2024)
Submitted by Riley Browning on the 2023 summer program in New Zealand…
This is my final week in New Zealand. I am torn between wanting to go home and staying here. I had a wonderful time, but I do miss my puppies and my family.
During my stay in New Zealand, I learned a lot about the agricultural practices of the people here as well as their culture. Farmers in New Zealand simply love their jobs. Every farm we visited explained how much they enjoy being the person who feeds the whole world. One arboreal farmer in particular said he knows he has the best potatoes and he is proud to be recognized for having the best potatoes. Another farmer explained that one of his top priorities is the happiness of his employees. He wants them to want to come to work every day and enjoy themselves while working. I think that is something America could do better at. A job is not all about money and benefits, but most jobs in America are based on money and benefits. I believe if people want to come to work every day they will produce higher than a person who hates their job. Every job needs to be done effectively and efficiently. When you enjoy what you are doing effectiveness and efficiency come naturally.
I see the culture of New Zealand as very family-oriented. Businesses are passed down, everything is shut down for the holidays, and people are friendly. As I stated before almost all work in America is done for money and benefits. Therefore, children of small business owners lose their businesses because their children were given a better offer. Also for the holidays, at most a big business will close early and open later in America. Unless it is a small business stores are normally open for a few hours. I believe those hours should be spent with your family, enjoy the holidays because it’s a holiday. Lastly, people are just friendly and willing to help. Most of the time it seems like Americans are afraid to trust other Americans. I think that is kind of sad that at first we always have to think the worst of each other.
As my final week in New Zealand comes to a close, I can look back at the things I have learned about agriculture and the New Zealand people. I hope what I have learned will make me a better person now and in the future. (Submitted during Week Five).
Submitted by Riley Browning on the 2023 summer program in New Zealand…
This was my fourth week in New Zealand. This week we stayed in Queenstown, about a 7-hour drive from our usual home in Lincoln.
In Queenstown, we stayed in another hostel. This hostel was much smaller but I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the hostel in Lake Tekapo. This hostel had curtains on each bunk bed for privacy, which was nice for people who wanted to stay up late or go to bed early. Once you close the curtain the light on your phone doesn’t bother anyone. While in Queenstown I hiked, skydived, and relaxed. It was a more popular town than Lake Tekapo, with more people, more things to do, and more places to eat. The hike I went on was to the top of the mountain in Queenstown and once at the top, I could see the whole town below. It was a beautiful view! I skydived for the first time ever and it was a total adrenaline rush. I got to chat with my tandem on the flight down. A tandem is the person that is strapped to you when you first skydive, they work all the straps and release the parachute. I learned his mother and father both skydived, so he had been doing it since he was little, and he loved his job. Another experience I had in Queenstown was watching the buskers (street performers). I found that I enjoyed the musical ones more than the comical ones. There was one man who sang songs and his dog howled with him! It was nice to relax in Queenstown, but the area did finally make me homesick. There was a beach area and a dock for boats and water sports. Being on the dock and around the beach made me think about the beach at home and made me want to go back. It is also very soothing to me to sit on the dock and night and listen to the waves crash against the beach. I am still very much enjoying my trip, but I do wish I could share it with my family.
Hiking in Queenstown
Queenstown was a place I will never forget, and I am grateful for the opportunity to witness it. I met new people, saw new views, tried something new, and got a little homesick. I am ready to see what my last week has in store! (Submitted during Week Four).
Submitted by Riley Browning on the 2023 summer program in New Zealand…
This was my third week in New Zealand. This week we went to Lake Tekapo and I had my first experience in a hostel.
Lake Tekapo is a little beachy town south of Lincoln where we normally stay. It was about a 4-hour bus ride to get there. It was a rock beach and the sand was SUPER hot. The water was absolutely freezing, but it was the most beautiful water I have ever seen. While we were there we went kayaking and swimming. I took a nice little nap on my kayak while soaking up the sun and letting the soft sway of the water put me to sleep. We also went hiking on about a 5-mile trail. It only took us about an hour to get to the top (it was very steep). Whereas it took us about 2 hours to get back down (it was a long and slow decline). The view at the top of the hike was amazing. From the top, you could see the entire lake, the beach, and our hostel. There was also a little café at the top of the mountain where I got a rewarding smoothie. My experience at the hostel was not what I was expecting.
The hostel was very clean and had lots of new people to meet. In my room, there was a New Zealand native and someone from Boston. The man from Boston was traveling to New Zealand to study agriculture. This is exactly what I am doing here with my study abroad group! The bathroom was a community bathroom, kind of like you would see at a campground, but it was inside so it was clean. There was a community kitchen as well. There were about 2 microwaves, 2 ovens, 6 stove tops, and 4 sinks. It was so cool to watch multiple people at once cutting up ingredients and cooking up some tasty-looking food. In the kitchen, there was also a bin that you could put food in for other people to have, once you put something in you could then take something you wanted out of the bin. It reminded me of a Geocache, but with food.
My third week in New Zealand was a whole new experience at Lake Tekapo and my first stay at a hostel. We are going to stay at another hostel in Queenstown next week. Stay tuned! (Submitted during Week Three).
Submitted by Riley Browning on the 2023 summer program in New Zealand…
This week was my second week in New Zealand. During this week I have been able to see more of the town of Christchurch and experience more of what New Zealand has to offer. I was especially interested in their wildlife breeding efforts, to try and bring back endangered species. It was also nice to see the beauty of Christchurch itself.
The kiwi is a bird that is incapable of flying and can only be found in New Zealand. They are endangered because they are easy prey and 90% of the fledglings do not reach adulthood. It is the national bird of New Zealand and there are multiple programs that are working on getting them off the endangered species list. Willowbank is a wildlife preserve doing everything they can to protect this species. They will go out into the wild and find kiwi eggs, bring them back to the preserve, and raise them to adulthood. They are working on breeding kiwi and releasing the ones they can. They are also advocating for the Kiwi, showing people what they are and that they need help. The kiwi is an odd-looking bird, but I believe any effort to save the kiwi population is worth supporting.
The town of Christchurch has a mixture of beautiful views and a city center that includes a museum and botanical gardens. I hiked a 5-mile trail to the top of a mountain in Christchurch and could see for miles and look down on the city of Lyttleton. I am not a huge plant person but walking through the botanical gardens was very interesting. I will have to say my favorite part was the ducks. A New Zealand native saw a few of us admiring the ducks and explained a little about their species. The ducks we saw were paradise ducks, the females are the colorful ones (U.S. birds the male is the colorful one) and they mate for life. So, we saw a male and female pair with 4-5 ducklings. My second week in New Zealand will be one to remember. This week, I have had more time to see the beauty of New Zealand. I have also been able to witness their work in protecting and supporting the kiwi population. I can’t wait to see what next week has in store! (Submitted during Week 2).
