Europe Short Term Programs Winter Session

Last week in Paris!

Submitted by Christie Giammarino on the 2024 Winter BISC program in Paris …

My last week in Paris was so amazing! This trip was the most fulfilling experience of my life. Having the opportunity to study abroad was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had a blast! During my last week in Paris we discovered my favorite town called Montmartre. It is a cute town with the Sacre Coeur which translates to Sacred Heart, a very large and famous church. It has so many gift shops, people walking around, artists and singers, etc. It is such a cute town I loved it! On our last day we went to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, did some shopping on the Champs Elysees and got a great dinner to end off our trip. I went with the friends I made while abroad and it was a great way to finish off the trip! I loved the classes I took and would do this all again! (Submitted February 3, 2024)

A Social Week

Submitted by Keegan McKelligan on the 2024 Winter LLCU program in Leipzig, Germany …

This week had a ton of new experiences in the German nightlife, which I had heard so much about prior to this trip. Firstly, at the beginning of the week, our school program had a party in which all students and faculty were invited. It took place in a sort of underground club area and had a bar as well. It was a very interesting experience, as the music that was played was great, however our professors were there, which honestly made it a lot better as we could get to know them socially, as people instead of as teachers. The fact that it was a school sponsored event was somewhat off putting before, but they managed to pull it off extremely well, or at least much better than expected. This week also was home to the exciting free weekend, an entire week where we could decide what to do. Me, and many of my friends from the program chose to attend the soccer game of the team from the city we were studying in. This was both the first soccer game I’ve been to and the first soccer games that I’ve watched all the way through. Therefore, I was a bit apprehensive, but I wanted to try something new and so I gave it a shot. And I’m glad I did! The stadium was massive, and the game was sold out. The atmosphere was electric, and by the end, when our team lost, I felt despair as if I had been routing for them all my life. It was devastating to see them lose, and it felt that way even after I left the arena. Afterwards, my friends and I went to discover the German nightlife, and I went to the first real club that I’ve ever been to, which is something that I’ve been interested in because of how much it’s talked about. When we got there, it was just as good as I’ve heard about! The music was loud, so you could forget everything and just dance. It truly was something that I want to experience again. I used the next day of the free weekend as a recovery day, and got some work done for my classes. Overall, I have felt tremendous improvement in my German at this point, even though it’s only been three short weeks. I can only imagine how far I can go. (Submitted February 3, 2024)

Farewell to Barbados

Submitted by Michael Rimbey on the 2024 Winter HDFS program in Barbados …

In my final week in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, we finished up our placements in the Primary schools and took a few more trips as a group to fully maximize our time in Barbados. In the last two days of placements, I led many more classes as a teacher and also spent more time with the rest of the students during recess after lunch. This was one of my favorite parts of the day because it allowed me to see all of the students and connect with them, doing things that different people enjoyed and wanted me to do with them. Some of these things included throwing American football, kicking around a soccer ball, playing netball, hide and seek, and running races against other students. This truly made me feel like a kid again, and it took me back to when I was younger playing games in Elementary school. I used my experiences in Elementary school to also teach the kids some games we used to play back then in class. It was very hard to say goodbye to the teachers and students I have worked with throughout January, and they thanked us by giving each of us a gift bag from the school which included a polo shirt, mug, and a pen. I had never thought I would meet these people just a few short months ago, but I am so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and did because I will remember them for the rest of my life. Some of the last trips that we took as a group included a catamaran tour around the South side of the island and also an inflatable waterpark day in Saint James. Both of these trips brought us even closer together as a group and gave us even more memories that we can take back home with us to the United States. Now that I have had the opportunity to reflect on this experience, I am so incredibly grateful for the time I have had and meeting new people from both UD and the island of Barbados. The community in Saint James, where we stayed, has been extremely welcoming and I am leaving the island feeling as though it is my home away from home. I feel I have grown both personally and professionally from this winter study abroad trip and I am leaving telling myself that I will most definitely be back one day. I want to thank everyone that has helped me in this journey abroad and will be officially saying farewell to this study abroad trip of 2024. It is not a goodbye, but a see you later. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

Final Week: Home

Submitted by Hayden Atkinson on the 2024 Winter MSEG/PHYS/HIST program in Porto, Portugal …

Finally home! It feels like it’s been a year since I’ve seen my friends and family back here, even though it’s only been a month. To be honest, at first I was nervous about going on this study abroad trip. I had never been away from my family for that long, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But after seeing the things I saw, going to the places I went, and doing the things I did, I can safely say that registering for this program has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve had more “firsts” on this trip than any other. I made new friends, ate amazing local foods, and had the opportunity to experience different cultures in their purest forms.

As part of the trip, we overnighted in not just Porto, but also Lisbon, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona, and Milan. And while we didn’t stay overnight there, while we were in Italy, we also went to Como and even Venice. If someone were to ask me my favorite city we went to, I would probably say Barcelona; the city was drop-dead gorgeous and I had so much fun while I was there. That’s not to say that those places like Paris and Venice weren’t amazing; I also had a lot of fun while I was in those cities, going to places like the Eiffel Tower and St. Mark’s Square in Venice. Unfortunately, however, both Paris and Venice were foggy when we went there, so we were unable to see them in their full beauty. That being said, I still had a lot of fun.

Not to mention the personal growth I went through while I was over there; before the trip, I was shy, and unsure about how to make new friends. But after the trip, I can say that my social skills have noticeably improved, to the point that I have walked away with a few new friends.

I would highly recommend this study abroad program to anyone in a heartbeat, not just engineering and physics majors; through the program I was able to visit places and do things that I might have never been able to otherwise. Depending on what’s available, I would definitely be open to doing another study abroad in the future. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

Discovering Florence’s Street Markets

Submitted by James Stangl on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in Florence …

I discovered the vendors around Florence’s Mercato Centrale (Central Market) on the day of my arrival. While heading to grab dinner, I turned onto a street lined with tall, overhanging carts filled with leather bags and soccer kits. Being the sole person on the street, nearly every salesperson enthusiastically introduced their products as I strolled by. “Wow, they must be desperate for a sale,” I thought, refusing to acknowledge them, as all my focus was directed towards getting my first taste of Italian pasta.

A few days later, I met Kieran and Pat, two friends from school, for coffee near the Duomo. After catching up and relishing our cappuccinos, Kieran suggested, “Hey, we’re heading to the leather market now; would you like to come?” Fortunately, I had extra time before our afternoon class, so I joined them. Walking with Kieran and Pat towards the market I passed by days ago, we spent the next two hours exploring the stalls, attempting to strike deals.

Although each of us had different items in mind, we quickly discovered that most carts offered similar merchandise. Kieran made the first purchase, acquiring a leather wallet from one of the initial stands we encountered. Kieran’s transaction imparted a valuable lesson before I began negotiating for myself – the customer holds all the leverage in negotiations. Because the products from cart to cart are substitutes, customers can easily walk to another seller if dissatisfied with the offered price. After negotiating with five different carts for an AC Milan soccer kit, I managed to secure the kit for fifteen euros, far below the 50 euros most carts initially quoted.

As I headed back to the hotel, I found the dynamics of the market fascinating. While the sellers primarily offered identical products, each experience felt distinct. Some sellers were rigid, others flexible with pricing. Some were overly respectful, making you feel valued, while others attempted to intimidate you into purchasing at a higher price. Some were amicable and conversational, others focused and to-the-point. This diversity, coupled with the continuous negotiation that resembled a game of Monopoly, provided a thrilling adrenaline rush and added to my memories from studying abroad in Florence. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

Traveling in Tanger

Submitted by Amayah Sullins on the 2024 Winter Arabic program in Morocco…

In Tanger we did plenty of fun things, like driving ATVs!

In week 2, we traveled from Chefchauan to Techwan and then to Tangier, where we stayed with host families for the next two weeks. Despite initially expecting to prefer Tangier for its beach, my experience shifted due to chaotic traffic, swift-paced drivers, and challenges in navigation. The city’s dispersed restaurants and difficult-to-hail taxis, which often overcharged when spoken to in English, added to the hurdles. Unlike Rabat, Tangier’s mountainous terrain made walking more challenging. In contrast, Rabat’s Madina captivated me with its beauty and charming shops. Exploring all these cities provided a unique adventure, immersing me in the everyday life of Moroccan people. Although my time in Tangier didn’t start off enjoyable, excursions and the company of classmates enhanced my overall experience. During the week’s end, we spent the weekend in Granada, Spain, which, despite its rich Islamic history, was disheartening due to the evident transformation by the Spanish. The city displayed pig decorations everywhere, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. On a free day, I explored a cathedral with Islamic references and a statue of Queen Isabel telling Christopher Columbus he could explore the New World. Witnessing a peaceful protest supporting Palestinians added a unique and moving dimension to my experience. Returning to Tangier on the ferry was a beautiful but motion-sickness-inducing journey. Although Tangier’s beach fell short of expectations, Rabat’s overall experience surpassed them The contrast in driving styles and the convenience of navigating Rabat’s attractions contributed significantly to my preference. As I reflect on the adventure, it’s evident that my preconceived notions were reshaped by the unique qualities and experiences each city offered.

Journey to Tanzania

Submitted by Carolyn Anderson on the 2024 Winter ENWC program in Tanzania…

The Ngorongoro Crater

Today we visited the Ngorngoro Crater Natinoal Park. Driving around the crater was an amazing experience! Even though I knew there would be a great abundance of wildlife, my expectations were well surpassed. We started off by seeing plenty of olive baboons before we even got to the gate. As we made our way down into the crater, we saw plenty of bird species, including a few new ones for me! We saw a cape crow, and that was really cool because I love crows. The views on our way down the slope were incredible. Luckily it was not very foggy, and you could see pretty far! At one lookout point where we were able to stop and get out, we saw a single rhino very far in the distance through our binoculars. This was really exciting, as they are hard to see and critically endangered. I was grateful to see that rhino, no matter how far away and hard to see, because I did not feel confident we would get to see another. But we were wrong! Once in the crater, we saw three more a bit closer up! They were still pretty far away, but I was able to make out a lot more detail this time and just watch them for a little while. Although the myriad zebras, wildebeest, and buffalos were cool to see, I think my favorites from today were the hippos and the honey badger. Seeing both were a real treat, as it is rare to see hippos out of the water (and we saw two on land!) and honey badgers are incredibly rare to see. I was hoping we might see one, but I knew the chances were pretty slim. Yet another surprise from the crater today!

Wildlife Sightings in the Serengeti

Today was a very special day, full of amazing wildlife sightings. We began our day in the Ndutu area of the Serengeti ecosystem, and later travelled to the Seronera region. We headed out early, around 7am, with the hopes of seeing as much as possible. We started off strong with a lioness and three young cubs! The way the cubs were running around and playing with each other was so sweet. They were wrestling and chasing each other, and even trying to play with their mom at some points! I also saw two new bird species: the wood and marsh sandpipers. Later, we had our second hartebeest sighting. That was cool because we got to see more than one this time, a bit closer, and it had been a while since we saw the first one. We saw some more lions throughout the morning, but the best moment of the day by far was right before lunch, when we saw three cheetah brothers relaxing under the shade of an acacia tree. It was so exciting to see not just one, but three cheetahs, when I was not sure what the chances we would see any were. Unfortunately, we did not get to see them run, but when we got back from lunch they were eating a fresh kill of a small wildebeest. It was amazing to see the three of them eat their fresh kill, with blood covering their faces and dripping down their necks. Although we did not get to see any adorable young cheetah cubs today, the three young males we saw were still quite the find. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

The Last Breakfast

Submitted by Nia on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in London…

For my last breakfast in London, I chose to do something special for myself. So I woke up at a reasonable time for a Saturday (noon), dressed, and walked to a cafe I discovered at the beginning of my stay in London. Looking over the menu briefly, I debated whether I wanted to eat something I already had there or try something new. Due to that Saturday being my last Saturday in London, I chose to try one last new thing: a full English breakfast.

A packed plate of fried eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast, hashbrowns, tomatoes, and black pudding (cooked pig’s blood). At my cafe, they swapped the pig’s blood with mushrooms, which I didn’t eat because I don’t like mushrooms. I was very surprised by the meal because of how good it was. The beans especially. Normally, back home beans are more salty and served with dinner/lunch. But here, they are sweet and can be put on top of the toast, like jam.

I greatly enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with last day, along with my breakfast and getting to catch up on my reading while eating a Full English Breakfast. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

Last Week

Submitted by Isabelle Lieber on the 2024 Winter FINC/BUAD program in Sydney, Australia…

For the final week we visited multiple companies, had 3 free days and did a tour of the opera house. At the opera house we learned about the history and got to see each of the theaters. On our free days we went on a boat, went to a horse, and Manley beach. (Submitted February 2, 2024)

Exploring Australia’s Wildlife

Submitted by Taylor Cannon on the 2024 Winter FINC/BUAD program in Sydney, Australia…

Australia is home to some of the most unique flora and fauna in the world, which we got the privilege to visit. While visiting the Australian Wildlife sanctuary nestled in the New South Wales region, we were able to get up close and personal with the animals native to this amazing country. The 80,000 acre lot is home to animals such as kangaroos, wallabies, and emu that roam the property freely and are generally welcoming to guests who are eager to pet them. In addition to this we were able to hold some of the reptiles being rehabilitated such as the shingleback lizard and boa constrictor snakes. While learning and interacting with these awesome animals, our tour guide led us on a guided tour of the main area of the rehab center to visit other animals such as the koalas, bats, dingoes, llamas, and so many more. It was the coolest experience to be so up close and personal to these amazing animals. (Submitted February 2, 2024)