Tag: travel

“The Blue Hen Guide to Getting Off Campus” by Nadya Ellerhorst

One fantastic – and somewhat ironic – aspect of our awesome campus is its proximity to other awesome places. With that said, it’s only natural that we Blue Hens may want to spread our wings and explore regional gems, from big cities to charming beaches.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of our campus. You’re bound to find this Blue Hen roosting in one of the many nooks and crannies of the university on any given day. But as an out-of-state, car-less student with insatiable Henergy for exploring, I personally place an especially high value on the prospect of trips elsewhere. I’ve also discovered that leaving campus for a bit can sometimes be a great way of unplugging from academics and recharging, even if it’s just a trip to the grocery store for candy with friends.

Here are some ways of exploring the surrounding area that I’ve utilized over the past few semesters. Safe and happy travels!

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“Learning to Ask for Help” by Alex Stone

My first in-person, spring semester is already over, and I am still learning, or more like re-learning, how to navigate a college life that is not behind a computer screen. For so long, college consisted of sitting in my childhood bedroom, attending classes online, and having my dogs as my only study partners. It felt like I was very much on my own. Even with all the opportunities that UD had to offer online over the pandemic, it just did not feel the same as in-person school. I felt like I had to navigate this confusing time on my own, and as a pre-med student, that seemed so daunting.  Continue reading

“On Connections & Croissants” by Lauren Mottel

The morning sun greets you from its climb in the sky as you exit the train station, backlit by clear blue skies and seagulls circling overhead. You don’t even have to think as the click of your boots on the pavement guide you across the street to a small storefront with an orange awning. As you cross the threshold, an 8-bit rendition of “Für Elise” announces your presence to the display case of croissants, torsades aux pommes, chocolate muffins, and other treasured pastries. And there, before you and your friends can take a half-step further into the bakery, the owner excitedly walks out from the back kitchen exclaiming, Les filles! Bonjour, les filles! and ushering the cashier away so she can select our pastries for us with a grin. 

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“Living in a World of Canyons” by Raktim Basu

Spirals upon spirals upon spirals.

That’s what filled up Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon in Arizona. Water had rushed through, carving a swerving, graceful path of twists and turns that went on for hours of walking. Over millions of years, the rock had worn away, and the water had receded, making the perfect display of the strength of rivers.

That was just a piece of my trip into the Four Corners states (Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada). Before this spring break, I’d never gone anywhere except for Colorado, and I had never seen the deserts of the Midwest or the number of incredible canyons present there.

But from Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon, from massive and incredibly varied rock formation after rock formation, I began to see the world differently. All of my life in the U.S., I’ve lived in suburban areas, surrounded by concrete and ease of accessibility. But from hotel to hotel, with three-hour stretches of desert driving, without another soul on the road, I got a sense for how big the world is.

And let me tell you, it changes how you see things. Standing on the precipice of one of the biggest canyons in the world makes you feel small. The untold scale shocks you, and the unbelievable variety of what you can see in nature is just… Astounding! From patterns of yellow to bright orange, to rocky slopes topped in snow and coniferous trees, to gleaming formations of fire-colored rock — the marvelousness of nature is unparalleled, and to begin to describe the enormity of nature is an almost impossible task.

But that’s just the thing about experiences beyond words. They’re the true memories we will always have. While I know I can never share my love of the canyons of the Midwest with people and have it resonate with them to the same extent, I know that what I saw will stick with me forever. As Honors students, we get an incredible set of faculty, friends, and chances to explore the beauty of the world, both man-made and natural. But as Honors students, we also have an obligation to explore the things in the world that we can’t really capture with words and can only capture with rapture and awe.

So the next time you get the chance to explore the world, take it. Live in a world where everything amazes you. Don’t be afraid to see the world to its fullest extent, and if you don’t have words to describe what you take in, take it as a good sign!

“A Trip to the Big Apple” by Lauren Wrightstone

My friends in Redding and I had been wanting to take a trip to the “Big Apple,” or New York City, for a while now. It was originally just timing and money holding us back—buses are expensive!—so when we found out that the English Language Institute was sponsoring a bus ride there and back for only twenty dollars, we hopped on it.  Continue reading

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