Tag Archives: introduction

Pre-Departure Musings

Florence (n.) the capital of Tuscany; the birthplace of the Renaissance; once named one of the world’s most beautiful cities by Forbes’ Magazine; my home for the first four months of 2016
Wrapping up winter break with a visit to Little Italy, NY

Wrapping up winter break with a visit to Little Italy, NY

Ciao, my name is Angela. I am a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in international studies at Penn State University, and I’ll be living and studying in Florence, Italy for a little while. I come from a little town about 20 minutes outside of the city of brotherly love. Although my hometown and my neighboring home-city are my two first loves, I’ve dreamed of travel ever since I was little—a much bolder and far more fearless dreamer—and nothing in this world (other than travel) has ever looked so exciting! I’m not sure how I’ll process all of the “new” once I arrive, but for now, I’m just preparing myself (the best I can) to be open, optimistic, and ready to embrace everything as much as humanly possible.

Why Florence, Italy?

To be quite frank, I actually didn’t know where to go. But, I had always heard stories about Italy’s beauty, charm, and of course, its gelato. Once when I was little, I stumbled upon the words, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy,” by Giuseppe Verdi, a composer of Italian operas. The sentiment fascinated me, and travel had my heart ever since. Growing up, I continued to come in contact with beautiful images of Italian sights and splendid stories from my friend Katie Mae, who was an au pair right outside of Rome.

When it became time to choose my host country, all I knew was that I had warm and homey feelings attached to central and southern Italy. I figured, I’ve got to start somewhere if I intend to see everything, and Florence seemed like a lovely place to begin.

Three Days Before Departure

In just three days, I’ll step foot onto a plane. This makes me a little bit nervous! Although, I have traveled before—adventuring through Eastern Europe for two weeks. It was Easter break of my junior year in high school, and twelve other girls and I set out to explore Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. A little, old, Austrian man named Norman accompanied us as our tour guide along with Chief, our chaperone. Norman would tell us stories about each place we visited, and everyday he’d let us go exploring on our own. Mind you, we went to an all girls high school, and we were all 16 or 17 at the time wandering about countries that were foreign to us (buddy system of course!) Needless to say, the quote of the trip was, “Norman is out of control!” Thankfully, getting stuck in an elevator with my lovely rommate, Megs, was the only bad thing that had happened, and probably the funniest, too.

The next four months will be my longest stay overseas yet. I feel little butterflies, and my tummy kind of does somersaults when I think about it. So, I have been trying not to think. The older I get, the easier it is to be fearful because I am little more aware.

Little Italy, NY

Little Italy, Mulberry Street, Brooklyn, New York

At this point, I’m just gathering last minute items like locks for my backpack zippers and other staple pieces of clothing so I can pack lightly and re-wear a lot of the same clothes in an array of creative pairings. I haven’t yet packed my suitcase, but that’s next on the list. I’m afraid I’ll forget things, but then again, I can always run to the markets once I get there in case anything imperative is left behind, (or so I tell myself). Compiling the travel playlist is also pretty exciting. I’ve got a stellar christian contemporary line-up for the plane.

 

Expectations

I think I’ll miss my family and my pup. I love them so much, but at the same time, I am so excited to get away for four whole months to see things, (and hopefully) grow, and change, and be a bit stronger when I return. I’m treating these next four months as a retreat from everything I have ever truly known.

I imagine living among the locals, studying, deepening my Catholic faith, visiting the Eternal City, exploring churches and other places of religious significance, admiring art and ancient architecture, enjoying Italian food and hospitality, and (most hopefully) blending in as a seasoned traveler and modeling the Italian ideal of fare bella figura—to have a beautiful figure.

Although these wishful reveries are true to Florence, there’s definitely a ton about this city that I do not know, and it’s already apparent that this could very well be an unforgettable experience…

Join me as I find my bearings and, explore lo stivale, the boot, the beautiful peninsula the Italians call home!

 


Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Vamos a…. Japan?

*Disclaimer*: I have been in Tokyo, Japan, for two weeks now; and, while this post was written before I arrived, due to the lack of free Wifi for desperate American college students to mooch off of, I was only able to post now.

As I sat in my Political Science class back in late February, I pondered the direction my future was taking. I was frustrated because I hadn’t yet heard back about my applications for summer internships (albeit prematurely), and my extreme lack of patience and my bad habit of thinking way too far into the future became a dangerous combination. So rather than listening to the ongoing lecture on the history of government formation in post-partition India (sorry, Professor) I decided to look into something totally unexpected: studying abroad. I closed down my Facebook homepage (again, sorry Prof.) and went over to the Global Studies site to think about studying abroad over the summer. From my brief research, I decided that studying abroad was the answer to all my questions, that Tokyo would be my destination, and that I could most definitely take on whatever this six-week excursion would entail. So, by the end of that same hour and fifteen minute class, I had begun the application and made the life-changing decision to go abroad (I promise that I do usually pay attention in class).

Spending six weeks learning the Japanese language in Tokyo was not how I expected to spend my summer. I had envisioned a typical summer: spending weekdays interning in an office and weekends relaxing at the beach at my hometown in California. I’ve spent my life growing up there, and my time abroad has only consisted school-sponsored and family short trips. On top of all that, I’ve spent the past nine years taking Spanish classes and am pursuing a Spanish minor at school. So, I began to think, “What business do I have in even going to Tokyo and trying to learn an entirely new language in a country I’ve never been before?” Other than my interest in global cultures as an International Relations major and my interest in Asia having had been to China and Korea before, I really didn’t have a connection to the place I was studying or even the subject I would be learning. I then decided then that the point of the program would be this: I would have a learning experience to take me outside of my comfort zone and beyond the borders of a typical classroom. Thenceforth, I used this as my mind set for my new adventure.

A short four months later I find myself here, two days away from my 11-½ hour flight across the Pacific. I sit surrounded by a pile of clothes, those freshly bought and old-time favorites, in an effort to discover what is considered appropriate attire for “plum rain season.” Alongside me is a first aid kit crafted by my mom so large that it would make UHS jealous in order to prepare for the bizarre lack of access sometimes to basic medicines in my host country. I am having to make the difficult decision as to which Penn State sweatshirt to pack as my Dad astutely advises me that with an average temperature of 80 degrees and high humidity, I won’t be needing all five of the ones I brought home. I switch between an overwhelming excitement in anticipation of this new experience and an immeasurable fear of a “What I have gotten myself into?” kind of way. Even though I sometimes look at my near empty suitcase as a metaphor for the unknown that comes along with living in a foreign country ( indeed, a tad dramatic), I keep reminding myself that my love of travel, language, and culture are what inspired me to make this journey in the first place. I can’t wait to eat the fresh sushi at Tsukiji fish market, to look over the Tokyo skyline from Tokyo Skytree, to shop in Harajuku, and to sing away at karaoke in Shinjuku. These are the things that are helping me to  to pack because I know that while the unexpected that awaits me in Tokyo is daunting, I’m a million times more excited than anything else.

So now that my trip is looming near, the nerves that had been building have almost seemed to evaporate. For every worry that I think of, I think of three more things that I am excited about experiencing in Japan. I think of the food, the culture, the language, and the new friends and experiences that I am going accumulate while I am there, and I am beginning to get peace of mind. Even though I am nervous for this new adventure, I can’t help but be thrilled at what lies ahead. Hopefully I’ll have some great stories for Geoblog, and can help inspire others to take a leap just like I did (or at least get a laugh out of the tribulations I’m sure to incur with my nonexistent Japanese).

So, Sayonara America! See you in seven weeks, and let the adventure begin!
P.S. Please make sure that nothing happens to Chipotle while I’m gone!

 


Location: Orange County, California

Just 3 flights away

I love new experiences. I was born and raised in Redondo Beach, CA and set out on my first adventure when I decided to attend Penn State. This Fall I will be a Junior (ahhh how did that happen already? Seems like I was just starting out at Penn State not too long ago). I am studying Supply Chain in the Smeal College of Business and getting a minor in Spanish as well as international business. This Summer I am embarking on my next adventure—> Spain! I am looking forward to blogging while I am in there and sharing what I learn and experience.

After several months of planning, I finally fly to Spain today to begin my Summer program! When I started preparations back in January, embarking on this Summer adventure seemed like a dream and something so far off. There were so many emails, texts, calls, and internet searching that was a part of planning this trip. I exchanged many texts with my mom about things that I needed to pack, do, sign up for, buy, look up….. and the list goes on.

Although I was taking care of several details, I didn’t let my mind daydream too much about Spain because I wanted to finish out my Spring semester strong and remain focused on my track season with Penn State. But when finals week came to a close and all was said and done…… my May 24th departure date quickly crept up on me and I became both excited and nervous.

Among several things, I am excited to experience a different culture, eat delicious food, live with a Spanish family, and improve my Spanish speaking skills. I have never been to Spain before so there are many unknowns about what it will really be like and this makes me a bit nervous. I have some moments of fear/doubt such as  What if I can’t remember any Spanish? Even though I have been studying for years, these silly fears sometimes creep in among my excitement. But the unknown and all the fears mix together and add to what makes adventure and new experiences enticing.

So today as I am packed, prepared and ready to go…..I am just 3 flights away from Seville, Spain!

State College—>Philadelphia—>Barcelona—>Seville

Spain, here I come!

 

 

 

 


Location: University Park Airport 2535 Fox Hill Rd, State College, PA 16803

7 Days ‘Til Liftoff

It feels so far away, yet so close at the same time.

I know I will be so busy this week, that I won’t even realize how quickly the day of departure is approaching. However, anytime someone mentions that I will be leaving for China soon, or asks “Are you excited?” My heart starts to flutter.

I can’t deny my excitement. I do not think I have ever anticipated the arrival of anything more in my life. I remember how excited I was to move in on campus this past summer, but I have been waiting to go to China since I was in 10th grade. It has been four years, and every time I think about how it will actually be happening in just over a week, I don’t even know what to do with myself. I feel a loss for words. I am thrilled. I am also worried about missing my flight, but who wouldn’t be?

When I signed up to take this course and go to China for nearly a month, I thought that leaving two days after the semester ended was too soon, but now I am so grateful. I wouldn’t be able to wait any longer if we weren’t leaving directly after the semester ended.

My biggest task over the next week will be packing. Forgetting something is not an option. I really need to make sure I check over what is going into my luggage thrice. There are a few things I already have packed…the essentials (playing cards, sunscreen, and chocolate).

I can’t wait to explore China, make new friends, meet new people, experience a new culture, and try new food.

For now, I guess I will continue to count down the days.

 

Did I mention I have never traveled outside of the country?

Wish me luck!

 


Location: University Park, PA

On y va: An Adfrenchures Prologue

Bonjour! My name is Marie Heller, a junior who will be studying abroad in Montpellier, France for the Fall 2013 semester. I’ll be blogging here about my French adventures– or, if you will indulge me: “Adfrenchures.” I am an English and French double major, with a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language.

IMG_6382.JPGThis is my face.

More importantly, I am a first-generation, low-income college student. I’d like to thank Penn State’s fantastic Schreyer Honors College, the Presidential Leadership Academy of which I am a member, and the College of the Liberal Arts. Without these organization, France could never be a reality for me. My gratitude is immeasurable.

My foremost goal while studying abroad is fluency in the language. I collect French slang the way some people collect quarters or stamps, so I’m very excited to get to live immersed in everyday French language. I’m on the intermediate level when it comes to speaking, but my listening and reading comprehension are quite advanced. I hope to be able to better express myself in French (and, ultimately, be fluent) before I come back to American soil.

My second goal is to become engaged as a global citizen. Due to my family’s financial situation, my experience with international travel is basically nonexistent. I stay updated on international news through the Presidential Leadership Academy’s (PLA) subscription to The New York Times and my own monitoring of BBC and France24. However, contact with foreign news sources does not a worldly traveler make. It is the mistakes, faux pas, triumphs, and journeys of actually living abroad that make an individual into an engaged, mature global citizen.

My third goal is to examine my own leadership in relation to a global context and a foreign cultural context, while also learning about what it means to be “a leader” in France. As of right now, this is my most murky goal. Though sustained reflection, I hope to make clearer my ideas of what it means to be “a leader” as they are transformed throughout my study abroad experience.

I leave for France in 3 days. This has still not entirely sunk in, despite the luggage littering my bedroom floor. The next time you hear from me, I’ll be across the Atlantic!

A bient�t, mes amis!


Location: On a bus through the Central Pennsylvanian countryside

A Guide to My Blog

Sono arrivata a Perugia!

I’ve arrived in Perugia!
I’ll be talking more about my trip in my next entry; I don’t want to spoil anything!
I’d like to explain instead in this entry how my blog is going to work this semester.
I plan on videoblogging–in Italian. For every entry I will be trying my very best to explain everything that I can in the best way I know how, using as much Italian as possible, with only a couple of notes to remind me what I wanted to talk about. No script, just talking. I will be providing subtitles on the video so English speakers may understand it.
There are a few reasons I’m doing this:
1. The main reason is to track my progress over the semester. My biggest goal that I wish to achieve here is to learn as much Italian and to improve my skills as much as possible. This will be a way to see and follow my progression–not only for my benefit, but also for the curiosity of others. I think it’ll be a fascinating experiment–seeing not only how much improvement there is in my speaking abilities, expansion of my vocabulary and grammar, and overall fluency between my first video blog and last one, but also because everyone will be able to follow the process, day by day, week by week, month by month.
2. It’ll improve my Italian. It’ll force me to talk, learn new words, and evaluate my mistakes.
3. As Schreyer student and a Film-Video major, I will be working on my thesis here, which will be a documentary about my participation in the full immersion program. The videoblogs may very well become a part of that documentary.
4. It can become a tool to help others learn Italian; maybe you’ll even pick-up on some while watching!
5. It’s more interactive and exciting, which is exactly how I want to share my adventures and experiences. Well, at least I think it’ll be. I’ll be integrating pictures and video into them as well.
6. I’m a big fan of keeping journals; I have hundreds of pages of journals saved on my computer from when I was in high school, and I really wish I had continued it into college. I absolutely want to document my stay here, and I’m excited about experimenting with this new way of journaling.
If you’re not interested in watching me ramble in Italian and having to follow along with subtitles, that’s okay. I’ll hopefully be posting the transcript of the video in English in the entry as well, probably with fixed grammar and some embellishments to make it more understandable and in-depth. I expect to mess-up a lot in Italian, not to mention that I simply don’t have the vocabulary to explain everything precisely. I’ll probably be looking up some key words that I’ll know I’ll be using before I make an entry so that it’ll be easier; I’ll learn new words this way, too!
Since I expect each entry to take perhaps a couple hours to make, I’ll probably be blogging only once a week, sometimes maybe twice if a lot happened and I have the time. I’ll pick a day once I receive my schedule this coming Monday.
It appears that if you don’t have a Penn State account, you can’t comment on the entry. I’ll be posting these videoblogs on YouTube and then link them here, so if you’re not a Penn Stater and want to comment, you can comment on the specific YouTube video.
Well, I think that’s it for now! I’ll hopefully be posting soon!

Location: Hotel Gio', Perugia, Italia

Life in a Suitcase

Hi!  My name is Krista Pulkkinen and I am a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a senior at Penn State University at University Park.  I’m currently majoring in Journalism and Political Science and minoring in international studies.  I, like many others, have begun my countdown.  I will be leaving in one month.  It is only one short month until I will be getting on a plane for the first time in 10 years and arriving in Milan, Italy.  This brings a combination of excitement and nervousness.  Sure, I know what plane I will be taking, I know what country I will be arriving in and I know that I will have somewhere to sleep that night.  But it’s the aspect of not knowing exactly what to expect, not having a clue how I will manage my way around the terminal to ensure I don’t miss my flight and not knowing exactly what the country will be like once I get there or if my basic Italian will suffice. 

In dealing with foreign countries, at least from my perspective, if you haven’t been there, the only view you have is through a lens.  My perception of what Italy looks like and what it will be like is what I have, unfortunately, seen in the media or heard from other accounts.  The idea of these differences in people, places, architecture and overall culture seems unreal because I have only seen them from these perspectives.  I hope to bring a sense of realism to my blog.  I hope to experience Italy and show an aspect of life others will not be able to see this spring; an aspect that differs from what is portrayed in the Italian Job, Under the Tuscan Sun or…..the last Jersey Shore season. 

I know that when I am abroad I, of course, want to act, partially, as a tourist.  I want to travel around Italy with a camera in hand and see The Colosseum, The Duomo Cathedral, The Milan Clock Tower, La Scala Opera, etc.  However, I am most interested in seeing the mundane features of everyday life that one would not have the opportunity to experience if only spending a few days or weeks in the country. 

I can’t wait to finally arrive and I hope to share my many great experiences, new friends ships and, of course, the art and fashion within Milan in my blog starting next month.  Until then, I am brushing up my Italian, learning as much as I can and figuring out how to prepare for six exciting months in a suitcase. 

New York1.jpg


Location: State College, Pennsylvania

Greetings!


Hi everyone! I am Darcy Rose McKinley Lester, forest sciences major.  I am a very outdoorsy person, and I love backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, and skiing.  I also LOVE to read. I’ll read almost anything, romance, science fiction, westerns, fantasy, whatever.  Its the only time I willingly sit still!

Backpacking.jpgThis is me (hopefully obviously) backpacking through the Catskills in early spring. 

This spring, I will be studying in Canberra at Australian National University.  I am super excited for so many reasons, not the least of which is that ANU has a school of forestry, which means I get to take a lot of classes in my major while abroad.  I cannot wait to see how Australians view forest management and what silvicultural prescriptions they use most often over there. I am also looking forward to learning how to identify Australian trees, most of which are in the genus Eucalyptus.  (As you can see, I really love my chosen field). 

In addition, there are a bunch of national parks that surround Canberra that I am absolutely psyched to explore.  The geography and topography of eastern Australia is quite different from central PA, and I just can’t wait!  Since I’m pretty broke just trying to pay for college, I won’t get to do a lot of traveling around the country, but I am bringing my backpacking and climbing gear. I hope I can find some new friends who love having adventures as much as I do and will take me with them! 

Toodles!


Location: University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802

Fact: Throwing Coins in the Trevi Fountain Works!

Ok, well at least in my experience. 

The first time I was in Rome was sophomore year of high school; and for the first time, i fell Head over heels in love with a City. 
It Was True Love.
I threw the 3 coins in the fountain the first day.
1. I cant remember the first reason.
2. Find true love.
3. You will return to Rome. (This was my reason for the coins).

A year later i returned to Rome on a school trip. Although we were only there a few days, i threw my coins anyway, and PRAYED to return. 

AND NOW IM GOING BACK! …so as i said, i swear to you it works. 

trevi-fountain.jpg
My name is Clare Jennings, I’m 21 years old, I’m a Junior here at Penn State studying Visual Arts; and yes, it is an absolute DREAM COME TRUE to study Art in Rome. 
As you will get to know me through my blog, some of my grander plans don’t always go “as planned” so lots of things happen spur of the moment. By some strange Miracle, this plan my friends and I made sophomore year of high school actually worked!
: we are all in Europe 2nd semester Junior year!
I look forward to writing to you all!

Location: State College PA, 203 The Lion

Introduction

After months of stressing, filling out various types of paperwork, dealing with people and getting ready for study abroad, I am definitely ready to head to Tokyo for Spring 2012.

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for 35135_526320188188_22700150_31044670_5617096_n.jpgMy name is Stephanie Badurski (on the right) and I’m, most recently, from Arizona but I have lived in places such as Korea and Japan.  I am a junior majoring in Japanese Language and Asian Studies.  I am also minoring in Anthropology. I like to read, draw, drive my sister and mom insane, play an instrument and compose music– although I’m not particularly great at either and then I like learning new languages and about different cultures.  I also like gaming too– Nintendo, Playstation, DS. I’ve recently become interested in Assassin’s Creed, Mortal Kombat and Call of Duty but I’m an avid fan of Crash Bandicoot, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and Soul Calibur.  I love anime and manga.  Just send me a message if you want to know more about me.

While I’m studying abroad, I hope to not only improve my Japanese but further my understanding of Japanese culture and society, in addition to its role in the global community. Furthermore, I hope to have a wonderful time and meet new people. 


Location: State College, PA