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The Power of Passion

Ciao,

A business woman who I met through an event at IES, also my roommates boss, said something at a networking event last Friday afternoon that resonated with me so much that I decided to write a blog about it.

Back tracking…

My roommate Jessie is in the Journalism school at the University of North Carolina back in the US, so her internship placement is with a journalist, Filomina, who is an author of a recently published book. Jessie’s job is to translate the book into English.

26/6/2015: Networking Event at IES

A networking event was set up for the interns and employers of the IES summer program to share what they have been working on in their internship placements. Jessie explained to the group the book she is translating, and then Filomina explained to us her motivation behind writing it.

The book is a collection of stories about women who have left their careers (typically high paying, well-respected jobs) to pursue their dream jobs. Jessie explained her favorite story so far about a woman who opened a bakery to make gluten free food for people suffering from Celiacs disease. She loved baking and knew that there were limited options of food for people suffering from Celiacs here in Italy.

Listening to Filomina talk about these women was inspiring because she explained to our group that “it is our time” (our is referring to women). During her spiel is when she said “the power of passion can change your reality”, AKA my new mantra. The more I thought about this, I connected it to my life. She was right. With passion, you can create your own version of fortune, but that drive is valuable. I believe in doing things that scare you, testing your limits, taking a leap of faith, not only in your career but in all aspects of your life.


“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs


 

Other employers at the networking event expressed gratification towards their interns. They explained how cultural exchange is vital. Although it takes time to adjust, it is an asset for both the student interns, and the companies of our employers. They shared about how much we have to offer being responsible students and employees- which is true. Not to toot our own horn, but this made me think about all of the hard work I (and all other study abroad students) put in to getting to our abroad destinations. Jet lag and culture shock are not the necessarily the hardest parts about studying abroad- the application process through your home school and your abroad program is tedious and time consuming. Each of us worked hard to get here, and now are focusing time and energy on learning in this new work environment. It is something to be proud of, and I am grateful for the internship employers here, as well as my study abroad experience, that made me realize this.

NIHMP

My internship is going really well. On the 30th of June I recorded the minutes of the South European Network for Health Inequalities meeting, and I gave doctors and professors from France, Greece, Slovenia, England, Portugal, and Morocco a tour of Saint Marias church in Rome. Each person I met that day offered me a lot of insight and advice, and taught me so much about their nations. They told me about things that you barely see on the news in America, also things that made me grateful to call America home. In my last post I said something along the lines of  “I don’t want to act too American and embarrass myself”, now I see that being an American is nothing to be embarrassed of.

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Left to Right: Dr. Marmot, researcher, professor, and director of UCL Institute of Health Equity in London; Dr. Mertens of the World Health Organization; Dr. Yfantopoulos, professor at University of Athen

Also, they recognized Penn State after they asked where I studied, which gave me even more of a reason to be Penn State Proud.

I have been helping with research on candida in the lab here as well. We make slides of the epithelial cells, both infected and non infected with candida, treat them with antibodies and observe the effects under a microscope. This microscope shows zeta space (3D pictures of the cell) which keeps me preoccupied for hours. The microbiologist, Dr. Calcaterra, has taught me so much since I wrote last, which I am so grateful for. For my science people: You can check out her published research here if you are interested http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=calcaterra+R

Until next time,

Michelle xo


Location: Rome, Italy

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

Sickness strikes

Within the month, I’ve traveled to many places (see previous post) – that’s probably the most interesting part of the last blog-less month. Classes, though, have kept me busy. The problem with having all of your final grades rely on two papers, for each class, is that eventually the due dates for those papers occur. I spent all of last week researching and writing two of my three papers due in March and the last is due next week. I’m excited to have those completed, though I’m anxious to see how my American writing holds up in comparison to these English assignments. It would seem like an easy transition, but the spelling of words here is subtly different, along with the way they grade work. Besides coursework and travel, life here has been normal. I finally feel like I live in Leeds, which is good because we’re approaching the two-month mark. 
My friends and I have finally booked all of our travel for our month-long (!!!!!) Easter break which begins March 28. I’ll be traveling to Geneva, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam and London throughout the month and I’ll be doing so with old friends from America and new ones from Leeds. I could not be more excited! 
Currently, however, I’m suffering from the flu. It started earlier in the week. I had been feeling ill so I stayed in and watched Grey’s Anatomy (naturally) and of course it was an emotional episode, so I cried. When I stopped watching I noticed my eyes were quite red, but I chalked that up to the emotional toll that show places on a human, but when the redness wouldn’t go away, it dawned on me that there might be something wrong. And, after some intense eye flushing and a trip to the pharmacist, it became clear that I did in fact have pink eye… which until this week, I’ve never had before in my life. It is my belief I inherited the sickness from a train ride I was on the weekend prior. So that’s been fun, I seemingly cried myself into pink eye. Anyway, due to that I haven’t been doing much this week, but I am glad I got sick this weekend, of all weekends. Next weekend my friend from home who is studying in Ireland is coming to visit and the weekend following is the start of break. I’m also glad I didn’t have to go to the doctor’s for this, the meds the pharmacist gave me have been working perfectly. Though the school provides us with health insurance, navigating a hospital and answering medical questions, while sick and in a foreign country, did not sound like something I wanted to partake in at all.
But, if the last week has taught be one thing, it’s that when studying abroad it is extremely important to always be polite. At home I always try to be courteous, but here, just simply, thanking a person has gone a long way in making life easier for me. For example, when I was sick and traveling home from Stratford via train last weekend, I realized I booked a different train than my friend. I also realized the train made three transfers. Three seemed like a lot, and it seemed even more ridiculous when I realized one of the stops made me get off in Derby and get on another train to Leeds, while the train I was supposed to get off of was already going to Leeds. So essentially, my ticket had me get off of a train heading to Leeds, only to get on another train heading to Leeds (thanks Trainline…). I asked a worker at the station if I could just stay on the train and he said it was up to the attendant on the actual train. So after transferring once, I got on the train and asked the man working, who seemed annoyed before I even approached him, and he told me that I had signed the terms and agreements so I had to transfer like the ticket said. Though frustrated, I understood it was my own fault and thanked him for his help. I also asked how in the future I could avoid such a predicament. Then I went back to my seat. Eventually, the same man came around to check tickets. Upon seeing me, he smiled and told me I could stay on the train after all. He said that I was far more polite then most customers and thus he would let me stay. It’s moments like that when I realized that it really doesn’t matter where you are in the world, as long as you are kind, people will be as well (even if it takes them a moment to realize).
Besides that, the last month in Leeds has been filled with many new adventures. But there are still so many things I want to experience and places I want to go to. Planning for Easter break has been stressful. Even though I’m going to so many incredible places, I still can’t help but feel like there are so many more places to explore.
Our final exam tentative schedules have been released, and if all stays the same, I’ll be done with exams May 23. My flight back to America is June 20, so I have another month to explore Europe around that time. That is however, if I stay until June 20. I’m having a blast in Leeds, but I must admit planning for my life once I return has been a bit of a headache. Not only am I trying to figure out my class schedule for next semester without the close comfort of an adviser nearby, but I’m also trying to get a summer internship — most of which begin in early June. I’ve been applying and corresponding via email, and I even did two interviews via Skype, which was interesting, to say the least. It’s been a little challenging figuring out what I want to do when I return to America, especially when I want to focus all my time and energy to my time here.
I’ll keep you posted on my quest to balance it all. 
-Kelsey

Location: Leeds, England

The past month: travel edition

Since it’s been some time since I’ve last posted I’m going to post two separate posts;  one highlighting my travels since I last wrote, and another discussing my life in Leeds. This is my travel post:
Dublin, Ireland (Feb. 15 – 17): As all of my friends are flying to Dublin this current weekend, I opted out seeing as I went this weekend – the weekend of my birthday, to celebrate and visit a friend from home. Dublin was certainly not what I expected. I knew it was town of drinking, but to be honest I thought there would be more tourist attractions. We did the Guinness Tour (which included a free pint, overlooked Dublin, and was really interesting), as well as some of the other major attractions like Trinity College, but mostly we spent time in pubs. 

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I rang my birthday in at the Temple Bar, one of Dublin’s most well-known pubs, and it was really fun. The live band that was there played all of my favorite songs and everyone was so nice. The only problem I faced was flying back to Leeds the morning after. When I returned, however, my birthday was just as great. We went to our first afternoon tea since coming to England and then went out at night to a club we hadn’t been to before. All in all, turning 21 in Dublin (and also Leeds) was an experience I’ll remember forever. 
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York and Ilkley, England (Feb. 22 – 23): The following weekend was our attempt at staying in Leeds for a weekend the first time since arriving in January, but that didn’t really happen. Saturday, two friends and I went to York, which is under an hour away by bus and train. It’s a pretty town that has a man-made wall surrounding it. We walked the wall and visited some really interesting places. The Shambles is an area of York that still maintains its Old English buildings. So, when you’re shopping in the area it honestly feels like you’ve gone back in time. We also saw the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, which as a fan of history (and “V for Vendetta”) I found really interesting. The highlight of the day however came when we climbed to the top of the York Minster. It’s a beautiful building, but the stairs we climbed were treacherous. I think each of us at some point thought we were going to fall, especially since they were spiral, vertigo-inducing stairs. They warn you at the beginning it’s an intense hike upward, but we played it off until, of course, we were grasping the railing asking the person in front, “How much further?” Yet, reaching the top was really cool. You could see all of York, from a birds-eye-view. If only, they had an elevator to go back down.
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After spending the night in Leeds, we travelled, also locally, to the Ilkley Moor. Ilkley is a spa town that highlights the English hillside. We hiked the moor for about an hour, stopping to enjoy the view and appreciate just how beautiful the English countryside truly is. Leeds is definitely beautiful and has its fair share of lush countryside, but when selecting to study here, the moor and its sheep were what I imagined England to be like. 
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Bath, England (Feb. 28 – March 2):  This was a bit of brutal travel experience. We left Friday night around midnight after going to the Canal Mills night market in Leeds. We took a bus from Leeds to London, and then from London to Bath. But because it was a bus, I found it difficult to sleep, so when we got to Bath in the morning around 10 a.m., I was exhausted. But we had plans to attend to and no time for sleep. We checked into our hostel and explored a bit, before catching our tour bus to Stonehenge. The guide we had was great, he told really interesting stories about Jane Austen in Bath, as well as the history of Stonehenge (he was also really understanding when we passed out from lack of sleep on the bus ride to and from Stonehenge). 
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Stonehenge, itself, was really cool. We, of course, took a great deal of photos and marveled in its beauty. I also marveled in the immense amount of English sheep that were just grazing next to the rocks. It was surreal to me to see how Stonehenge is fairly close to a roadway. The juxtaposition of this ancient and historic landmark, next to a modern invention really brought things full circle for me. After that, our guide took us to Lacock, which was one of those trips we thought we’d do because it was included in our tour, but had no idea what it was. We were pleasantly surprised. 

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Lacock is this old-English town, where most of the residents are related to someone who lived there in the medieval days. In fact, in order to rent a home there, which everyone does (the trust of England owns the houses), you must be able to prove a blood-line and those who can get priority in living in the area. Lacock was also really cool because it is home to many filming locations for many movies.  Because the town maintains it’s old English charm, it’s cheaper to film there than build a set. The most interesting film, in my opinion, was Harry Potter. The Lacock Abbey was home to many scenes from the film, including the scene with the Mirror of Erised and the classroom’s of Snape & Quirrell. Not to mention we saw Professor Slughorn’s home and the home of Lily and James Potter. As an HP fan, this was all very unexpected and exciting for me. Lacock was also a filming home to the BBC’s productions of “Cranford” and “Pride and Prejudice.” A church in Lacock was also where the royal wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes occurred. So, basically the town is ripe with history.
Once, we returned to Bath we ate a fantastic dinner at Sally Lunn’s, the oldest house in Bath, which is famous for these buns. Naturally, they were incredibly good. After that we explored and had another excellent meal: a platter of desserts at a local pub. It was our intention to go out and explore the nightlife a bit more, but Bath isn’t really known for its great nightlife scene and we were extremely tired, so we ending up going back to the hostel fairly early that night. The following day we explored Bath, seeing the Roman Baths and taking a walking tour of the area. The Roman Baths were really cool and the museum that precedes entering it was enlightening. We got to taste the bath water too, which was not refreshing…at all. After the walking tour around Bath, which highlighted a lot of the area’s history, we went the Jane Austen museum, where we learned about how she used Bath to draw inspiration in her writing and we also went to the tea room there to have afternoon tea and taste the other popular bun of Bath: the Bath bun. 
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I personally believe Bath is a beautiful city that everyone should visit it once. All of the buildings have the same architecture and color-scheme, so it’s really unlike any city I’ve ever seen before. The architect also tried to mimic Rome, so there’s an area that is meant to look like the Coliseum.
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Stratford-upon-Avon (March 8):  The last of my excursions: a friend and I did a day-trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, or the birthplace of Shakespeare. As an English major and self-proclaimed Shakespeare fanatic, this was a trip I was looking forward to. The town itself was not what I expected, but I still enjoyed the day. We saw Shakespeare’s birthplace, his grave and the home of his daughter and her husband, as well as the site where Shakespeare lived before he died. All of it was really interesting and full of facts about the writer. His grave however, I thought would be tombstone outside…it was not. It was inside the Holy Trinity Church, the place he was baptized, and he was placed next to his wife, Anne. The New Place, or where Shakespeare lived before he died, had this really gorgeous garden, with sculptural representations of Shakespeare’s works. I could have honestly spent all day walking around it.
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I ended up spending too much money on souvenirs and eating lunch in a place called “Othello’s,” but we also walked around and experienced the area’s beauty. It was certainly obvious that Shakespeare could find inspiration in an area such as Stratford.  
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Location: Leeds, England

LONDON

This weekend I went to London. 
London has always been a place I wanted to go. Growing up around Philadelphia and New York, I was always interested in the other side of things. London seemed to be culturally more historic and when I was deciding where to study abroad, proximity to London was certainly a factor.
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We arrived at the hostel late Friday night, where we ran into a bit of a mishap with the receptionist. One of the girls with me had booked one bed, but the hostel was charging her for two. After arguing for a bit — and returning to see the manager in the morning — she eventually got it worked out. But after we finally settled into the hostel, it was around midnight. The hostel itself was really nice. It was clean and provided us with bedding, as well as showers. Not to mention the other people in the room where our friends and a random, really nice woman traveling alone. Location-wise it was in the Elephant and Castle part of London. Seeking a pub to go to, we went to the nearest one, suggested by a hostel employee. It was a bit sketchy, however, and seeing how we were being stared at upon walking in, we decided to leave and explore a little more until finally going back to the hostel and meeting up with the others from Leeds.
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The next day was far more exciting. We woke up early and did a walking tour around Westminster. We saw all the major tourist attractions, including Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben. The tour guide we had also took us to smaller, historic places and told us really interesting stories I would have never known on my own just walking around. We also got lucky and arrived at Buckingham Palace just as the changing of the guards was occurring — which we learned happens every other day at 11:30 a.m. during the winter.
After that, we ate lunch — and got warm — at a local pub. It was raining on and off all morning, which actually was a blessing in disguise, as we got to experience two beautiful rainbows over Big Ben. 
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We spent the afternoon walking around and going to the South Bank area of London, where I got to see the Globe Theatre. As an English major, with a special interest in Shakespeare, it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We also went to the Borough Market where we sampled the most delicious locally grown foods, like cheeses, breads, mulled wine, truffle oils, and brownies. After that we walked back to our hostel. 
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By then our feet were killing us, so we all relaxed in the hostel for a bit. We took the tube a lot, but we still seemingly walked miles throughout the morning. (Side note: the tube system in London is far better than the subway system in New York. Not only was it cleaner and easier to navigate, but it was more comfortable.) 
Earlier in the day we purchased tickets to a pub crawl in London, so we returned to the area for that later at night. The pub crawl consisted of four very different pubs and it ended at a nightclub. Each pub gave you a free shot and had special drink deals for those in the pub crawl. It was really fun, but extremely tiring. We started drinking at 7:30 p.m. and by 1:30 a.m. we were extremely exhausted. So, naturally, in typical American fashion, we went to McDonald’s before returning to the bus (the tube shut downs really early, we learned) back to the hostel. Fun fact: I learned that if you order a meal at McDonald’s and show your student ID card you can get free fries or a cheeseburger. Hopefully, that reigns true in the states as well (looking at you, East College Ave McDonald’s).
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The next day, we woke up, checked out of the hostel and went to the Camden Markets. It was really cool — probably the coolest part of the trip. We started the journey with crepes from this amazing stand, and went to go shopping in the markets. We ended up in the arts and crafts area where I was enamored with everything I saw. There were so many cool and interesting pieces, ranging from paintings to jewelry, and I wanted to buy it all. (Hi mom, don’t worry, I restrained myself.) After that, we split up and some of the group went to an American-style diner, while another girl and I went to the Camden Village Food market. Basically, it was booths upon booths of various cultural foods…and it was all so cheap. After walking around, we paid 4 pounds (!!!) for a buffet-style plate of thai food and sat on the water to eat it.
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After that, we went back to the Westminster area and explored London further and hung out in the Victoria Station for a while, before catching our bus home. (All in all, I loved London. I felt so comfortable there. For me, it is cleaner and more spread out than New York. I liked the old style of the buildings and the variety of things that I saw. I can definitely see myself returning in the future.)    
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As we were walking to the coach station to board our bus back to Leeds, one of my friends posed an interesting question. He asked us if we have started to think of Leeds as home yet. He is currently studying at Leeds for a year, and is in his second semester now, so for him Leeds is home.
For me, I’m not so sure yet. 
At the question, I instantly thought, “‘Home’ is covered in a few feet of snow right now.” But then again, as we were rushing to the bus station my mind wasn’t on America, it was on Leeds and my flat, my room, and my bed. 
So, I think maybe after about three weeks being here, I’m finally starting to call this place my own, (even if I’m still hanging onto the food and people from home).
– Kelsey 

Location: University of Leeds

Still in New York…

The next time I take a class at Penn State I will be a senior. A SENIOR.

This realization scares me. In a year I will be looking for a job… not just a job, a career.

Well before I go on a rampage, let me introduce myself.

My name is Lucie Victoria Couillard. But since I am going to Germany. Ich heie Lucie. Ich komme aus Westchester, New York.

I am a New Yorker. I am turning 21 on March 5 therefore I am a Pisces. My major is Print journalism and I have minors in anthropology and international studies. My dream would be to write for National Geographic but I am not opposed to working other places and expect it will take a very long while for me to work my way up to National Geographic.

I decided to study abroad because I want to see the world and see how other people live. Although I am excited to see amazing, interesting things that only Europe can offer, I really want to see how an average German person’s life is different from mine but also notice the similarities.

Having what my parents call “the travel bug,” I have always taken opportunities to go places but the most I have been truly away from home is two months and this was because I was at school in Pennsylvania.

This past two weeks I have been in Honduras and by the 12th day I was ready to go home. I had an amazing time and can’t wait to return but I was homesick.

This frightened me. How can I be homesick after 12 days when I will be in Germany for four months with no way to return home.

On February 23 I will be flying out of JFK airport with one other Penn Stater to spend my semester in Germany. I will be attending Philipps University in Marburg where the Brothers Grimm went to school. Apparently it is a small, beautiful college town.

Honestly right now the trip seems still very far away and very unreal. I still have a lot to do to prepare and I am having somewhat of a packing dilemma.

Since I don’t leave for a while, I will be bouncing around between Penn State and visiting friends and family. Feel welcome to keep up with my blog, I’ll probably be posting pictures and posts about my life pre-trip including fun photos from Honduras and newly learned packing tips. But the true travel blog will start February 24 after a long plane ride.

 Cheers,

 Lucie


Location: Armonk, New York, USA

Patient anticipation, up ’til now I’ve been hurry up and waiting

I’ve heard that life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

In exactly one week, I will sitting on a plane (where I will be inevitably uncomfortable).  Hopefully I will be sleeping, but probably not.  Knowing myself, I will most likely be sitting up, hyped up on tea and coffee, with a mind swirling with thoughts of a new life in a new place with new faces and new adventures. London is truly calling me now!  It’s hard to fathom that I’m leaving my entire world behind for a place that is so different from where I come from. I’ve spent plenty of time in cities, but growing up in a suburb of Philadelphia really is no comparison to the life I will be leading for the next five months- smack dab in the middle of vibrant central London. I’m enthralled by the prospect of what is to come, the excitement of the unknown, and the fantasies of all of the adventures that lie ahead… but at the same time I’m having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I won’t see some of the people I love most for five months. Sure, five months really isn’t too long, and I’m sure I’ll meet people abroad that will ease the homesickness when it creeps up on me (and it unavoidably will creep up on me), but the thought of leaving my family and friends is hard just the same. I’ve wanted to study abroad in London for years- in fact, I’ve been set on this dream since I was only 14 years old, and I know I’d deeply regret it if I didn’t push myself to take the leap and go. So with that thought, I guess the only thing left for me to do is really get everything together- the clothes and shoes (packing is undoubtedly going to be quite the challenge…), the passport and tickets and important documents, and the final goodbyes.


Location: Abington, Pennsylvania