Tag Archives: first post

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

Bon Voyage

Bon jour! My name is Clayton McKee and I am very excited to be a Geoblogger for spring 2015. I study Spanish literature, French literature, and comparative literature as a junior at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus. In about one week, my flight from Dulles in Washington D.C. leaves for Charles De Gaul in Paris, France for the entire spring semester and I cannot be more ecstatic.

As a student of many languages (I also have studied Arabic and Chinese, I am sure you are wondering “Why France?” Well, beyond the academic reason of being slightly behind in French classes due to a lack of credits in high school, I chose France, and Paris in particular, because of a love of cities and a love for French culture, literature, and language. I traveled for two weeks to Spain and France with my high school. We spent a majority of time in Spain (since most students studied Spanish); however, out of the five total days in France, two were spent in Paris. In those two days, the environment of the “City of Lights” with its arts, diversity, fashion, and pride spoke to me like no other place I had seen.

IES runs the French Studies Program in Paris. The summer directly after my freshman year I studied in Egypt on a Penn State faculty run program. While anxious about the sense of independence for this experience, I also look forward choosing my own classes, taking trips apart from my program, but more so at the ability to live in a home stay and meet more locals.

Over this semester, I plan to create an extensive blog that will cover a variety of topics from study abroad in general, in Paris, and a comparison between my previous experiences abroad and this one. I also plan on covering travel tips, things to do while in France/Europe, and give an American’s perspective on Europe and France.

I encourage feedback on my blogs about what you like, don’t like, and what you want to see more/less of! My next post will be from Paris! Happy reading!

Clayton McKee

Geoblogger-First Blog Pic

 


Location: Newville, Pennsylvania 17241

What happens in Mexico… is on this blog!!

tree selfie.jpgHola everyone! My name is Sarah Hammaker, and I am a soon-to-be junior majoring in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Spanish. Here’s your chance to see what is truly happening here in Puebla, Mexico, an extraordinarily interesting and unique city of the world. I have been studying here for almost THREE WEEKS NOW!! (Where did the time go??) Tomorrow marks the halfway point on this incredible study abroad journey.

I cannot imagine a better way to spend part of my summer than to be here in Puebla. I am currently pondering ways to stay here for six MORE weeks (wouldn’t that be awesome Mom and Dad?) I feel that I have learned more so far in relation to my academic studies than any classroom could possibly teach me. In addition, the life lessons I have internalized already cannot be described using words, and I am constantly surprised at what I discover. The many moments of laughter, the heart-felt coffee conversations, and the times I finally clearly convey my opinions in Spanish, all point to human connection as a major proponent of fulfillment. With this lesson learned already, I am enthralled to find out what is in store these next few weeks to come.  

Since I only have three weeks left (again, boooo), I will try my best to fill you in on the multitude of experiences I have been blessed with already, as well as my future experiences as I stumble upon them. Feel free to make any suggestions, comments, and ask any questions! For real, I want to tell you ALL about what happens here!!

 

Picture: selfie with �rbol de Tule


Location: Prados Agua Azul, Puebla, Mexico

Grüße aus Pennsylvania!

Hello and welcome to my GeoBlog!

My name is Ian Button, and I am a rising junior pursuing dual finance and German majors as well as a minor in international business.  Outside of the classroom, I strive to read and write about geopolitics.  Of particular interest are the concepts of “financial power” and the role of finance in hegemony.  

In just 11 days, I will arrive in Berlin’s Tegel Airport for a 10-12 month study abroad experience.  The Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) and Humboldt Universit�t zu Berlin will serve as my home base as I explore the city’s economic, political, and cultural scenes.  I hope to use my time in Berlin as a launching pad for my eventual thesis research.  As I gain exposure to the world of geopolitical risk analysis, global political economy, and strategic studies, I will refine the below assessment of the U.S.-Germany relationship.  

Germany and the United States enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship anchored by strong trade ties. While neighbors such as Canada and Mexico, our first- and third- largest trade partners, are perhaps more vital to the American economy, Germany occupies a distinct and important position that cannot be ignored. Other members of the European Union – particularly France – are often wary of greater economic interdependence with the United States, often obstructing free trade agreements and other political measures.  Germany, however, has voiced its support for full economic integration at a swift yet sustainable pace while also advocating fiscal austerity in the wake of the European financial crises.  Historically speaking, the United States has pursued similar objectives. 

Since the end of World War II, the United States has been heavily involved in German affairs. Beginning with the Marshall Plan, an aid package designed to finance the rebuilding of a then-broken Europe, trade ties between the two nations have taken on a new significance. As one of the world’s largest exporters – competitive even with the likes of China – it is imperative that Germany not jeopardize its relationship with the US, the single largest consumer of goods worldwide. This relationship may not guarantee agreement  on any given issue but it does create an environment rife with trade and economic liberalization, to the benefit of both nations.

This fall will prove interesting in light of the German Bundeswahl, or federal elections. Chancellor Merkel will face rivals from other parties, each of which is jostling for position. If Merkel is reelected, austerity in Europe will reign supreme. If not, Germany may see the rise of a Francois Hollande lookalike. A pivot now, given the tempestuous economic state of Europe, would likely have a dramatic impact on globalization and trade between the EU and the US.


Ian R. Button


Location: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

The Day Before my Trip

I leave for my flight to England tomorrow and with plenty of excitement! This entry is to explain my purpose for this journey/ trip studying abroad in England at the University of Sussex. After hearing many stereotypes about the British and their ways of learning and teaching, I hope to convey the true ways of a British learning system while at my school abroad. Stereotypes about the British learning include rigorous workload and higher knowledge requirements. I want to challenge these stereotypes and publish as many blogs as possible  describing campus life; the professors, the workload/homework, classrooms, and fellow students. Some of my blogs may include my traveling experiences on certain days I’ve traveled.


Location: Augusta, GA

Waiting for take off

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(Me (left) and my friend Shay (right) at an Equestrian team dinner)

Hello Hello!

I spent a lot of time trying to decide what I wanted to post and if I would even post before I left the country, nevertheless, here I am. So I will start by telling my readers a little about myself!

My name is Ericka Roberts and I am a sophomore at Penn State University, University Park campus. The second part of my sophomore year will be spent at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. I studying Community, Environment and Development (a relatively new and little known major) with a specification in International Development. I am also studying Sociology (with a major interest in demography) and International Agriculture. Along with my studies I ride for the Penn State Equestrian team and absolutely love it.

It’s suggested that in the first entry bloggers talk about what they expect from their study abroad, preparation and all that. So I am just going to say that I am beyond nervous for this impending trip and going to the complete other side of the world! Don’t get me wrong I am so excited and I have been waiting for this for so long but nevertheless this is my first time traveling out of the country without my parents (who are both military, so we have lived all over the world) and both my brothers. It’s just a new feeling knowing you won’t have that support system when you come home, or just 4 hours away in the case of me going to PSU and being from Northern Virginia. But I know world travel is what I want otherwise I wouldn’t be spending my college career studying to get a job that has me do just that. This is just the first step toward getting used to that really being on your own in a foreign place feeling. I know I really want this. I am mostly looking forward to traveling all over both the islands, maybe even taken a flight to Australia, and learning about the Maori culture. That’s why I am trying to take at least a class or two on them hopefully through a sociology class. But really the more time I can spend outside exploring, hiking, and taking pictures the better.

The last thing I am going to address today is this packing fiasco. Like any other person my age I put my trust in Google to give me some advice on what to bring, what to leave and the major things not to forget. So far it’s been rather helpful besides the little tip I keep seeing about only bringing one suitcase of stuff and a carry on (not counting a purse)…this must be a suggestion for a man! You cannot tell a woman she should limit herself to one bag! What about all my jeans, skirts, swimsuits, dresses, suits, shoes, t-shirts, sweaters, pullovers, scarves, coats, shorts, workout clothes and anything else I require! I have to have options; I have to be ready for any fashion situation. One suitcase won’t cut it unless I make some serious sacrifices. Anyway, I will be sure to address it in my next post once I get to New Zealand (on the 21st of Feb.) and let everyone know how that went.  

The next post will also hopefully also include a few pictures once I get to Christchurch (if I decide not to post until then) and will fill you all in on how the 25 hour flight went, my roommate and how the campus is in comparison to Penn State.

Until then,

stay beautiful everyone!


Location: VA, USA

Intro Post: 6 Weeks!

Hello! My name is Natalie, and I’ll be studying at the University of Leeds this coming year. I’m a rising junior majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and I have plans to attend medical school.

I’m going to talk a bit on the background of my study abroad and what’s happened so far, and then I’ll address my goals for my GeoBlog.

I’ve known that I wanted to study abroad since I started at Penn State, and the reason I decided to go to England, specifically Leeds, is because of some pretty awesome friends. Nearly my entire group of friends this past year was study abroad students, and the majority of them were British.

The Eberly College of Science has a few different universities with which it has “science partnerships.” By my understanding, that pretty much means that PSU has evaluated these universities’ science courses and have deemed them of acceptable quality. Within this list, I had options to go to France, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, and England (and maybe a few more? Can’t remember…). I favoured England over all the others (and I also have family there–my granny grew up in England), and within had choices of Leeds, Bath, or Sussex. I had friends from both Bath and Leeds, and it was mutually agreed upon by them that the cost of living in Bath was much higher than in Leeds. Thus, by my rationale, it seemed most practical to live somewhere a bit less expensive so I had more money to travel and do other things.

A lot of people have asked me why I’m going for the whole year, as not many people do so. In fact, I’m the only person from Penn State going to Leeds for the whole year. The answer to that that question is kind of vague, but mostly revolves around my experiences with the study abroad students at PSU. In addition to my friends this past year, I had a whole other group of foreign friends in the spring of my freshman year. Everyone I have met who was abroad for only one semester was really not ready to go home, but those here for the whole year were about ready to do so. I think I’d rather be ready to come home, than be left hanging with all the things I wanted to do still. So we’ll see if my feelings on that subject change, but I really think I’ll enjoy England and be happy for the whole year. I hope!

So I spent most of last winter and spring sorting out what courses I planned to take. Unfortunately, I was not able to get as many Leeds courses to specifically replace PSU courses required for my major as I would have liked. However, I did get enough to result in my schedule comprising of a few courses in my major, all 400-level electives required for my major, and nearly the rest of my PSU gen ed requirements. I’m going to have a lot of catch-up to do senior year (I’m expecting 6, 400-level BMB courses senior fall!). But it will be worth it, and so all will be well. Somehow.

I got my official acceptance from Leeds in April, and everything was sort of left for a while. I started looking into UK Visa stuff in June, and it was a bit of a pain. Leeds was late sending me my Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) number which allowed me to get my visa. Some UK visa bureaucracy stuff that was out of their control. So once I got that, there was an online application, I had to go down to Pittsburgh to get my photo and fingerprints taken (Yikes! I’m in the system now), and then had 2 weeks to send a ton of stuff in. MAJORLY stressful. So much that had to be “just so.” And I was paranoid. Not really for any good reason, but more because transposing a number or not being clear enough about something could equal not getting my visa. And thus I would have to reapply, pay more money, and it might even screw up my entire next year. So that was a stressful time. But all is well now. I have a pretty sticker stuck in my passport that says “UK Visa” and has a pretty picture on it (much better than my passport photo)

Getting a plane ticket was also kind of fun. I scoped out Travelocity looking for cheap flights, and found one for $480! The reason it was so cheap is for 2 reasons: I have a layover in Boston and another in Reykjavik, and the airlines are Jet Blue and Icelandic Airways.  I figured for the price it was really good considering that I don’t really mind the layovers, and I really don’t have anywhere to be. That is to say that I fly 8th Sept, get to England the 9th, and don’t really have any obligations till the 12th or so. I’m flying into Manchester, and will take a train to Leeds.

So, moral of the visa/flight is that I can at least at this point GET to England 🙂 Now that I have those, it’s kind of starting to become “real” in my head!

I’ve also just gotten my housing sorted out. I’m living in halls (dorms) about a 25 minute walk from campus. There’s due to be 5 in a flat, sharing a kitchen. I’m doing self-catered which means that I don’t have a meal plan, and will be cooking! I’ve decided to do self-catered mostly because I’m kind of sick of eating dining hall food, and it will give me a chance to get out into the town to go shopping and such. It’ll be interesting, considering that I’m not used to having to cook meals, but I’m looking forward to the change/challenge.

Hmmm….what else to talk about…

I guess a big thing about getting ready to go is all the logistics. I’ve a ton of things to sort out still, like banking over there, telling the phone and insurance companies over here that I’ll be away for the year, figure out a budget (It’s going to be SOOOOOOO expensive! Yikes!), and the list goes on and on!

I think the biggest thing now is PACKING! I’m just bewildered at how I’m going to pack for a year in a suitcase and a backpack! I’m not really planning on sending anything over. Just too expensive, and that also means I’ll have to get it back home. I guess I’m just telling myself that my goal this year is to learn to live as lightly as possible. I want to do as much as I can while I’m over there, but don’t have all that much money to spend. So we’ll see how it all works out! But back to the packing…My friends’ preliminary advice with regards to packing was to pack your favourite clothes, and not to bring any basic things (like T-shirts) which can easily be bought in England. So beyond that…I think I’m going to have to keep in mind the weather, as I seem to be pulling out mostly summer things, with it being as hot here as it is now. However, there is an 18 degree difference Fahrenheit between the high here and in Leeds for tomorrow. Yikes! And I need to start converting degrees again…I was doing really well during the school year with Celsius, but the summer has been Fahrenheit-theamed. Sounds loads hotter to say 100 degrees rather than 38!

So that’s kind of my story of how I got where I am now. Kind of long.

So, one of the most important parts of this intro post: my goals for this GeoBlog.

  • First and foremost, I expect this will be one of the most important experiences of my life, and thus I would love to have documentation of my thoughts, feelings, and observations to look back on at the end of the year as well as later in life. And I’m sure there is sooooo much I’d forget if I didn’t record it! And of course, one of the requirements of having a GeoBlog is actually writing in it, and thus that will be an incentive to keep up with it.
  • Second, I expect to keep my family and friends updated on my time at Leeds through the blog, and of course anyone looking to study abroad, whether it be Leeds, England, or anywhere.
  • In terms of content (my thoughts at this time, which of course may change), I expect the beginning will chiefly address getting set up in England, culture shock, and my feelings about studying abroad. Over the past two years, my time spent with international students has really peaked my interest in differences in culture and language. Thus I anticipate writing quite a bit about the differences between British and American culture, as well as the destinations of my other travels. Of course, interesting tidbits will be thrown in whenever they arise. I’m thinking that maybe by about December, I’d like to make a note to myself to spend some time thinking about and blogging about the personal growth I’ve noticed and experienced. And as a side note, I have a camera which I love, so once I have pictures to post, they’ll be in here 🙂

Well, that’s all I can think of for the moment. A very long post, but it gives what I think is necessary background, as well as kind of showing where my head is on the subject right now, about 6 WEEKS from departure.  

I expect to write again near the end of August, and we’ll see what’s happening then! (Hopefully I’ll be mostly packed, or at least know what I’m taking!)

Natalie


Location: Allison Park, PA

First Post

Hello!

This is just a test post to make sure the blog is up and running.  I fly to Singapore on July 28th so the real blogging will start then!  I’ll make a post beforehand to preview the blog and my time abroad too.

I think the best way to keep up with this blog is to add me to an RSS feed- a program which informs you of updates and allows you to read my entries without actually checking the website to see if I’ve made an update.  I personally use Google Reader (www.google.com/reader), which is simple to set up, especially if you already have a G-Mail account.  Just add the website of my blog (http://geoblog.psu.edu/author/jtm5184/) as a subscription, and it will give you all of my updates each time you open your Google page.  I use this to keep up everything I’m interested in, from sports to current events, as it is a lot easier than checking each web page I visit to see if it’s been updated.  I highly recommend this method to friends, family, and anyone else looking for an easy way to keep up with everything.

Back to write more in a month!


Location: State College, PA