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Introduction

Ahh, December. That time of the year when students start thinking about finals and then getting to go home and relax for a few weeks.

Oh wait, it’s December already? I have less than a month left in the United States! Well, for the next few months, that is.

It’s hard to believe that this semester is coming to a close, but as the saying goes “with every ending there is a new beginning.” It just so happens that my new beginning will be in Montpellier, France!

A brief introduction of myself: My name is Kelsey Robb, and I grew up in a small town outside of Boston, MA. I am currently a junior majoring in Advertising, with minors in French, Business, and International Studies. I am an avid fan of the Patriots, despite much backlash from the general community of football fans at Penn State. I enjoy running, football, and cooking.

As I mentioned before, I’m flying out of Boston on December 31st to spend New Year’s Eve on a plane (FYI, I HATE flying!) to my home for the next five and a half months. Am I nervous? Absolutely. Am I excited? You bet!

I can only imagine what adventures lie within the next few months of my semester abroad. If I could count the number of times I’ve been told how lucky I am to be studying overseas, I would be at a very high number. (Clearly, I’m not the most creative at comparisons.) I can’t wait to let the times roll and have the experience of a lifetime!

Jusqu’� la prochaine fois,

Kelsey

Location: State College, PA

La Bella Vita

I have been joking, with a small, awkward chuckle, that I will be traveling from one university town of conflict to another.

For the next semester, I will be studying abroad in Perugia, Italy–the town that was shaken by the murder of Meredith Kercher and the Amanda Knox trial. In fact, I will be attending the exact same school that Amanda Knox attended: L’Universita’ per Stranieri (literally, “The University for Foreigners”). It is strange to go from State College, Pennsylvania, which was recently shaken by the Sandusky scandal, to another town that is now recovering from the aftershock of the Kercher-Knox ordeal.

I have been told that I probably won’t be hearing too much about it while I’m there. This relieves me, because Perugia seems like an incredible town that is so much more than the media hoopla. Just like State College is.

Really, Perugia does kind of seem like State College in Italy. It’s a small university town, nestled in the region of Umbria (which is right next to Tuscany) that has about 40,000 students living in it. It’s a pedestrian town with cobblestone streets and a whole lot of history. Additionally, it’s very hilly; an alumnus of my program said that he walked uphill both ways to and from his classes. Well, at least I’ll be burning off all of the calories from all of the delicious Italian food I’ll be eating. That is, if I decide not to take advantage of the escalators that are built into some of the steeper roads.

I read in the Collegian the other day that at Penn State, Italy is the most popular country to study abroad. 530 students studied there last year. I don’t tend to pick the most popular thing to do, but ah, La Dolce Lingua Italiana, mi fa una serenata!

For the past several years, I have swooned over the beauty of the Italian language, so much so that I decided to begin teaching it to myself through a computer program in high school (and no, it was not Rosetta Stone, which is not nearly the best program, by the way; it was called “Tell Me More,” and I highly recommend it). I poured over vocabulary lists, conjugated verbs in the margins of my Spanish homework, and memorized grammar rules. It was only natural for me to choose it as my minor.

So I travel to Italy not to jump on the bandwagon–I really, really want to get fluent in Italian. I am participating in a “full-immersion” program; the only subject I will be studying is Italian. Additionally, since so many students come to study the language from all over the world, not only will I get to interact with Italians, but them as well. The program even rooms you with students who do not speak your native language (with the prevalence of English these days, I’m wondering how hard or easy it will be to pair me with a non-English speaker), so that way, you are forced to use Italian as your lingua franca. Is that not the coolest thing ever?

I am really getting pumped. So pumped. I’m going to be jumping out of my skin by the time January 5th rolls around!

So, a little bit about me. I’m a junior in the Schreyer Honors College here at Penn State. I’m originally from York, PA, which is about 2 hours south of State College. I am majoring in Film-Video with a dual major in International Studies, and, as I mentioned, minoring in Italian. I participate in a student-run news show and game show through the PSN-TV club, and I am also a proud member of Springfield THON. I have sung for a large part of my life and I sing with the University Choir here on campus. I have a huge passion for travel and have visited over 20 countries, including Eastern and Western Europe, China, Israel, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, and all over the US. I enjoy long talks on the beach, that moment when you eat really good food and drop your fork, and wasting ridiculous amounts of time traversing the Internet.

Mi chiamo Ariel Siegelman–e mi sono innamorata d’amore.

Location: York, Pennsylvania

Lawrence in Florence: An Introduction

Hi readers! I’m really excited to share my experiences with you as I study abroad for a semester in Florence, Italy! But first, you may want to know a little about me: My name is Lawrence Weathers, and I’m a junior at Penn State studying business management. I’m from Media, PA, which is about 15 minutes southwest of Philadelphia. I absolutely love Penn State and enjoy giving back to our great university through Lion Ambassadors (you may see us giving tours everyday or running events such as Be A Part From the Start, Lantern Tours, and Old Main Open House). In my (not-so-abundant) spare time, I also enjoy filming and editing short videos, and I hope to film a lot while in Florence and share them here, so be sure to check-in often!

I’ve always known I wanted to study abroad, but I didn’t give much thought as to where until last year when it was time to apply. After talking to my study abroad advisor, I decided that between my interest and what I wanted to get out of my experience, taking international business and art history courses at the Institute at Palazzo Rucellai in Florence was the place for me, and I’ve been excited to go ever since. My excitement has grown with nearly every person I’ve talked to who has been to Florence, with people describing it as “the most beautiful city in the world,” and telling me it will be “absolutely amazing.” When I found out my neighbor had studied abroad in Florence last spring, I asked her what she thought of it. She literally didn’t even have words to describe her experience; she just got really excited and kept saying how much she misses the city. And just look at it, how can you not miss a city this beautiful:

To be honest though, as excited as I am to go, with the fall semester winding down, I’m realizing just how much I’m going to miss Penn State, all my friends, and everything going on here (like THON). I am also a bit nervous because I don’t know a word of Italian. However, I know that once I get home for winter break and get closer to my departure date (January 9th!), those feelings will dwindle as my excitement builds. I truly cannot wait for what I’m sure will be the experience of a lifetime, and I barely know what to expect; all I know is this is going to be an exciting adventure and I can’t wait to share it with you through this blog!

Also, a sidenote: 9 out of 10 people who I tell that I’m going to Florence respond with “Lawrence in Florence! Haha! Did you plan that?!” While I obviously had better reasons for choosing to study in Florence than the simple fact that it rhymes with my name, I admit that it does have a nice ring to it, so feel free to use that term.

Location: State College, Pennsylvania

Another Quest For Adventure!

Hi everyone! My name is Jill Armington, and I am twenty years old and hail from Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, a town right outside of Philadelphia. I am currently a junior at Penn State University and am ridiculously passionate about my two majors, sociology and education public policy. I love being involved in all Penn State has to offer – I row on the crew team, intern as a campus recruiter for Teach For America, serve on the Scholar Advancement Team for the Schreyer Honors College, raise money for pediatric cancer through THON (the largest student-run philanthropy in the world), plan events for Homecoming, play intramural soccer …. But hey, no one ever says they wish they slept more in college, right?

This spring I’ll be leaving Penn State behind to study at Vesalius College in Brussels, Belgium. It took awhile for me to decide where I wanted to go for my semester abroad, and I finally selected the CIEE Brussels: Business, Culture, and Communications program. I’ve always wanted to spend time in Europe, and Belgium is centrally located – travel from one country to another will be easy. I also like that Belgium is a bit less conventional than other European countries; it remains rooted in Dutch and French tradition, but is also metropolitan and modern. The fact that it is the home to the EU headquarters is pretty awesome too: I think Brussels will be a very interesting city to live in, as it is a hub of current European activity. The program also came very highly recommended by a friend of mine who was in Belgium two years ago.

With under two months to go until my departure, I’m definitely starting to get a bit nervous, but my excitement is still at an all-time high. I’ve done a few short-term study abroad programs through Penn State: the summer after my freshman year I studied in Turkey for a month, and last winter break I went to London for a theater study tour. These experiences were absolutely unforgettable, but I’ve known ever since middle school that spending a semester abroad was going to be a vital component of my college career.

And now, here we are! I’ve bought my plane tickets, sent out my visa application, and have started perusing the course list at Vesalius College. I’m going to have to find my old French textbooks from high school to brush up on my francais skills, and will try to European-ize my wardrobe (which, like most Penn State students, consists mainly of Penn State-affiliated t-shirts and comfy sweats).

Until next time!

Jill

Location: State College, Pennsylvania

Introducing…Kimberly Lytle

Merhaba!

I am not going to bore you with the dull stuff so I will keep it short and sweet. My husband and I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia. This is my senior year at Penn State WorldCampus. What an amazing way to finish this chapter of my undergraduate studies which would help carve a new path for me in international affairs as I pursue my law and graduate studies at Penn State next year as well as help get me closer and closer to my dream career as a Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State.

The country I will be studying in for almost a year is Turkey (Istanbul). So many people have asked me why did I choose Turkey and my reply has always been “why not Turkey”. I have no expectations for this adventure. I only plan to open my heart and let Turkey take me where I need go. I know it sounds a little stupid but it works for me. Sometimes no plan is the best plan while on the road of discovery. I want to learn as much as possible about myself, the culture, the history, and its people by actively getting involved with the community through volunteering, socializing, traveling, and sightseeing. The opportunities are endless and I plan to just dive in even if I belly flop or fall on my face.

I hope everyone has a great time and I look forward to reading your posts and sharing my adventures and what I have learned with you all very soon.

Kimberly

Location: Atlanta, Georgia 30350

Starting a New Journey

Hi Everyone,

There are only 21 days left before leaving for Espa�a~ It’s time for me to share some information about myself with you guys and girls. I told myself several times to do this entry in the last month. However, I was too “busy” with many reunions and shopping trips.

Haha~~ anyway~ My name is Tianyu Wang. I usually go with my English name, Sapphire. Well, it doesn’t mean that the meaning of my lovely Chinese name is sapphire. I got this English name from my high school English teacher, Brian, who is a British guy. He loves to name girls after jewelries. I am going to Seville, Spain for the Fall semester of my junior year in this September. I’m an international student from Beijing, China in Smeal. (double major in Finance and Spanish, and minor in International Business). I am in Beijing right now for my last month of summer vocation. Recently, I’m working as an intern in an insurance company. After my internship (last day is on the 19^th ), I will get to more preparation for the coming adventure.

So now, time to get to the regular questions for this very first entry:

1) Why study abroad? Why Spain?

– When I told my friends, “Hey, I am going to Spain for the fall semester”, they went, “That’s wonderful. You are studying abroad! But… wait, aren’t you studying abroad now?” I said, “Oh yeah! Ha~ so I am going to

(study abroad)²“.

– Little background info: I have studied in U.S. for more than 4 years since my junior year in high school. I understand deeply about the benefits from studying abroad experience. When I first came to America four years ago by myself, I was fifteen. My English speaking was terrible. I stayed with an American Family in Kentucky. After one year, my English was boomed and I fit into American culture pretty well. Being away from my family and my comfort zone has helped me growing up. Many of my views and values have changed in positive ways.

– This is exactly what I expect from my Spain experience as well. I want to learn as much as I can. Since I am ready to major in Spanish, I hope that this coming semester will help me with this language (especially, listening and speaking). At the same time, I am extremely excited about living with a local family. I have two American families. Although they are not my “real” family, they treat me as one part of them. They help me with all my college experience. My parents are so relieved because of them. They are my family and the forever connection with U.S. I hope that my homestay in Seville will be my forever connection with Spain. And by living with this culture, I will be able to understand more about the civilization of Spain. What’s more, I can also experience how European people live and think. I have enjoyed myself a lot with the American style of living, and it is time for me to get some taste of European style. I will “absorb” every precious bit in this beautiful country to work my way to become a “World Citizen”!

2) Am I nervous? What am I gonna miss the most?

� Well, I thought that I would not be afraid about anything at all for this studying abroad. But I was wrong. As the day getting closer, I am getting nervous. After all, Spanish is my third language. So far, the speaking and listening parts are my pain. And this is a completely strange country to me. Although I am confident to do well, I still worry about if I can adapt everything quickly or very well.

� I gonna miss my family for sure. It always hurts to say goodbye to my parents at airport. I believe that every international student feels that way. Every time, I am afraid to turn around and look at my parents when I pass through the custom. Also, of course, I gonna miss my boyfriend. We will be apart for next five months. I gonna miss my friends in China, my friends in State College, my American families. I love you all. Homesick will always be there. However, I know one semester will pass so fast that I will not have time to homesick too much.

3) What is my plan for Geoblog?

� Topics: living, classes, people, travel, food, flamenco, bull-fight……

� Many pictures and videos (if any)

� At least one entry per week, keep everyone updated with all my experience in Sevilla

� Welcome and love to see everyone’s feedbacks!

Guess this is all for now~ I will talk to you guys soon!!!

BTW, Oh! Have everyone watched Harry Potter 7 part 2 yet? If not, go watch the movie. You won’t regret it. I went to the movie on last Friday. It was awesome! However, I also have kinda mixed feeling, because it is the real real last one. It is the mark for me to say goodbye to my Harry Potter books!

Location: Beijing, China

Getting ready for Quebec!

Sometimes my friends would laugh when I said I was studying abroad in Canada this summer.

“That’s not abroad!” joked one of them. And, sure– I see his point. Canada’s not that far or exotic. It’s probably one of the few study abroad locations that can be reached by car. But despite this, Canada is home to millions of French speakers, European-style cities, and a Francophone culture vastly different from my Pennsylvanian one here. So take that, friend!

My name’s Noelle and I’m a French and Journalism double-major. I’ll be spending five weeks in Quebec City this summer for an intensive French immersion program at the Universite Laval, and here’s where I’ll be blogging about it. I’m beyond excited because, first, I’m obsessed with travelling. And second, this is my chance to really work on my French. I hope to come back this fall speaking fluidly and with a lovely French accent. One can only hope, right?

Here’s a picture of a friend and me in Lyon, France last summer. I’m the one on the right.

I know I could have chosen to go to France (a lot of people ask me why I didn’t), but I’ve been there before. Don’t get me wrong; I love it there. But all my French classes at Penn State have been about the language, history, and literature of France. I haven’t learned at all about Quebec, and that’s partly what drew me to this program. I also spent a brief amount of time in Quebec City a couple years ago– only a few hours, really, while my family was on our way to someplace else. Just that amount of time was enough to convince me that I needed to come back. Evidence:

I took this shot in 2008, and yes, Quebec City has a CASTLE. Or as they say in French, a chateau. I don’t leave until the end of June, but I already can’t wait to spend my summer there. I’ll write again soon!

Location: State College, PA

Long Ways Away

Hello,

My Name is Alex Baukus, and I am in Rome, Italy. I’m participating in the International Program in Nutrition (IPN), of the College of Health and Human Development. My major is Biobehavioral Health (BB H), and I will be a senior next year.

My trip took me from State College, PA to New York, NY via the megabus. After spending the night in the city at a friend’s place, I took the MTA subway to JFK airport. From JFK, I grabbed an overnight flight to Berlin, Germany. After a brief lay over, I boarded another plane to Rome, Italy.

Flying over the Austrian and Swiss Alps was a sight to behold. The turbulence generated by the updrafts was quite bouncy. Included here is a shot of them from the plane.

Here in Rome, myself and 15 others in my program are living in a old Convent called Santa Maria Capella, located along the Tiber River in the neighborhood of Travestre.

This following photo here is a shot out my bedroom window, looking down the Tiber River as it flows south.

As a group, all 16 of us have the same classes, Nutrition 499, Nutrition 399, and Architecture 297A. These courses meet during the week in a classroom near the famous Pantheon. Out the window of the classroom is this spectacular view.

More entries and pictures to follow soon!

Location: Vicolo Santa Maria in Cappella, Rome, Italy

Una Semana: One Week Until Puebla!

Hola! I’m Kelsey, an English/Spanish major here at Penn State, and I cannot believe that in one week I will be in Puebla, Mexico! It is so surreal. I mean, I’ve been intending on studying abroad during college since high school, but it still hasn’t really sunken in yet.

Skyline of Puebla, Mexico! Photo courtesy of Picture Ninja

I’m really looking forward to a lot of things on this trip, though! For one, I can’t wait to majorly improve my Spanish conversation skills! It will be an incredibly valuable skill to have, both academically and practically.

Admittedly, I am a little nervous about getting homesick. It’s going to be a long seven weeks without my friends, family, or the comforts of home, but I’m sure I’ll be able to beat any homesickness that may surface and become a more independent person for it. Plus, I’m excited to gain new friends and meet new people. For one, I can’t wait to meet my Mexican family! My host sister contacted me on Facebook a little while back, and she seems really sweet! I have host parents, my host sister and her older brother, and even a Chihuahua named Benny!

Also, is it strange that the one thing I’m really not that worried about is safety? When most people hear I’m studying abroad in Mexico, the first thing they tell me is to be really, really careful. However, I’ve been told multiple times that Puebla is a safe and beautiful place, and I truly believe that it will be.

I guess I’m simply too excited to immerse myself in Mexican culture and learn about its history. The sites we’re planning to visit seem fantastic, and I am simply cannot wait for that authentic Mexican cuisine! It’s going to be interesting to learn about the Mexican lifestyle. I think it’s important to get outside of the “American bubble”, and I can’t wait to gain knowledge about our southerly neighbor.

Well, that’s about it for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to update frequently about my travels and experiences in Mexico! It’s going to be an amazing journey for sure!

-Kelsey

Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Ciao da Roma!

Buongiorno and welcome to my GeoBlog! My name is Evan Murphy, and I am fourth-year architecture student from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I am studying at Penn State’s architecture program with the Pantheon Institute in Rome during the Spring 2011 semester. I look forward to sharing my experiences of Italian history and culture in the upcoming months through my photography, field sketches, video, and written entries. I will also be blogging from various other European locales as my class schedule permits. As you might have guessed, I’m very interested in architecture, art, and history. However, I’m also very excited to blog about topics such as food, festivals, and daily Italian/European life.

above: Roma (and myself) from atop Janiculum Hill – a balmy 55 degrees in January!

I arrived in Rome a little over a week ago, and have been working through some technical roadblocks with the internet connection. I’m living in an 11th Century former monastery in Trastevere, across the Tiber from center-city Rome (hence the bad wifi). Trastevere is a middle-class neighborhood, with a good mix of permanent residents and international exchange students living here. It is much quieter and less “touristy” than many other parts of Rome, as it pretty far from most of the well-known sites in Rome. Trastevere is full of narrow cobblestone streets lined with centuries-old apartment buildings and too many old churches, family grocers, and fantastic restaurants to count. Anything you could need while living here for a semester is within walking distance. I’m feeling very much at home already!

Before posting on my first week in Rome, I’ll be catching up with some posts on a trip I made with two friends through Norway, Finland, and Switzerland on our way to Italy. Until my post on the Pantheon, Roman markets, and Hadrian’s Villa, here’s a pic of our courtyard, from the terrace outside our apartments – the largest private garden in Rome (below). Ciao!

Location: Trastevere, Rome, Italy

Education Abroad GeoBlog

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