Hola!  My name is Kathryn Clark and I will be leaving tomorrow for a month-long study abroad trip to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico.  I am an upcoming Senior at Penn State majoring in Hotel Management.  A group of about ten of us in all (a mixture of Hospitality and Spanish majors) are making the voyage together.  We will be studying at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, San Juan.  Of course as I’ve heard many times, “how much studying will we actually be doing…???”   I am quite certain that the city, walking-distance historical sites, and beach will be quite the distraction.  After all, it IS summer, right?
          All joking aside, (ah-hem), besides the schoolwork, we’ll be taking a variety of trips throughout our time there.  For example, we’ll be visiting a “Bio bay” filled with tiny microorganisms that actually light up as their defense mechanism.  I’ve been told it feels as though you’re swimming in a pool of glitter.  We’ll also be exploring both the newer sections of San Juan and the historical areas including old forts.  In addition, a trip to the El Yunque Rainforest is in the cards.  Due to my obsession with resorts, and I guess the fact that one of my classes is about them there…., I will be sure to visit many while in Puerto Rico.  If you’ve been to the island or have heard of something interesting there, please comment as to where we should visit.  I would love any input and will be taking plenty of pictures along the way!
       So at this point, I have finally got all, most, a good deal of my packing done.  As you can see a major item on my to-do list is having to tell the pup he’s not allowed to accompany me…

Location: York, Pennsylvania