Blog 1

Abbey Coleman
London summer 2018

I have wanted to go to London for years, and this course seemed like the perfect opportunity to go. They Psychology of Murder seems like the perfect combination of my majors: psychology and criminal justice. I want to learn and grow in another culture and use this trip as a way to grow and mature as an individual.
I am incredibly excited, but I'm also scared that everything will line up and be good to go and then something will happen that keeps me from being able to go.
I want to go out as much as possible, whenever there's free time, I want to be out and being in the culture doing things. I also want to play pick up soccer a lot and learn more about a different style of play. Additionally, I hope that at the end of my trip I am able to fly into Ireland and stay with my teammate Lisa and get to see another culture.

Blog 1: Goals

Goals and personal agenda:
   
     I have many goals and aspirations ragarding this trip.  In the Army I traveled extensively both in the states as well as to many foreign countries, but never for strictly educational purposes.  My goals for this trip are to become conversationally fluent in Spanish, while also educating myself culturally.  My end goal is to complete the necessary classes I need to finalize my graduation.  I also hope to take a photography class for an elective, so I can immerse myself in the landscape of Costa Rica while learning to capture the memories of my trips through photography.  I feel that this will allow me to see some of the less tourist prone locations of the country.  Upon leaving I plan to take trains/buses from Costa Rica north traveling to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico.

Feelings about impending journey:

     I am very excited to travel to Costa Rica.  I am very eager to get there and begin discovering what the country holds for me.  I am nervous about my skill level in Spanish not being fluent enough to make basic conversation, but at the same time that drives me to prepare before leaving.  I am a well experienced traveler, especially to countries in which I have never visited before, so rather than "fear" I am experiencing impatience and excitement.  I am pretty anxious to see what the home stay will be like, this will be completely new to me as I usually plan my own lodging.  I think it will be very interesting to stay with a local family and I feel like this will ultimately help improve my Spanish by fully immersing myself in the culture.

3 things to maximize my experience:

     I have so many things I plan to do on this abroad trip!  I am very excited to take a cultural photography class!  I feel that doing this will not only let me experience the hidden gems of the country, but it will also let me document my travels as best as possible.  I am also planning to take part in as many excursions as possible, either with a group or on my own.  I want to travel to the rain forest and spend some time hiking and exploring the nature of the country.  I also plan to attempt backpacking my way back to the United States from Costa Rica and have begun mapping my travels.  Traveling is my passion and if I can find a way to travel back to the states while seeing 5 more countries I will do everything I can to make that happen.

South Africa Service Abroad

During the course of this service abroad trip, I am wanting to gain practical experience in business-analytics-related information management. As mentioned on ISA’s site, this opportunity in Cape Town has open position working on IT related tasks at their civil rights non-profit. Along with gaining practical experience in this field, I fully intend on experiencing the culture of South Africa. This includes hiking the nearby area and getting a feel for the local geography (Table Mountain, etc), as well as seeing famous destinations in the province.

I am very excited for this trip, however, I am also somewhat nervous. The aspect of traveling doesn’t bother me. However, the extreme water shortage in Cape Town does. With a high potential for civil unrest in this part of the country, I am wondering if a Mad Max situation could occur over the local water supply (haha). Despite this, I still fully intend on going.

I intend on 1) Getting to know my colleagues who are locals, 2) Getting their advice on cool activities to do in Cape Town,  and 3) Taking their advice. Indeed, the only way to live like a local is to get advice from one. 

New Zealand Internship: Thoughts on the Impending Journey

Goals, Thoughts, and Maximizing the Experience


This summer, I will be spending 2 months in New Zealand for an Outdoor Education internship. While I have yet to be placed at a specific site, I do have some goals I would like to achieve through my summer abroad as well as some other thoughts and ideas about the trip.

I currently work in the Outdoor Education field and am majoring in Outdoor Studies and Tourism. I have spent the past 3 summers working at various camps, and I hope to spend the rest of my life taking groups outside to help them learn more about themselves and each other. I want to enhance the skills I have already begun to form in my field. Going abroad will hopefully help me hone my people skills as I work with an entirely new population of people than I typically interact with. I also have high hopes that traveling abroad will help me learn to be an even more flexible person. My final goal for this coming summer is to learn to surf.

As my departure date gets closer, I am steadily getting more nervous. Most of my nerves have to do with the expensive price tag on this trip. While I am putting every penny I make into my New Zealand fund as well as selling embroideries and other items and applying for scholarships, it is a nerve-wracking experience to look at a price that is at least 5 times what I have in my bank account. I do, however, believe that I will be able to make it with donations, grants and scholarships, and my continual efforts to work as much as I can. In addition to worries, I am very excited. I have wanted to go to New Zealand ever since I learned as a child that the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed there. I have wanted to go there even more when I realized how great the Outdoor Ed. and Recreation fields are in the country and how many opportunities there are.

Many people talk about "maximizing your experience" when they talk about studying abroad. I think this is a valuable point to bring up. I can see how it would be easy to get caught up in the details before my trip and then focus solely on the full time job I will have when I am abroad. I want to avoid doing those things. I hope that by blogging about my experience along the way, I can help myself to stop and think about everything as I get closer and closer to my departure. Once I am in New Zealand, I plan on spending as much free time as possible exploring the country and spending time with locals. I hope to build strong relationships with my co-workers and whoever I will be living with and around. I want to get the experience of living in New Zealand rather than visiting New Zealand.

I hope that you will continue to follow along as I blog about my process of preparing for New Zealand. If you feel so inclined as to help me worry less about the financial side of study abroad, feel free to donate to my GoFundMe!
https://www.gofundme.com/kates-new-zealand-internship

-Kate

Blog 1: Goals

What I Hope to Gain from This Experience:

The trip is a sort of pilgrimage for me in the sense that Italy is one of the most culturally and historically rich places in Europe, and Florence in particular is a huge artistic and historical center. Of almost any other city in Europe, I think it is most important for me to visit here as many of my passions (art, architecture, history, food, and wine) all sort of converge in this gorgeous city. I hope to take in as much wine and Italian dishes as my stomach can handle and to visit as many museums and historical cites (which is basically the whole city) as time will allow. Also, plan to use my intern experience to fulfill my SPE requirement as well as the Intercultural Dynamics core requirement.

Maximizing My Experience:

I want to learn more about Renaissance history and Italian culture (a very broad, all encompassing category I realize) while I am abroad, as I have a general but shallow knowledge of both. Also, I want to learn as much Italian as possible both before I leave and when I get there so that I can have the best experience abroad as possible (which will depend on how well I am able to interact with my environment and its people)

Fear and Excitement:

I am afraid I will feel uncomfortable at first if I don’t get a good handle on the language, but that’s only a secondary fear as I have been in that position before (three years ago when I visited Germany without having a very extensive German vocabulary). I am most afraid of being sick during the trip and missing many potential experiences and doing poorly in my classes. However, the overwhelming, euphoric excitement for the experience far outweighs any negative feelings I may have.

Blog Post 1 - Goals

So I begin to plan for what I want my next year to be like. My plan is to spend next year (365 days) spending 4 months split between three countries: Argentina, the United States, and Japan. I'm including the United States because I'll return for a four month break where I readjust just to have to switch cultures again. While abroad I want to accomplish three goals. One, become a more fluent speaker of Spanish and Japanese. This is why I want to travel to countries where the languages are spoken natively, so I interact with people who grew up speaking them and gain a more natural understanding. Secondly, I want to understand the history and culture more directly. I want to travel to the countries to visit places I've heard so much about and experience the culture firsthand. I can also gain a much broader understanding of different political climates and different customs by living abroad. Finally, I want to see if I want to focus on other cultures, languages, and geographies as a career or if Software Engineering is still the route I want to take. I am excited the different experiences I will encounter, but I am a bit anxious because of the language barrier and the culture shock, but I believe I will adjust in time. To maximize my experience, I will try to socialize with the school as much as possible, travel when I can, and challenge myself often. My doing so, I surely will be able to experience each country as fully as possible.

To Italy and Beyond!: Preparing for my First Overseas Experience

In November I came across an advertisement in MC Today about a chance to study abroad in Italy.  I've always had an interest in Italy with its architecture, natural beauty, and its presence in world history.  This was a change for me as I didn't think I would have a chance and the first time I really considered going abroad.  My intuition said "Go for it!" so I went ahead and took that leap.

While I am in Italy I will be adding pages to my story regardless of what happens.  First and foremost I want to capture memories.  Exploring the city of Florence and the Tuscan Region will allow me to truly begin to see the world for myself.  Although domestic adventures are exciting, I can't say for sure if that completely fulfills me with a sense of joy and accomplishment.  Crossing oceans breaks a barrier and takes courage. 

For 2018 to keep me focused on whatever goal I choose, I decided to keep a word and Bible verse of the year.  I chose this year's word to be "confidence" and the corresponding verses to be Psalm 27:13-14.  I choose to be confident that I can break out of my shell and move forward without hesitation.  Through this experience I want to see new perspectives through my own lens and take further steps to becoming an independent and confident human.

This will also be the first time I will attend a school focused on the arts.  This will be a transition as I am a STEM Major who doesn't have the time to explore much beyond the major and core curriculum.  Through this experience I want to create art through visual design or a healthy lifestyle, whichever class I end up enrolled in.

I am excited for the sunsets, sunrises, and watching history come to life.  As an Assassin's Creed fan, I'm interested to see for myself how accurate Florence is represented from a design standpoint.  I'm anxious for airplanes and navigating airports.  The questions rolling through my head go along the lines of "What do I do if I can't figure out where I am going?"  "What if I somehow miss my flight or misinterpret signs?" "Claiming and transferring baggage?"  These thoughts overwhelm me yet are essential in a successful travel experience.  I feel relieved that Florence is relatively safe.  I'm nervous, in contrast, about the potential of pickpockets as I have a tendency to zone out often.  I know I must be more alert, but not come off as paranoid.  As a person with deadly food allergies, I am also nervous about not triggering an allergic reaction.  I'm excited to spend three weeks away from the life I know.  Lastly, I feel ready to cross the ocean to feel that sense of accomplishment.  The unknown is intriguing.  The only way to know what it is like is to experience it yourself.

To maximize my experience, I do not want to stay in the city of Florence.  I want to explore the countryside and the coast.  A former teacher and coach recommended that I visit Cinque Terre, and after seeing pictures, it affirmed my desire to see such site.  The second way I want to maximize my experience is to meet people with backgrounds different than mine.  The way I see it is that if you want to explore, you need to understand and feel compassion for those you meet.  In the United States where most of us are more or less the same, it's much more difficult to truly become aware of one's background.  Abroad, their background surrounds you.  Lastly, to maximize my experience, I want to connect with the city I will call home for three weeks.  I want to attend local events, learn its history and experience, and connect with the city's people.  Immersing yourself is the best way introduction, showing that you're eager to learn, grow, adapt, and acquaint.

Through my passions, this trip will bring me one step closer to that well-rounded mind I want to have for myself.  Everyone has a story, so make yours significant.

Studying Abroad: Goals, Agenda, and Maximizing Experience

Something that scares me more than anything is that in less than three months I will be in a different country where I don't know anyone and they speak a different language. Beginning this pre-departure course forced me to realize just how soon I will be in the Czech Republic.

You may be asking: why does she want to study abroad? Hasn't Brinley studied abroad before?

My freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to study abroad for three weeks in the United Kingdom and Ireland. I very much enjoyed my time abroad in the U.K. and that small experience caused me to want to study abroad again. I have always wanted to go to Central Europe and this program will give me the chance to live in Central Europe for two months and to learn more about the history of the area as well. I wouldn't say the trip was a pilgrimage. Dictonary.com defines pilgrimage as "a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion." I wouldn't say my connection to Central Europe is because of religion. In fact, I don't consider myself to be very religious at all. For me, I have always been fascinated with the history of Europe and that's what drew me to this program. Something else that drew me to this program was that if you look at my family tree a lot of my family is descended from people in Central and Eastern Europe.

Fears and Expectations 

Honestly, I have no expectations whatsoever. I have never been to mainland Europe as I mentioned before. I am super excited to experience mainland Europe for the first time. Something that worries me is that I have no real experience traveling in a country where I do not know the language or anyone in the country.

What do I want to learn? How will I maximize my experience?

While I am in the Czech Republic,  I hope I will learn about the history of Europe. I hope I will also learn how to navigate a country that I don't speak the language in and how to build relationships with my coworkers and peers.

Maximizing My Experience

1. Confidence is Key
Before I arrive, I plan on researching the area I will be living in to search for bus routes, grocery stores, and other places I may need to go. This way when I arrive, I can feel confident in navigating the city.

2. Forget The Comfort Zone
I am hoping to spend my time exploring the city and other places in the area.

3. Build Relationships
I am hoping to build relationships with my fellow peers and coworkers. I hope that I'll leave the program with friends and connections that will last for a long time.

In conclusion, I am excited and nervous about studying abroad. I am hoping that I will leave the program with confidence, connections, and some sort of idea about what I want to do in the future.

-Brinley Knowles

Pictured above: me in London in a Telephone Box made out of Legos

Study Abroad: New Adventure!

What do I want to accomplish?

I love cultures. I could talk about cultures and their differences all day long! This is one of my biggest motivations about going abroad. Life wasn't meant to be lived in one place, and I have never been associated with Asian culture, so both are great reasons to go abroad! I am just very curious about their culture and the whys and hows behind their traditions and their people. Another very big motivation for me is to learn their language. I want to minor in Japanese so there is nothing better than immersing in the language's culture in order to learn it well. Considering all of what I have written before, my main goals are to:
1. Learn about the culture and their people
2. Grow as a person
3. Learn Japanese as much as I can to the point where I can be fluent in everyday conversations

Feelings about Study Abroad

When I think about Japan I get mixed feelings since I am very excited about a new adventure, getting to know new people and learning about a new culture.  At the same time, I am worried about money and having enough of it during the semester. I am somewhat scared about how far it is, but I know that once I am there it will be fine and I will get used to the place. When it comes to the cultural differences, I have no expectations and I am just ready to absorb everything and learn about their social structure and traditions.

Three things I want to do to ''maximize my experience" 

1. Never judge anything that I see or learn
2. Be open to trying new things
3. Do my best to learn their traditions so that bonds between Japanese culture and mine are more easily made

Blog 1: My Goals Abroad

Why do I want to go abroad?

There are so many personal goals I want to achieve during my trip. A major aspect I wish to accomplish while I am abroad is to embrace my independence. I have never been challenged to live in a community completely on my own and service learning abroad will push me to take care of myself, for myself, and by myself.

Another factor that is motivating me, is the opportunity to expand my knowledge on the responsibilities of a family support system. This will give me the chance to dip my feet into the career field I am pursuing before I graduate.

Lastly, I want to travel to become a more well-rounded citizen in the world. All we have is this one life, so I want to make the absolute most of it by encompassing unique elements of a culture.

What do I want to learn: before I go, while I'm there, and after I return?

Before my departure, I would like to learn about the financial systems, laws, and customs practiced in Costa Rica. While I am there, I want to learn about the food that is commonly eaten in Costa Rica and what kind of local activities there are to engage in. After I return, I want to keep up with the current events that are occurring in Costa Rica. On a more personal level, I want to reflect upon my travels and decide what I would like to do next time I am abroad.

What are my fears about going?

Like many other wonderful opportunities in life, there are some fears involved in going abroad. I am very worried about how I am going to be financially stable abroad, as well as what mode of transportation to take while I am there. 

Blog 1: Goals

 During my service learning abroad experience in New Zealand, I hope to accomplish many personal, professional, and academic goals. This trip will not only fulfill the goal of completing my SPE, bringing me closer to graduation, but also to my biggest goal of learning more about my dream career as an Art Therapist. I will be able to observe and connect with licensed professionals in the field at an Art Therapy community center in Wellington. I am also excited to get the chance to expand on the confidence and independence that my first international experience instilled. This experience is a chance to truly learn how to live independently and experience all the triumphs and hardships that come with independence without the safety net of having parents close by. I want to prove to myself that I can make it on my own in a foreign city and thrive.

While I am excited about the independence solo travel will bring, I am also a little afraid of having to navigate the journey to New Zealand on my own. The last time I travelled internationally there were major problems with the flights to the destination and home. At one point, one of the planes home had been cancelled three times. I was very lucky to be with a relative seasoned in international travel. However, I won’t have that sense of security travelling to Wellington, and I and concerned that I won’t be able to navigate delays or cancellations. While in New Zealand, I am excited to be working in the field I plan to pursue as a career, but I also have the small fear that while there I may decide that the field is not for me and some re-evaluations will have to take place. Concerns aside, I am very excited to explore Wellington and all the sights the city has to offer like the beach and harbor, botanical gardens, and the famous night markets.

            To truly maximize my experience, I want to be able to explore the city with a local to see what daily city life is like. I also want to be able to travel to other places on the north island like Auckland. A major enhancement to the experience would also be to learn about New Zealand’s history and culture, especially the Maori peoples’ culture and traditions.

Blog 1: Goals and Plans and Fears, Oh My!

Now that I've started taking the predeparture class, it's starting to sink in that, Lord willing, I'll be spending a month in London this summer. THAT'S CRAZY. I've been trying to keep my study abroad experience on the mental back burner to keep from getting overwhelmed, but I'm realizing that now it's time to start digging in and learning everything I can to try and prepare for my trip. 

Why am I doing this?

When I look into myself and ask why I wanted to go abroad in the first place, the answer has long roots. Since I was a preschooler, I've wanted to go to England, and London in particular, and I knew that studying abroad was one path to get there. I have always been fascinated by the gloomy overcastness of the city, the quaint feel of old-meets-new and all the centuries of history London encapsulates, and the cultural differences and similarities between America and the UK. I've had this dream for a long time, to go to London alone and live there, to really know what it feels like to be a part of the country that so captivates me. Fulfilling this dream is crossing a huge thing off my bucket list, and it will satisfy a lot of childhood curiosity. 

Of course, there are many other reasons I want to participate in Roehampton's summer program. The class I hope to take focuses on London's popularity as a setting in British literature, and it would give me valuable insight into understanding Brit lit; nothing can compare to the value of firsthand experience, and walking the city on field trips with local professors is an incredible opportunity for my field of study. I am also really looking forward to living independently. I'm a commuter at MC, so my independence is already more limited than most students. I did live in a dorm for a time, and I'm excited to have that experience again, because it will at least bring a little familiarity into an otherwise new environment. I think I need to test the strength of my independence, to see whether I can care for myself completely on my own, without the support system I have here at home, and to show myself that I'm capable. 

What do I want to learn?

Before I head across the pond, I am going to try and carve out as much time as possible to learn more about London, especially the specific area of the city where Roehampton is. Using TripAdvisor, student blogs, and other resources like travel guides, I hope to arrive knowing how to get to at least one good coffee shop, and with a basic knowledge of what sorts of things will be available to me within walking distance. I want to have plans for my free evenings and weekends; I hope that preparing ahead of time will help me really make the most of this trip. 

Once I arrive, my goal is to soak up as much of London as I can. My class is London-centric, so I hope to be able to gain more local knowledge from the course than I'm able to on my own. I'll have to fight my introverted tendencies and push myself to speak up and make friends, but I know I'll have a better experience the more I invest in it. 

After studying abroad, I'm really excited about applying what I'll have learned in class to my classes here at MC. I have several more Brit lit classes in my paradigm, and I can't wait to see how my understanding of the texts will change once I can visualize exactly what the settings, people, and culture of England look like. 

So, three things I want to do to maximize my experience are:

1) RESEARCH BEFOREHAND!!!

2) Push myself out of my comfort zone and make new friends.

3) Experience as much of the city as I can, both on trips with my course and on my own. 

How am I feeling?

In short, I am overwhelmed. I have a lot of trepidation about the vast unknown of this experience, and I'm hoping that this class will ease some of that anxiety. In the end, I know I'm capable of handling myself well and navigating stressful and new situations, and I know I'm determined as heck to make this a worthwhile and satisfying summer. I'm SO excited to consider that in a few short months, I will be landing in London with a month of experiences ahead of me. Now it's time to learn how to get there. 

Blog 1: Goals

    Why do I want to go abroad?

      A main driving force behind me wanting to study abroad is the fact that I really want to expand upon my independence. Even though I've been living without my parents for two and a half years now, I have still been living with roommates. Studying abroad would put me in the position of fending for myself more than I already do now.

      Another reason I want to study abroad though, and even part of what I hope to get out of it, is to possibly get some background in the psychology field dealing with criminal cases since a possible career choice for me could be as a Forensic Psychologist. As a forensic psychologist, working in and around the court room and judicial system would be a component of the job. Studying abroad for a class that deals with the psychology of murder and murderers would certainly be right down that alley. 

      While in London, I also really want to be able to walk around the city and just kind of live like a college student while there. I want to be able to "live like a local" for just a few days and go to class and maybe meet a few other people doing exactly what I'm doing. I want an experience that I've never really had before, even having travelled abroad in the past.

     What do I want to learn?

      An easy answer to this question would be that I want to learn about the psychology of murder and murderers, and gain some type of background for a potential future career. If I were to break the question up into three parts though, such as: before I go, while I'm there, and after I return, I would have more than a simple answer.

      Before I go to London and begin my study abroad, I'd like to learn more about the culture of the area, and maybe even a bit about their political system. I've paid attention to their current political climate a bit, but if I'm going to be living there for a month, maybe I should learn a bit more. I'd also maybe like to look into how they conduct university courses since I will be taking one.

      While I'm in London studying abroad, I'd like to be able to learn to find my way around the immediate area and establish a type of "home base" so to speak. I'd hope by the end of my trip that I'm still not relying on map directions for every single thing. I'd also like to of course be able to take concepts that I'll have learned about and apply them to my life and the future.

      Coming back from studying abroad, I'd like to learn the ways that I have clearly changed. Obviously I'll know more things coming back than I knew going there, but I'd like to realize that I don't need to rely on my parents for everything, or even the friends that I currently live with. I'd like to see that I've made personal growth while overseas.

    What are my fears?

      If I had to give names to my fears and make them real, I would say one of them would be something bad happening while I'm in the U.K. As in, some major geopolitical event happening that would immediately affect me. And realistically, am I in any more danger going to the U.K. than I would be going to New York City or South Florida, hopefully not. 

      A more rational fear that I have about studying abroad though is probably just the aspect of going there and not really acquainting myself with anyone in the month that I'll be there. Being alone combined with the inevitable feeling of homesickness in the back of my mind has made me question about whether I wanted to apply in the first place, but I'm hoping that these two "what-ifs" are just fears, and won't hold any merit once I really get into the thick of it in London.