Where in the world are BVU students

REBECCA ROTH: London

It is really hard to believe that I have been in London for more than six weeks.  Time has been flying and I still have so much to see.  There are some things in London that are similar to America, and that is mostly speaking English.  Of course, London is a big city, and in big cities no one really smiles at anyone or talks to strangers; that is a change from someone who grew up in the Midwest for the past 21 ½ years. 
Where I am staying in London is probably the best place someone could ask for.  I am living a block away from Buckingham Palace and St. James Park.  A 10 minute walk away from Trafalgar Square, and you can go from there to all kinds of other places, such as Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street (the big shopping street), as well as many others.  If I don’t want to walk I can hop onto the Tube and get to many more places.
Even though I have been here for six weeks, I still have a lot more to see.  One of the things I am most excited to do is go to The New Globe Theatre and watch a play, standing on the ground floor of course (that is the only way to do it).  I have also learned quite a few things here as well.  Don’t smile at random people on the street, they won’t acknowledge it.  If you do need to ask a question they are happy to help.  Studying abroad has made me more independent; I am definitely not afraid of walking around by myself or traveling by myself, and I pretty much do what I want. 
One of the things I’m not looking forward to when I get back in May is knowing that no one walks anywhere here, except to class, and there also isn’t a whole lot to do.  In London I can walk out my doorstep and any direction I walk in I can find something to do.
I only have classes two twice a week, but my Wednesday is the busiest.  I have class at 10:00am, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., so I am traveling back and forth a lot.  Thursday’s aren’t like that; I start my day at 9:15 and am done at 1p.m. with an hour break in there.  The rest of my week, five days, I have to explore and do homework.  I recently did a weekend trip to Scotland, where I left Thursday afternoon and didn’t get back until Monday night. I am more excited for my spring break; I am going to Athens, Santorini, and Rome.  Have fun in Texas or Cancun everyone!  I’ll be soaking up the sun farther abroad. 
Studying abroad is something that everyone should do.  It’s a life changing experience and you get to do so many things.  It’s not every day you can travel to a different country and do some exploring.  Plus, being in a different culture is such a change; you get to learn more about yourself and about how others live.  America isn’t the only place around.  As Londoners say, Cheers.

LUIS RAMIREZ: Spain

I am having a great experience here in Granada. This city is full of history, culture, and many students from around the world. I have learned a lot while I’ve been here about their culture in Spain. For example the famous “siestas” (naps in the middle of the day), and going out for “tapas,” which is buying coffee or sangria and getting free snacks with your drink. My favorite part so far has been watching Flamenco at local bars because they have so much passion for it while still having fun. After five minutes of watching this dance, one feels ready to jump up and start dancing; it’s amazing. Apart from the things I have seen in the city, I have also really been enjoying my classes. One of them is the history of Spanish music, and of course, that one is my favorite.
During this month and a half I have already visited two places: England and Morocco. My England trip was a personal trip. It’s so nice being able to study in Europe because it is easy to travel around the continent. Morocco, on the other hand, was a trip already included in the problem, and was amazing. We got to see and compare different types of places, like a village on the top of the mountains, the capital Rabat, and also the border, which was very similar to our border to Mexico.
Before coming here, I mentally felt like diversity was really just about race, but after being here, I realized that even though there are a lot of races here, diversity also includes the amazing and interesting Gypsy, los Pijos (colloquial name given to rich young people), and the freaky freakies (also a colloquial name given to homeless people in Spain). Even more amazing is how all these types of people can be in the plaza (park) and be able to interact with each other.
I decided to come here because it has always been my dream to come to Spain, as well as because I knew this trip would enrich my college experience for me along with my resume. Along with taking classes, I  also have an internship with Madre Coraje, which is a business that collects clothing and other goods for people in need of them here in Granada and also in Central America. During my internship, I will be translating their website along with interpreting for them with their foreign relations.
I strongly recommend to anyone who would want to study abroad to come to Granada. Apart from being a great program and experience, people that surround you are amazing as well. Veronica, the director, gives you a lot of freedom while making sure that you have the information you need. This trip for me has already been a life changing experience because I see life itself so different now.
 

KELSEY BAYE: Austria

I love traveling and studying abroad is such a fantastic way to feed that passion. You learn how to get along with all sorts of different people, including those who don't speak your language. It is a test of your independence and self-reliance because, ultimately, the only person that you can fall back on is you. Your family and friends are thousands of miles away. Not only do you learn things through the classes you take, but you also learn about new cultures and new ways of doing things. It helps you understand how very different we all are and how much we are the same, as well. I have studied abroad before and I came home with the realization that the world is a lot smaller and humanity is a lot more interconnected that we sometimes would like to believe.

LINDSEY MAREAN: Washington D.C.

The Metro, sights galore, snow. Well, maybe not everything in Washington D.C. is different. However, there are quite a few things, quite noticeably, different from my life at BVU.
I’m spending this semester in Washington, D.C., through The Washington Center which is an organization for internships and academic seminars. I’m in the Media and Communications program.
The majority of my week is spent at an internship. I am a communications intern at Accordia Global Health Foundation, which is a non-profit dedicated to fighting infectious diseases in Africa, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
One of the biggest adjustments to living in D.C. is using the Metro, and the amount of time spent commuting. No hopping in the car for a quick trip to the Wal-Mart or driving just a little bit faster because I’m running late. I’m living in North Bethesda, MD, which is about a forty minute commute to where I work in the city. I leave every morning around 8 a.m. and often don’t get home until 6:30 or later.  By the time I get home, I’m ready to make dinner and get a few things done before going back to bed to start the routine all over again.
Another big change is that there is so much to experience! One of my favorite things about my program is that our advisor plans monthly dinners at a local restaurant. So far we’ve had two; the first we went to a sushi bar and the second, a creperie. Even though there are lots of Subways and McDonald’s, there are many different kinds of restaurants to try. I’ve also taken the opportunity to visit some of the museums. I’ve been to six so far, which barely scratches the surface. There are so many different museums and art galleries, and the best part is that most of them are free.
Then there are things that aren’t different at all. One once in a lifetime experience I had was surviving the “Snowpocalypse,” as it’s been coined. Two weeks after my arrival, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs got hit by a giant snowstorm. At the end of it, we ended up with about three feet of snow, which is the most snow D.C. has seen in quite a while. The federal government was shut down for four days, and so was Accordia. I was stuck at my apartment during that time as the metro was running underground only, and my stop is above ground. Being stuck in an apartment for four days is definitely an experience. One day my roommates and I put together a make-shift sled and built a snowman. Never thought I would have made a snowman while in D.C. Luckily, the snow is nearly completely gone now.
It’s been great to experience some of the things that D.C. has to offer that just aren’t available in Iowa. However, I’ve also realized things in Iowa that I take for granted, like having my car or being able to leave ten minutes before I need to be somewhere. There’s a lot more to see and experience and I’m looking forward to the experiences yet to come during the remainder of my time in D.C.

JOCELYN GARCIA: Spain

While studying abroad in Spain I had the opportunity to go to Morocco, Africa. This is my story… Let me start of by saying that as soon as I landed from the fairy people started greeting us. Everywhere I turned someone will say “Welcome or Hi” and is sad that most Americans will believed what the media puts on. We had a long day ahead of us. First stop we made was at the open market…two words, fresh food. Everything was out in the open and there were all types of odors from fruits till meat. I had never smell so much fresh and green food in my life – It almost got dizzy! J Needed to make some stops at a school were Moroccan women are studying language and basic education to earn a job. We had a discussion with two beautiful women and tasted their traditional tea, which in the Mexican culture they drink a lot. Te de hierbabuena (mint tea) and their cookies were delicious. After the discussion we had dinner which was my first time trying Moroccan food. This dish consists of veggies and chicken.

 Before we had arrive to Morocco our trip leaders had gave us a booklet of the rules and traditions these people have. So while I look into this book the first thing that caught my attention was “In Morocco don’t use your left hand when eating.” I didn’t understand this till our leader told us that they clean themselves with their left hand when going to the bathroom. WOW! Not to mention most of the bathrooms do not carry toilet paper which one needs to carry their own. 

Later that night we met our Moroccan host family. I room in with two other girls which later on became the best roommates ever! My Moroccan mom didn’t know English and she had two daughters which spoke some English. This family was very humble they didn’t have much to offer but they will offer everything they had. One rule in Morocco is to always take off your shoes when stepping on the carpet inside the house. The buildings are very cold at night which I later learned that the houses are made to be cold for the summer because they do not have air-conditioners. We slept on couches which were long enough for our body but not comfortable. This family didn’t have hot water which tells me that they will boil water to have hot water. I didn’t want to take a cold shower because it gets too cold and I didn’t want to risk getting sick. So I lasted 4 days without taking a shower. Wow! These made me realize how much I’m blessed just to have hot water. As I stayed there for two nights I finally started to realize how much we need the basics things and most of them we take for granted. I now understand the importance of recycling and saving water. My mommy was right all this time! Is amazing how living and learning other culture becomes real till we experience it ourselves. All this time in Morocco I couldn’t stop looking up at the sky and thanking God how grateful I was with every single thing He has given me.

 As we visited couple places the following day everything seems to be amazing with the things they do and things they make. There was a lot of clothing that was handmade and was very warm. The second night came to an end and our host sister gave me and my roommates a bracelet. She said we were the best people her mom had so far. This bought a smile to my face as I looked at her and her sister with an honest heart and sincere words. We couldn’t stop hugging one another as my roommates felt compassion for them.  We didn’t buy anything to them and then on the other hand gave us something. I felt the hand of God moving and He was just letting me know that He’s inside of everyone who stays humble. I will never forget this day. God is amazing. As my roommates were in the bedroom getting ready to go to sleep I went to look for my host sister. She thought something was wrong but as I took off my favorite necklace (my mom’s) something really special to me I gave it to her! J She was very surprise and I told her she’s been the awesome person I have ever met and her family. She couldn’t stop hugging me and deep inside I knew that she had never received something like this. But even though it was my mom’s necklace I knew it was material and my mom which I love so much means a lot more to me than something gold.  Her sister had a birth defect problem which because she didn’t had normal hands and every time she will eat I notice that she was a shame of her hands. Most of the time I notice her trying to hide them while eating so I also gave a bracelet that I had always carry because it was my favorite. I told her sister that she has the most beautiful hands I have seen and not to be a shame because she’s beautiful the way she is. The next morning our host mom gave us a kiss and a big hug. Even though she didn’t talk English I felt her warm heart saying “thank you for coming.” This family might not have everything an American has but they sure have each other which they love. 

The following morning we had discussions with a family up in the mountains. I believed this day we went to see the camels. It was the best experiencing ever riding with the camel at the beach! This was also a very interesting day…two girls from my group got car sick because the route was rocky and long. I enjoyed seeing how green the mountains are while my friend Cruz kept her eyes closed all the time because she dislikes heights. As we arrived with the Moroccan family they greeted us and had a discussion in their living-room. We had the usual appetizers during the discussion the traditional tea! And then they provided us with their traditional dish (cous-cous). I was not a big fan of it but I ate some. As we discuss about religion and marriage one thing I learned was that family is very important. The Moroccans have kids because they know that they will be blessed and they will be secure when they get old because their children will take care of them and so on.  Later that night we had stayed in a hostel which once again the building was very cold and finally I get to shower, there was hot water this time!! Thank God I didn’t got sick and later that night my friend and I went wondering around the streets which later we made up with our group leader and the rest of the group for a nice dinner! Everything went well and the next morning was to go back to Spain.  I love the experience that I had and if I ever complained about anything I will definitely feel bad later on. I realized that not everyone is blessed as I am and only God knows the needs of everyone. By the end of our last night in Morocco our leader gave us a bracelet each to the entire group! She was the best group leader ever.

 l-Hamdullah (Thanks be to God)

ELIZABETH ELGIN: Australia

I have been enjoying my study abroad experience at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.  Perth is on the west coast so I’ve had plenty of time to be in the ocean.  I gave surfing a try the other day and was eaten alive by the ocean.  I quickly learned what choking on salt water was like while also getting hit in the head by a surf board.  It was really rough, but after a lot of practice and a few bumps and bruises, I was able to stand up on my board.  I loved it and hope to continue practicing and be a pro by the time I get back to Iowa.

 I was able to spend a few nights at Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia which is home to the quokka, a marsupial found nowhere else in the world.  I did a bike tour of the beautiful island. I’ve also pet and fed koalas, wombats, and kangaroos.

 I’ve also gotten involved in a church that does a lot of ministry with the homeless.  It’s been very rewarding to show love to those less fortunate and to know they are going home at night with a full belly. 

 As for the studying part of my study abroad experience, I have 9 hours of class time a week.  That leaves me with a lot of free time, but I do have to go to the library and do a lot of independent learning and studying here.  This isn’t all bad, because it allows me to work on my tan while studying by the pool that is on campus.

 Murdoch University is quite large, so it takes me about 20 minutes to walk to class.  It’s been an adjustment having to wait on public transportation and not having the luxury of a car. I did drive a friend’s car the other day though, and luckily I remembered to stay on the left side of the road and didn’t have any head on collisions.

But because of the atmosphere, everyone does a lot of walking. When shopping, we push grocery carts from the store to campus. Unfortunately all the grocery carts are defective and it’s a mile uphill to campus from the store. 

 My favorite thing about Australia is the friendliness of the people.  Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful.  I’ve settled in, and Australia feels like home now.  I am loving every minute of my experience and can’t wait to share what I’ve learned when I get back!