This Week Abroad - 3/6/15
Blogs Abroad: How to Learn to Live
This is Arcadia's weekly roundup of highlights from student blogs abroad.
This week, we are teaching you how to live. Whether through a beautifully home cooked Irish breakfast like Allison, or falling in love with a new place like Margaret, Caroline and Meredith, travel and intercultural learning are key ways to experience the best of what life has to offer. In addition, Jillian balances a hectic schedule and her first Rugby Game and Emma gets down and dirty with Maori mythology.
But first, Lauren starts us off with some great reflections on her time abroad.
How to Learn to Live
"Living in a foreign countries offers many benefits and disadvantages. Although I don't have access to a Sonic slush I do live within walking distance of my now favorite Nandos. I've grown confident in my place within a city I once felt so lost within. If it wasn't for this opportunity, I wouldn't have found the strength in myself to step outside my comfort zone and stay there. I love this adventure and I'm sure anyone in my shoes would concur it is truly a life changing experience to live abroad."
Homestay with an Irish Family, Day 3
"For my last day with my home stay family, I soaked in the quiet morning of a room of my own as much as I could before moseying to the kitchen for breakfast. It was bittersweet to think that today my weekend was coming to an end. On one hand, I would greatly miss my temporary room, the comforts of a home, and my wonderful host family. On the other hand, I was rejuvenated and ready to return to Galway. This was just the weekend I needed to get a taste of home when I craved the comforts of my own home and family so much. "
Spiritual Science
"Before the earth, before the sun and the moon there was nothing but Io– a genderless, parentless energy dancing within the void. Io was, and is, the potential of the world, and the Maori spiritual equivalent to the Christian God. Within the darkness and energy, Rangi, the Sky Father, embraced Papa, the Earth Mother. They held tight to one another through the long nigh, and gave birth to child-gods squeezed and trapped between their bodies– the Atua. The Atua, trapped in the void, longed for freedom; they pushed their parents apart and began decorating the night with light."
Falling in love with Queenstown
Meredith in Christchurch, New Zealand
"Have you ever been somewhere that resonated deep in your heart? A place so full of beauty and charm that it sweeps you off your feet and leaves you in awe? I know I have. This past weekend, I fell head over heels for Queenstown. This picturesque town has all the same qualities as the perfect date; it’s classy, charming, rugged, and adventurous all at the same time. Dozens of delightful cafés and shops sit happily next to a crystal-clear lake, which seamlessly dissolves into the untamed mountain range behind to create a flawless horizon. This is where I got to spend my weekend, and this is where I found more of the dazzling and daring adventures New Zealand has to offer."
Crazy Times
"Lastly, this week I went to my first Rugby game! It was so cool to see it live and share the experience with such great friends as well. When Arcadia sent the trips out for this semester I was not that excited due to having done them all while I was on FYSAE. As I scrolled down I saw the event for the Rugby game and thought I would give it a try, and I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed the game and am hoping to go see another one very soon. It really is a great experience and I am so happy I had the opportunity to go and watch the game."
From Scotland, With Love
"I knew two things about Scotland before I went. The first was that people wore kilts. I didn’t know why and I didn’t exactly know how common it was to where a kilt, but I knew they existed. The second Scotland fact I was aware of was that they ate something called Haggis. I couldn’t tell you what it was made of or where it would fall on the food pyramid but, again, I knew it existed."
Eleven Days in Germany and Austria
Margaret in Edinburgh, Scotland
"The University of Edinburgh has a week long break from classes during February. Rather than staying in Scotland for the week, my friend and I packed our backpacks to the brim and headed to Germany and Austria. It was a great eleven days but I was exhausted after and glad to be back in Edinburgh!"