¡Hola a todos and welcome back to "There Be Dragons"! Annelise Eidt

   ¡Hola a todos and welcome back to "There Be Dragons"! 

    I'm Annelise Eidt, a junior in the Global and Disciplinary honors programs through Lloyd Honors College. I'm at UNCG pursuing a double major in Speech Language Pathology and Spanish, the latter of which was my inspiration for studying abroad in a spanish-speaking country. I was lucky enough to spend my spring 2025 semester studying in Valparaíso, Chile at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV) through UNCG's partnership with the ISEP agency. I'm so excited to be sharing my experience with you all!

Below: Pictures from all around Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile

 

A Home Away from Home

During my 6 months in Chile, I stayed with a host family in the nearby town of Viña del Mar. My experience of living in a new country as well as practicing Spanish was intricately tied to my close relationship with my host family and I could not have asked for kinder or more patient people to form my second family. I stayed here with my own room, access to kitchen and laundry services, and it was right down the road from a micro stop (the bus system of Chile). We tried to eat together for lunch and dinner or "once" which is a late night meal of bread, meat and cheese, and tea. We would converse at the table about things ranging from how our days went to current politics and would also have friends and family over on the weekends.

Pictured below: My host family including my host parents (Ximena and José Miguel), la Abuelita Eliana, and la Tía Eva

Putting the "Study" in "Study Abroad"

While I was enrolled at PUCV in Valparaíso, I took a total of 6 classes over two terms. I opted to take all of my courses completely in Spanish, but they also offered courses in english too. Of course I had some grammar and conversation courses but I also took classes focusing on healthcare systems in Chile, Latin American short stories, and traditional dances of Chile which were fascinating. I found that although the courses were at times more rigorous than I anticipated, all of the professors were very kind and always willing to help. As someone who has always found school to come easily, this experience really pushed me to grow by taking more of an active role in my education. I had to try twice as hard to understand concepts that if explained in english would be fairly quick to understand. However, with time class materials became easier to digest, which showed me my personal growth in the language and significantly helped with my self-confidence in Spanish. PUCV also served as a social hub for students where we could hang out and study or just chat. If we weren't studying at school you would find us at one of the countless cafes in the city where you could buy a coffee or specialty drink for under $4! Or we would be at the beach, as Chile has massive amounts of coastline on the Pacific ocean. Pictured below is one of our favorite cafes in Viña del Mar called Café Rosa where everything was pink.

Seeing the World

My flight to Chile was the first time I had ever been outside of the United States, and I planned to make the most of all of my time while I was on another continent. With a country so varied like Chile with its beaches and mountains and deserts, I was determined to soak it all in. Not to mention all of the amazing countries that were just a short plane ride away. I managed to take about a trip per month with friends I had made through the exchange program at PUCV. Spanning the countries of Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, I was able to swim in crystal blue waters, hike glaciers and volcanoes, stargaze in the desert night sky and even see alpacas and vicuñas in person! These trips probably constituted my most vivid memories of my semester abroad because each trip was magical in its own way, seeing awesome places with friends that I met only a few weeks to a few months ago but now consider some of my closest friends. Below are a few pictures from my travels to Pucón, Chile (top row), the Atacama desert, Chile (bottom left), and skiing in the Andes mountains outside of Santiago de Chile!

Final Reflections 

The six months I spent in Chile helped me grow so much within my language learning journey, but also in general life skills. Now that I'm back, I find it so much easier to put myself out there and make new friends, I'm less anxious to try new things, and I have an even greater understanding and empathy for the people I interact with every day. I am beyond grateful for all of the opportunities I was afforded in traveling abroad, including financial assistance I received through UNCG, the Lloyd International Honors college and the Gilman Scholarship program. I would 100% recommend going abroad at least once, you'll learn so much about other cultures and you'll also be surprised at how much you learn about yourself. Thanks so much for reading about my trip to Chile, I hope it inspires you to get out there and explore!

The Many Travels of Jasmine Doctor: Italy, Japan, and China

Studying abroad in Japan has always been a dream of mine since I was a child. I’ve always wanted to see and experience different cultures from around the world. Studying in Japan has given me a different experience of what it is like to be independent especially in a foreign country. I was able to get around the country fine because I could hold a conversation with the locals and translate situations. I was able to do this because I started studying Japanese as a child and continued while in college.  While I was in Japan, I learned how to budget my money and spend it wisely while giving myself the freedom to buy something nice from time to time.  I learned new ways to make the best use of my time between classes and free time to travel the city. I always thought I managed my time well, but this provided me with an opportunity to see if I truly could do it while in a foreign country. I adapted to my surroundings quickly and became adjusted to the new lifestyle once I found a routine for myself. While I was abroad, I became more extroverted. I gained the courage and confidence to talk to strangers whether it was to ask for directions or to make new friends. This improved my communication skills and ability to network with others.

I will continue to enhance my ability to communicate with others as I have started to learn some Italian so I can be able to get introduce myself, get around the city and interact with locals. I will use my ability to interact with others that I developed in Japan while also in Italy. The Art of Florence, Italy, will benefit me as an artist and academically, through learning about the history of the Italian Florence renaissance through the works of art and architecture in the city. I will be immersed in the history of Italy, specifically the Medici family while learning about the political, social, and cultural environment. I will experience Italian culture and appreciate the beauty of its rich history and art. While acquiring knowledge about the past, I will also be recording my surroundings through my sketchbook by observing life, people, nature, and architecture. Drawing from life is crucial for an artist, especially an animator, because it helps build structure, gesture, perspective, and creativity. Animators use the world as a reference all the time and pull from life to portray it in their work. I will experience a different perspective by interacting with locals, viewing works of great artists while conceptualizing how this can influence my artwork. Florence, Italy is the capital of art and is full of opportunities and experiences that will allow me to improve and flourish.

In addition to Italian history, I will be engaged in its culture. I will get to learn different cultural norms and beliefs. I believe this will influence my artwork because I can use the knowledge, I gain in Italy to tell a story. Whether that is making a narrative based on my experiences and producing an animation or taking inspiration from the architecture to make environment drawings. I could even make characters based on the interactions I’ve had with the locals; the possibilities are endless. Being surrounded by a diverse culture gives me the opportunity to encounter new people from a variety of different backgrounds.

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My study abroad adventure continues to China, I got an offer for the Visual Arts Director to visit China full funded. This trip was two weeks long, I went with three other UNCG students and five faculty members. We were representatives of the art department. We toured different Universities on the eastern side of China, cities such as Wenzhou, Wuhan, Nanchang, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Attended meetings while fighting off jet lag however, I enjoyed hearing the schools talk about their art departments and touring their studios. 

I got to try a variety of foods from varying areas and sit at beautifully decorated banquet tables that spin. I ate foods like soup dumplings, bao buns, chicken feet, lots of foods I did not know how to pronounce. I also got to eat food made by culinary students at a university. I stayed at a fancy resort the first night in Wenzhou with an amazing view of the city. Then we went to the next city, Hangzhou, I tried Chinese KFC personally was not a fan of it then. Next, we went to a silk museum, and I got to meet my cousin who lives in China. Later that evening, we ate another banquet dinner then I was able to shop at the local market by the street. The market had cute items which were good for souvenirs, I bought a phone charm and a hair pin for a friend. 

The next day, we went to Hangzhou West Lake scenery spot a UNSECO World Heritage site, I enjoyed a scenic walk and the cold air. The next spot was Nanchang to visit, here I got to interact with students from Jiangxi Normal University. I presented to students about my major and looked at what they are working on. Later that evening, I met some students who will come to UNCG to tour our campus. I was nice to introduce myself while chatting with them then, we went to a local night market that sold a variety of street foods. After, I returned to the US I got to give the same students I met in China a tour of our campus. I had a great time in China and learned more about the culture and history. I would love to return there and see more of what the country has to offer.

 The three of these study abroad experiences will continue to increase my knowledge from an academic and cultural perspective.  These experiences will provide me with academic credit for my major and minor at UNCG.  More importantly, it will positively impact my career as an Animator.  I will have real life experiences in different cultures that will be used to influence my work as an artist.