Samuel Discovered No Dragons in Wales

 Hello, I’m Samuel Argueta, and welcome to another edition of “There Be Dragons!”  

Let me get introductions out of the way. I’m a senior majoring in English with the hopes of becoming a novelist and editor. Additionally, I’m a member of the Undergraduate Creative Writing Club and Alpha Lambda Delta, and I’m an honors student completing international and disciplinary honors.  

This is the grand, but summarized, tale of my time abroad in Wales during the spring semester, where I studied creative writing at the *ahem* University of Wales Trinity Saint David at Lampeter. Unfortunately, since dragons don’t exist in Wales, so you know everything is a lie, and I legally cannot talk about the little troll guy I met at a Saintsbury parking lot unless I want to incur his raw, unbridled rage, I'll have to make it grand with what I got from my experience. 

The road to studying abroad was not full of kittens and rainbows; more like screaming Evas. Money wasn’t the issue, as I got support from the Gilman Scholarship and I saved up enough to survive. Instead, it was dealing with crippling mental issues I’ve suffered from all my life. My anxiety disorder and persistent depression spiked during the fall of 2022, and a crisis I had back in November threatened to take away all the work I put in. My parents and the university staff were reasonably wary of sending me 4,348 miles away to a country I'd never been to before on my own. My dream to one day explore the world pushed me to keep up my plan, but I had to prove to everyone that they didn’t have to worry about me too much. Throughout December, I got a psychiatrist who prescribed the right pills, contacted UWTSD about mental health programs, had a ton of sessions with my therapist, and ruminated about myself in the comforts of my bed at 3 a.m. Now, a month didn’t heal the scars—I don’t advertise trying to do the same thing—but I mentally recovered enough to feel ready for my trip, while also easing the stress from my parents. With my head held up high, I boarded my flight in January and landed in London because the Charlotte Douglas Airport didn’t have a stop at Cardiff. Had to wait an hour for the university to send a van to get me to campus. But, the point is I made it to campus and my abroad experience began. 

One of the reasons I chose good ol’ UWTSD was because it was the cheaper option out of the many international universities with a creative writing program. Going abroad was going to be expensive no matter what university I chose, so I decided to choose something a little easier on my wallet. But I was also interested in their proposal of being able to write a manuscript that could lead to it being published. That turned out to be the Independent Project module, which was very similar to the senior honors project I will be doing later this year. Instead of going to a class, I worked on my own time to write an 8000-word short story and a 1000-word critical essay reflecting on my process and the story as a whole. Unfortunately, taking this class meant that I could only take 2 courses throughout my time abroad. No problem for me, I'm used to not going out and making friends with classmates. I still touch grass though, what’s your excuse? 

I decided to write a science-fiction horror short-story. The story is about a girl who returns to her hometown years after she and her family escaped due to the townspeople’s cultish obsession over them, only to find a mystery when the town is both devoid of life and war-ridden. My advisor throughout the project was Professor Sarah Reynolds, who also taught the other course I participated in. Great person; absolutely recommend UWTSD to people interested in creative writing just for her. Anyway, we would have meetings based on the drafts I sent her and she would discuss what’s good about them and what could change and/or be improved. She was hard on me but that’s because she knew the writing business, and I could tell she genuinely wanted to help me…also because I once gave her a draft made up of around 18000 words. Yes, I did go way over the word limit and, yes, I did condense the hell out of that story. It was so much that I still had work when I left the country early to travel with my family to El Salvador in May. But, at the end of a grueling 2-week grind, I successfully turned in my story, which I christened "How it Struck, In A Silent Way." Although the publishing thing never happened, which I shouldn't be surprised by since that was obviously meant for students who were completing the full 4 years, I’ll probably send it to the Greensboro Review when I feel it’s ready for the public. Despite that, I’m glad that I wrote a completed manuscript, and I’m proud of the lessons I learned from Professor Reynolds that helped me better my craft. 

Now, with the school stuff out of the way, I’ll share two experiences I cherished. In the months leading to the start date, I imagined traveling around Wales on my own; a lone adventurer meeting new people and exploring new and beautiful sites. I was fairly convinced this would happen, but that changed when I met two people who became irreplaceable friends: Lavinia and Phoenix. I met them both at the airport and got to know them during the van ride to campus. Lavinia was from Italy, while Phoenix was from China. We all stayed in the same apartment; I and Lavinia were basically next-door neighbors in the same flat while Phoenix was 3 floors above us. We shared a lot of memories, traveling to the neighboring towns of Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, and eating together in our small kitchen. But I’ll never forget how much they understood and supported me when the memories of my crisis resurfaced or when my depression worsened. None of the experiences I had in Wales would have been as memorable without them, and I still cherish the friendship we forged.  

Also, my right eye is half-closed in half of the pictures involving me and my friends. Lavinia…forgive me. 

In April, I and other UNCG students that went to Wales took the opportunity to travel to other countries during our Easter Break. In a week, we went to London, Paris, and Dublin. Planning that was hell, especially with getting the timing for arriving and departing right, but we still had a magical time. Now that you have the context, let me tell you the story in which I went off on my own somewhere while in Paris. Not all of us arrived at the same time due to not sharing the same mode of transportation—for example, I took the train while others took a plane— so some of them were going to wait at the Airbnb we rented. I, on the other hand, decided to travel to the main city on my own to a place I figured no one else in the group would have any interest in. Yes, I went on my own in a city with a language I had no clue about, and I still have one of my kidneys. You might be thinking that I went to the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower as an excuse to get a semblance of that original dream. 

Nope, I went to the Bandai Hobby Store. 

What? Hey, at least you saw a picture of West Minister Abbey from a high position within the London Eye. 

I’m a huge fan of Gundam fan. My favorite part is all the war crimes being committed, and Amuro getting slapped. However, dedicated Bandai and Gundam stores are far and few between in America. So, when I learned there was one located in Paris, I just had to visit. Heck, on my to-do list for Paris, I put that as the top priority over the Eiffel Tower. Anyway, when I stepped into that store, I realized that I stepped into a Gundam paradise masquerading as a store. Various built models in glass displays, categorized by the show they appeared in; a stairwell leading to the bottom floor that had a timeline of all of the Rx-78-2 Gundam model kits over the years, with the actual models behind glass embedded in the wall; shelves upon shelves full of model kit boxes; even a dedicated fixture for people’s entries from Gundam model builders’ competitions including the gold first-place trophy. I was in consumer heaven! It was so much to absorb that I was in that store for a whole hour. By the end, I bought a 1/144 scale model kit of the Rx-78 Gundam based on the giant moving statue in Yokohama, Japan, as a memento of my visit. Yep, that was the best hour of my life, surrounded by beautiful plastic robots. Freakin worth it.  

Overall, those 4 months in Wales were momentous, and I will cherish my experience for the rest of my life. I proved to myself that the illnesses I suffered from don't control me anymore, and I can accomplish great things that matter to me. For anyone desiring to study abroad, but you're suffering from mental illness, I'd say go for it. Don't do it just to prove to others you can; do it to prove to yourself. With support, planning, patience, and tenacity, it's completely possible. Take it one step at a time. 

That’s it from me. I hope you enjoyed my post and feel ready for your big step into this big, blue, ever-changing world. One last thing, my one tip to those also going to the U.K: do not, under any circumstance, eat Cadbury cream eggs. 

Rachel Tang: A Dragon in Italy

       Hey all! My name is Rachel Tang, I use she/her/hers pronouns, and I am a senior Social Work major minoring in Classical Studies. I had the amazing opportunity to study on the Grand Tour of Italy this summer!

      Our first stop on the Grand Tour of Italy was a three-night stay in Milan, where we visited the Teatro alla Scala opera house museum, Verdi’s Macbeth opera, climbed the Duomo di Milano and saw the city from the roof, and ate lots of gelato.

      After this, we took a train from Milan to Padua, a small university town. With only two nights in Padua, we took a silent nature walk, explored the town, saw Giotto’s artwork in the Scrovegni Chapel, and visited Saint Anthony’s Basilica and the Duomo di Padova. One of my favorite things that we did in Padua was touring the historical University of Padua, which was the second-ever European university, of which Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia graduated as the first-ever woman graduate of a university.

      UNCG’s Green Fund grant allowed us to ride Il Burchiello, a boat that took us from Padua to Venice on a day-long ride, with multiple stops at large summer villas. During our two nights in Venice, we ate a huge seafood meal, saw Saint Mark’s marble cathedral, rode many water buses, visited glass and leather shops, saw the Jewish ghetto, and watched Wagner’s Flying Dutchman at Teatro La Fenice.

      Next, we took a train from Venice to Bologna, where we spent the majority of our trip. Here, we visited the University of Bologna, Europe’s first university, explored the International Museum and Library of Music, and ate traditional Bolognese food.

      In Rovereto (an Italian tourist town in the Dolomites), we visited the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, took a bus to Riva del Garda, a lake in the mountains with rocky beaches, and a bus to Trento, where we hiked through a vineyard and up part of a mountain to Castel Beseno, a medieval fortress that we explored for many hours.

      After this, we came back to Bologna and took many day trips to cities such as Rimini (beach day), Florence (half-solo day), and Ravenna (beautiful traditional tile mosaics all over the walls, ceilings, and floors).

      On our last day-trip from Bologna, we were given an assignment to travel to a city (alone) that we were not already visiting on the trip. I decided to travel to Genoa, and my train left at 6 am with my return train getting back to Bologna at 9:30 pm, so I had from about 10 am to 5 pm to explore Genoa. I booked a ticket to Castello d’Albertis and the Museum of World Cultures housed inside the castle, spent the morning there, then ate lunch in the castle courtyard while admiring the beautiful view. Next, I went to the Royal Palace Museum, which had some amazing artwork and more beautiful views. My last stop was Villa del Principe, where I spent lots of time, taking my time going through the exhibits and wandering through the expansive garden.

      After Bologna, we spent four nights in a multi-family home in Naples, right in the middle of Centro Storico, Naples’ historical center. We went to the Naples National Archeological Museum, saw La Boheme in Teatro San Carlo, and took day trips to Pompeii and Herculaneum.

      From Naples, we went to Rome, where we spent the last seven nights of our trip. Since Rome has such a rich history, we spent these last days packing in as many historical sites as possible. To combat the extreme heat, we got up early every day and spent the morning exploring, then dispersed after lunch. During our time in Rome, we saw Palazzo Valentini, the Colosseum, Senator’s Hill, Pantheon, Michelangelo’s steps, Circus Maximus, Roman Forum, Caesar’s potential death site, Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, Aventine Hill, Roman Catacombs, St. Peter’s Basilica, Baths of Caracalla, Pope Francis’ church, Saint Cecilia’s Basilica, and a fourth-century church.

      The focuses of this trip were sustainability, Slow Food dining, music history, Italian culture, and independent travel. The sustainability and Slow Food topics helped me understand more about how what we eat affects the world we live in, and how sitting down to enjoy a long meal without hurrying helps you appreciate not only your food but the culture. I enjoyed the operas we had the chance to see, and I loved that at two of the opera houses, we visited ahead of time to view the opera house museums. I also loved that while we did visit some highly-touristed areas, most of the time, our professors opted to take us to “off the beaten path” restaurants and locations. Our professors both spoke fluent Italian, so in many places we went, they would converse with the owners in their native language. Experiencing Italy as a tourist, but through the guidance of people who were already so embedded in Italian culture was such a valuable experience. 

      Through the Grand Tour of Italy, our professors gave us many chances to grow as independent travelers. The most valuable experience I had on this trip was my day trip to Genoa; I was extremely nervous at the start of the day, but I had so much fun exploring on my own, and by the end of the day, I felt accomplished and satisfied. The independent travel day, combined with booking our own flights and having many free days and nights, allowed us to grow as individuals and travelers, and in our global awareness.

      My advice for anyone starting to consider studying abroad is to figure out what factors are important to you at the start of your search. Once you decide on a trip, get yourself excited! Know what learning outcomes your professors have for you, or that you have for yourself, and be prepared to become a more independent and culturally aware individual.

Natalia Fagundez takes over Granada, Spain!

Hello!

My name is Natalia Fagundez and I am currently a sophomore at UNC Greensboro! I am studying special education with a concentration in Spanish education, and a minor in American Sign Language. I am a part of UNCG Teaching Fellows, Reynolds Scholars, and I am completing international and disciplinary honors! 

Welcome to my study abroad journey!

I am currently completing the ISA Granada, Spain program for the spring 2023 semester. I have been in Granada for approximately a month now, and it has been such an amazing experience. 

I flew into Madrid on January 20th and from there spent two days in Madrid, one in Toledo, and then made my way to Granada to meet my host family!

As for my housing, I chose to live with a host family because I wanted to feel truly immersed in Spanish culture and live in a Spanish household. I live with my host mother and 2 other students from the U.S. 

I spent the following days learning routes to get to school, discovering panaderias, and learning about the city! I then took a placement test to decide my Spanish level, and classes started on February 1st! I decided to finish my concentration here in Spain so I am taking all Spanish courses including: literature from the 19th century to present, contemporary Spain in the media, grammar, and an oral/writing course! The class sizes are relatively smaller than American classes, ranging from 10-20 students. Grades are on a ten point scale, with students needing a five or higher to pass the course. Since I am taking Spanish learning courses, all the students in my classes are non-native speakers. 

Through ISA, I have been able to see tours of local cathedrals and visit places like Sevilla and Cordoba! It is about 40 students from the U.S. and it has provided me with a great community to rely on. Classes have been relatively easy and have little homework. Professors focus a lot on engaging with students and making connections to Spanish culture. I have also been able to travel to other places within Spain and plan on flying to places like London and Portugal! 

Overall, this experience so far has been extremely exciting and I have felt so much support from the ISA staff, UNCG study abroad office, and the honors faculty while abroad. 

Anna in the United Kingdom

 Hi, everyone! I’m Anna, and I’m an International Honors student studying Marketing and Peace & Conflict Studies. Currently, I’m studying abroad at the University of Hull in Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom as a full-year exchange student in the Business, Law, and Politics program. To find Hull on a map, find London and go straight up until you hit that little river. That is where I’m living for the next year. I arrived at Hull in the middle of September and am leaving sometime in June.

When I was looking at countries to study abroad in, I narrowed it down to a few options: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France. I came up with a list of non-negotiables and started researching universities. My research (plus the COVID restrictions) lead me to the United Kingdom. For a while, I was back and forth between Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Hull. But after a deep dive into the culture, the programs, and the campus, University of Hull resonated with me.

One of the main reasons I chose the United Kingdom, quite frankly, was because they primarily speak English here. And although I did finish four levels of French, I’m not confident in my ability to learn well in a French-speaking classroom. Another reason - probably the most important reason - is London being considered the financial capital of the world. I’m not a finance major, but finance heavily plays into marketing. Being around the action was important to me.

I had three main struggles when I arrived in the United Kingdom, some continuing even now.

1. Missing important events with my family and friends. It sucks having to go to lectures on Thanksgiving knowing that your family is having a delicious meal without you. Missing birthdays, graduations, sporting events, and even little things like getting coffee with your friends is difficult and it starts to add up. As you get more acclimated to your new life and new surroundings, it gets easier. But I don’t know if it ever truly goes away.

2. Leaving your friends and having to make new ones, knowing you’re going to end up leaving. When I came to the UK, I already had a set group of friends that I frequently hung out with and relied on for advice. Now, my friends and I are on completely different schedules. Not only am I five hours ahead, but our breaks don’t line up, we’ve got different jobs and obligations, and it gets hard to find times to FaceTime. Don’t get me wrong - we’re still friends. But I had to find new people to hang out with. Except there’s a part of you that knows you’re going to end up leaving in a short amount of time and you’ll be facing the same problems all over again. It’s truly a double-edged sword. 

3. Public transportation. I have ridden on maybe two trains and a bus in my life, so having to rely solely on public transportation (especially being alone in a new country in a strange city with a giant suitcase) was very stressful. However, once you get the hang of it and you know the right apps to download, it’s pretty manageable.

But not all of it is bad. There’s a lot of beauty in studying abroad, even in the little things. I’ve done a lot of traveling since moving to the United Kingdom, with plans to do a lot more. I’ve made new friends and joined a society (which is essentially a club), I’ve connected with my professors, and I’ve answered a lot of random questions about the United States. My favorite memories range from touching the water of the Øresund Sea to collecting British candy for my brother to seeing the Scottish Highlands.

My best advice to anybody going abroad is to embrace it and remember that this is what you’ve worked for and where you wanted to be. It’s terrifying, moving abroad and being on your own to discover the world. But I’m currently writing this in a random café I stumbled upon in London and I’m realizing that freshman year Anna would be in absolute awe of me now. My second best piece of advice would be to remember that there’s no such thing as too many pictures, and make sure you’re in some of them. The experience you’ll be having is once in a lifetime, and you’re going to want to freeze it in a memory and hold on to it forever. Ignore the people giving you weird looks - you’re living your absolute best life.

If you are planning to go abroad, good luck and I hope you enjoy it more than you could’ve ever imagined. And remember - you from freshman year would be in awe of who you’re becoming. Safe travels!

Teionnah in Japan

 During my time abroad I have been staying in the city of Nagoya. One of the most famous places in this city and the Nagoya Castle that I got to go to it multiple times and sometimes for free during the holiday season. I have always been a fan of these types of places and I generally take any chance to see these beautiful castles. Japan has many beautiful places too and for me, as an international student, it has been pretty easy to get around even though I'm a beginner at Japanese. If you don't know the language like me a lot of the places had provided me with English-speaking menus and on the trains, they have the English meaning on them to make things simpler. But if you go to certain places in Kyoto it was a bit harder for me since I had to rely on using gestures or pointing at pictures and using random Japanese words. Having to do this all the time was a bit frustrating and hard for me to get used to because communication was hard, but once I started to live with her for a while and started to understand how things worked more, with getting a better grip on the language. Everything started to feel more rewarding, even seeing the sights I enjoy because I could understand the language and the culture more the longer I've been here.