Olivia and Khaleesi in Rome!

Hello! My name is Khaleesi and my human and I are visiting Rome for a month this summer! My friend Regi is also here with his human. He and I battled in gladiatorial combat at the Colosseum last week. It was epic.

My friend Regi and me, with our humans Olivia and Marissa.

Our epic Colosseum battle.

MY favorite part of the trip is flying over St. Peter's Square at night and seeing all of the pretty lights, but Olivia (that's my human) likes seeing all the places where people like Julius Caesar and Romulus used to live. She was also really excited to discover that she can buy her entire breakfast plus coffee for only 2 euro!

Regi and me in the Forum.

Sometimes, when we go to museums, we play Guess Which God with the mythological  artwork, and I help her try to translate all of the Latin. We're also learning lots of Italian words! Sometimes we can order coffee or gelato without speaking English at all.

Surveying the Colosseum

Two weekends ago, we visited Pompeii, but it was really rainy so Olivia kept my wings nice and dry in her jacket. She was a little scared that Mount Vesuvius would erupt while we were there, but I promised I would carry her to safety. We saw so much cool stuff!

Staying warm and dry in Pompeii.

This week, we're going to tour the Vatican and the Vatican Museums, and then on Saturday we'll get back on the big metal dragon to fly home (I may be strong, but I'm not strong enough to carry a human across the entire Atlantic).

Ciao!

Khaleesi

Lloyd International Honors College Draconian International Representative

 

Olivia Wood

UNCG in Rome

Italy

Zoe and Mr. Dragon in Florence!

Experiencing writer's block.

 

I’m really struggling with my opening here. I mean I’m a dragon, not a poet. I guess I’ll start with hello and my name and see where that takes me. Hello everyone! My name is Mr. Dragon. My human, and best friend, Zoe Fishman named me that. She’s very creative.

This is both of our first times out of the country. We are currently in Florence, Italy having a great time! We arrived only yesterday though, so we haven’t had much time to really explore. Thus, my post may be shorter than others. Don’t worry though, I have a feeling I will be posting again later on, as I’m sure all of you will be extremely curious to know what I am doing.

Zoe let me sit on her lap on the plane ride. Some people stared...I guess they don’t have dragons in their countries. Zoe slept most of the plane ride, but I was too excited, looking out the window every chance I got. As we landed in Florence, I could already see some of the beautiful architecture awaiting me.

Checking out the plane ride into Florence!

We taxied to the meeting location to get our keys for our apartment. Zoe was nervous, as she doesn’t know Italian and is overly paranoid about being in unfamiliar places, but I’m not, so I talked to the taxi driver and assured Zoe all would be well.

After getting our keys and housing packet, we immediately went to our apartment. Zoe put me in her bag to keep me safe, but she couldn’t find our apartment, so she had to take me out to help. I’m really great with directions and finding places. Zoe...not so much. We make a great team! Something else Zoe is not the best at...using keys to open doors. We spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to open our downstairs door and our apartment door.

When we eventually got into our apartment, we were amazed by how beautiful it was. Filled with rustic, Italian furniture and art, it was modern but antique at the same time. Everything we could need was already supplied for us! Ashley, Zoe’s human friend and roommate, showed us our room and I immediately called dibs on the left side of the bed. We unpacked all our stuff (I have a lot of clothes) and then plopped down. I wanted to go see the city but Zoe was tired from the traveling. I guess humans don’t have the stamina that dragons do.

Saying hello to Florence from our window.

Our second day in Florence proved to be much more eventful. We had orientation for most of the day. Zoe now has 4 folders full of papers and insists on carrying them all around with her every time we go anywhere. Her roomies and me think she’s a tad ridiculous, but when we get lost her 10 maps prove quite useful.

Me attentively listening at orientation.

My favorite part of the day was the spontaneous concert we went to. We were sitting in our room when we kept hearing screams and music playing, so we decided to check it out. It ended up being some famous singer who spontaneously had a concert in the plaza right next to where we live!

Zoe in the middle of the crowd at the concert.

 

Our last event of the day was the Welcome Dinner for the international students. I was the star of the show...obviously. People kept asking Zoe about me, which was annoying, since I obviously can talk. Zoe and I took photos and ate tons of food. Zoe is extremely picky, but I forced her to try one of everything. Some things worked out well, and others went right back on the plate. Still, I was proud of her for trying new things!

Center of attention like always.

 

Everyone wanted to be in my photo.

Right now Zoe and I are booking our tickets to go on a day trip with her roommates to Cinque Terra tomorrow. I would fly there, but I don’t want to leave Zoe, so I guess I have to take the train with them. I’m really excited to travel around Italy and I can’t wait to post again and update all my fans on my travels to come.

Signing off for now!

- Mr. Dragon

Elena and Morry Fitzroy in New Zealand!

Kia Ora! Greetings from Aotearoa!

That’s the Maori name for New Zealand, and translates as “Land of the Long White Cloud”.

What made me decide to come to this place of all places in the world? Well, let me start out by confessing that I really knew nothing about New Zealand when I filled out my Study Abroad paperwork. “That’s the island somewhere near Australia or something, right?” (It’s actually divided into the North Island and South Island!) Perhaps if I was a bigger fan of the Fantasy film genre, I would have known a bit more about the country, which filmmakers love to make use of for its breathtaking scenery and widely diverse landscapes. My Lord-of-the-Rings-fanatic roommate probably had a much clearer reason for choosing to study here. But me, well, I’m fairly certain that I didn’t actually choose New Zealand at all – I believe it chose me. It just felt like the “Elena thing to do”. And since I typically like to follow my heart when making big decisions, that’s exactly what I did. 

Flying over the South Island

It wasn’t until right before my trip that I found out that my very own godmother had travelled to New Zealand herself when she was just around my age, a few decades ago. She fell completely in love with Aotearoa but hasn’t been back in many years, simply because it breaks her heart too badly every time she has to return home. Perhaps that gives you somewhat of an indication of just how enchanting New Zealand is!

After just a little over three months here, I can certainly say I understand now what my godmother was talking about. With a population of only 4 million people - but 30 million sheep - there is plenty of room for Morry Fitzroy to roam around and take flight over the sandy beaches, rugged volcanoes, and luscious island forests, not to mention the icy glaciers, splendid mountains, and rolling green hills. He’s been having a lot of adventures here in the beautiful south Pacific, and even made it across the Tasman Sea to Australia for a week! Morry Fitzroy delighted in finding koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies and emus in their natural habitats while hitchhiking along the Great Ocean Road. He also liked to get lost at the Queen Victoria market among all the fresh produce, relish the Melbourne coffee culture, and explore National Park wonders. 

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

In the midst of the jungle

Wilson's Prom National Park, Australia

Morry Fitzroy at the Queen Victoria Market

Monique and Simeon in Spain!

I arrived in Spain during the festival of San Isidoro. The entire first weekend, the kids and the adults were dressed up in similar outfits. 

Parade for San Isidoro

 The apartment that my host family lives in is literally the middle of Madrid. From the balcony of my room I was able to watch a few of the parades. This location is perfect! We can find something to eat, do a little shopping, go to the bank, go to the pharmacy and get free entertainment, all without leaving the block. I really believe that I got placed with the perfect host family. Not only is their apartment the perfect location, but they are super welcoming, fun, and understanding of our various levels of Spanish proficiency.

My Spain family!

Now to every good there is some bad. Living in the middle of Madrid, means breathing constant dry and polluted air. This is not fun at all when you pair this with allergies. The first weekend in Spain I went to the pharmacy at least 5 times. Maybe this is why there is a pharmacy on almost every block. It took two days for my eyes and body to adjust to all the dust. After 10 days, my body has still not adjusted to the air. I mean constant congestion is not the quite the souvenir that I had in mind. Living in Spain has completely messed up my diet. Spaniards love their pork, white bread and ice cream! Don’t get me wrong, it all tastes great.  

A quick tourist pic

So far I have been having a wonderful shopping experience. There are lots of little souvenir shops, shoe stores, and clothing stores everywhere that have good prices. Near my apartment there is a huge Apple Store, H&M (3 huge floors!), and Cote de Ingles (9 floors!!!). Cote de Ingles is like a huge shopping mall with everything you want; prices vary but we have found some great deals so far. Now ladies know that sometimes it seems like cute comfortable heels are hard to find, or that they don't exist, but I have found them here in Madrid for great prices! Every Sunday there is a really big flea market called El Rastro that spans like 3 really long streets. My housemates and I found really great deals here. 1 Euro scarfs, 10 euro rompers, 6 euro painting, and much more.

During my first week of classes, I let my little buddy Simeon (sí, el dragón!) chill and relax in the house with my host family. However, I brought him along for our trip to Segovia. Segovia was gorgeous and we took a lot of wonderful pictures. The best part was the castle, Alcazár. Most of the castle has been turned into a museum. Each room is filled with elaborate furniture, architecture, ceilings and fantastic views of the town. The most beautiful view was at the top of the tower, which was 152 steep and narrow spiral steps high. So for all my fitness lovers, Segovia=Leg Day (lots of stairs and lots of hills). We were given a lot of time to explore Segovia after our castle tour. In theory this was wonderful but like many towns, they follow traditions more than big cities like Madrid. Many of Segovia’s shops closed down for siesta (national nap time).

Simeon waving at the Segovians

A view from the top of the tower at Alcazar

All in all, little Simeon and I are enjoying our study abroad experience in Spain; however, we still have some adjusting to do. 

Monique Jones

UNCG in Spain

Madrid, Spain

Amanda and Lloyd in Wales!

Hiya! Alright? Lloyd here and I’m studying “flying” abroad in Carmarthen, Wales with my human Amanda Neff. I’m buzzin’ to FINALLY have some more humans to communicate with because I’m so tired of talking to sheep! They are so annoying! The sheep love to mock my red scales so I scorch their bums with my fire breathing skills, but my human always tells me to behave because they can kick us out of the country! 

Anyhoo, Amanda and I are really enjoying life here in Wales. Luckily, Amanda doesn’t have to go to lecture that often so I see a lot of her! Welsh classes meet once a week and they don’t have any homework or revising except for a couple final papers and presentations, so Amanda and I spend a lot of time traveling from Thursdays to Mondays. It’s so fab when she takes me around our host country. We spent our first few weeks traveling Wales and England with the International Office. We saw awesome sites such as Llansteffan Castle, Whitesands Bay, and the Roman Baths! Although all were equally ace, I think my favorite was Whitesands Bay because my human allowed me to soar through the sky with the lush Welsh countryside below my wings. It was so surreal! I also enjoyed the Roman Baths because we were there on Valentine’s Day and I got to laugh at Amanda and her friends while they swooned over English chaps serenading the passersbys with love songs. Not to mention how brilliant the Baths were!

 

Me and my human in front of Llansteffan Castle

Selfies with Amanda at Whitesands Bay

Me at the Roman Baths

During the month of April, Amanda had three weeks off for spring break. Her family came over for two of those weeks and she was kind enough to take me along! We went to London, Paris, Munich, Salzburg, and Toledo, Spain. My favorite city was Toledo, Spain because it was so different from anywhere else I’ve been. Spanish architecture is so unique; whereas, the other countries’ architecture primarily stems from heavy Roman influence. I also loved Spain because THERE WAS NO RAIN. Do you know how hard it is to fly while rain is constantly beating down on your scales?! It’s rough people! One of the nice things about living in the UK is that the world literally is at your footsteps so take advantage of it!

Me at Normandy Beach

Me at Dachau Memorial Site

Me with the rooftops of Toledo

The craziest experience I’ve had while being in the UK was when Amanda and I were coming home from Spain. Amanda forgot her school letter that proved that we were allowed to be in the UK so they put us in a holding cell! I WAS SO STRESSED I STARTED BREATHING FIRE. After some trial, Amanda was able to retrieve and online copy of her letter and we were released. Luckily, Amanda and I look back and have a good laugh on our detainment in a foreign country. A big part of study abroad is learning how to go with the flow. Travel does not go as planned. You will get into sticky situations, you will get lost, you will cry about it, and you will figure it out.  It teaches you to embrace a whole new level of maturity and independence. 

My absolute favorite thing about flying abroad is train rides with my human. Although I enjoy being able to spread my wings, I also love sitting on a train listening to the plethora of UK accents while watching the sunset and the rolling green hills. The train also allows a lot of time for thinking, reflecting, and journaling which is what my human loves to do. 

Me on the train

On our last train ride, I asked Amanda to share with me some advice that I could give you upcoming study abroaders. A quote that has been really close to Amanda’s heart the past few days is “Enjoy the little things in life for someday you will look back and realise they were the big things”. Late night walks to Tesco (UK Walmart), castle climbing, arguments over which accent is right, bellowing laughter, nights at the Union, long days in the airport, conversations over tea, these are some of the little things that have become the things that define Amanda’s study abroad experience. Love the little moments. Remain in them. Do not with them away. They are precious. They are special. The little things are definitely the big things.

I’ll see you lot in the G! Taa!

Lloyd

Amanda Neff

Trinity St. David

Carmarthen, Wales

United Kingdom

Kelly and Orwell in Hull, England!

Hello from Hull! Or Kingston upon Hull, if you want to be really specific… but everybody here just calls it Hull, or ‘Ull (that’s what the locals say… the accent is a distinctive one) 

Me, and my dragon, Orwell, love it here so far! This is especially true now that Spring has arrived and the weather has brightened up. I spent a lovely afternoon in a nearby park last week. The English do love their parks. 

Pearson Park

But, Hull is great, even when the weather is not as lovely, as is sometimes the case in England. Despite having been bombed badly during the air raids in World War Two, the city has a rich history. William Wilberforce, known in England for his campaign to abolish Slavery, was born in Hull; I have visited his birthplace house and museum a couple of times, now. Andrew Marvell, the metaphysical poet, was also from the area near Hull. The city’s main Parish church, Holy Trinity, was attended by both Wilberforce and Marvell and was originally constructed in the 13^th Century. The. 13^th. Century. 

Kelly at the William Wilberforce statue in Hull

Reflection of Hull's Holy Trinity Church

I have had the opportunity to travel, over weekends, and during our three week Spring Break and have visited some wonderful places!  

The Brontë Sisters were from Yorkshire, the English county that Hull is in,  and, being a lover of the novel Jane Eyre, I could not resist a weekend trip out to their hometown of Haworth and the Brontë House museum. The countryside there is beautiful! Orwell thought so, too. 

Bronte Parsonage

 

Hawforth, the Bronte hometown

I have had the opportunity to visit several other cities and towns in England as well: Nottingham, where Robin Hood is a bit hyped up, but the contemporary art gallery is fabulous. Leeds, which is a great city, and Kirkstall Abbey, right outside of the city, is now one of my favourite places in the world. I have also been to York, Manchester,  Liverpool, and Scarborough, where the beach is beautiful and there’s a castle… oh, how I love England.