Hannah and Kennin in Japan!

Hello! My name is Hannah Lee and I am currently studying at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, with my dragon, Kennin (named after the beautiful 建仁寺 Kennin-ji, or Kennin Temple).

Where does one begin with a tale that transforms a person? You can read so many novels, watch so many documentaries, but they never can prepare you for the journey you will go through both physically, emotionally, and mentally. The person that leaves home is not the one that returns. Even I, an experienced traveler before coming to Japan, have found myself still changing thanks to this trip. When I sat down to write this post I honestly didn’t know where to start, because I felt that I may need to write a whole adventure story, complete with legends, wizards, and even dragons, to fully express the experiences I have had here in this country. 

An old town on the Nakasendo road.

While that whole paragraph may have just freaked you out, there isn’t anything to fear. In fact, the only thing to feel is excitement, because the person you will become will be stronger, more understanding, braver, and wiser. Suddenly, things don’t scare you the same way anymore. If you are someone who would stop when you came across a wall, you will find yourself being a person looking for ways to get past it. 

My friends Laura from Germany and Isabel from Norway enjoying Hanami

There will be many feelings, going to a foreign country, especially one where you don’t look like everyone else, where you may not speak the language well, and where your cultural norms don’t match either. But once again, don’t worry, don’t fret, and let yourself fall in love in the country that may permanently become a place you can call home.

A tea ceremony sweet poetically named Fishbowl, created by Sefu.

When I first landed in Japan, my flood of worries honestly didn’t come till the next day. Wandering around Kyoto with all my belongings, standing out like a sore thumb, is when everything hit. How will I make my cash last till the end of the trip? How can I get official business done when my language is the level of a 5 year old? How hard will my classes be? Ah crap, I can’t fully read that sign, I hope it didn’t say something important….  

My Japanese friend Mao and myself at a soccer game.

But then, I found my dorm (thanks to coming prepared with my new address in kanji for the taxi driver to read) and soon settled in. A few days were quiet, until a whirlwind of events took me to Oz. Suddenly, I experienced Hanami (花見, flower viewing of the sakura trees), made friends from all over the world, saw and participated in the Moving Shrine Festival (Danjiri-matsuri), and other amazing events occurred in my life, and all those feelings melted away. Suddenly, this place was my home, and you quickly learn that even the strangest places can start to feel familiar. 

Hanami Festival at a local temple.

There is far too much to talk about regarding my life here, so instead I shall give some important tips and advice I think anyone coming to Japan (or any other foreign country) should bear in mind. When you first come, bring only what you need, and not what you want (you want room to bring stuff home, trust me!). Be a ‘yes-man’ and don’t hide away! Experience the land around you, immerse yourself, because if you don’t you may soon find yourself regretting wasting the opportunity you had. When you first come, bring a folder containing a copy of your driver’s license, passport, addresses and phone numbers of your home in your new country, and any other important documents. And finally, do not be afraid to ask questions, because even the simplest questions may make your life a million times easier. You may surprise yourself with just how much you can really do in the world.

I’m only half way through my adventure, so I have so much more to experience. But before I end this post, I have a lovely poem to share that I learned through my tea ceremony lesson:

古池や
かはず
とびこむ
水の音

‘An old pond
A frog
Jumps in
Sound of Water”

The famous painting on the large ceiling of Kennin-ji

Jump into a country of old or new, and enjoy the beauty, sights or sounds, that you will remember for a long, long time.

Hannah Lee
Ritsumeikan University
Kyoto, Japan 

Anna in Spain!

This is it! The final week of my study abroad trip in Madrid, Spain has arrived. Most people think that five weeks seems to be an insufficient amount of time to become “fully emerged” in another culture. I am here to tell you to never underestimate your brain’s ability to absorb massive amounts of information in a relatively small time frame. If you read my classmates’ blogs about their experience in this program, you will read about castles and cathedrals. This blog post deviates from that slightly as I am concerned with giving some advice to those who plan to study abroad, but who also feel a bit of uneasiness toward the unknown.

Me outside The College for International Studies. While we were learning Spanish, there were other international students learning English in this same building.

Before I dive into my experience in Spain, I want to talk to the introverted, slightly neurotic individuals for a moment. When I got accepted into LIHC, I grappled with the fact that one day I would have to board a plane by myself and be dropped off in a country where I wouldn’t have the capability to even order a meal. The time leading up to this trip was filled with frantic thoughts. I am a planner, but there was no way for me to plan for such a novel experience. All I could do was brush up on some Spanish, pack a small suitcase, and begin my ambitious endeavor. There are many practical reasons to study abroad: It gives you a slight advantage in the job market as it makes you appear more culturally competent. I feel that most introverted individuals slow down and think of the practicality of what they are doing; however studying abroad is worthless if you can’t value the experience beyond its function on your resume. It is vital to package this experience in way that will make you competitive for a job or a graduate program, but remember to slow down and embrace the moments that will become treasured memories. Traveling as a student is an opportunity everyone should experience. You will not only learn about another culture, but you will learn to see the culture through the eyes of a local. Nonetheless, there will be a few bumps on this path to cultural wisdom. 

The Aqueduct in Segovia.

Most people around me did not experience culture shock…I did. Like I said before, I am a planner. I take great comfort in knowing exactly what is going on around me. Unfortunately, my Spanish skills did not stretch beyond a 102 level. Most of the students who lived in my house were Spanish minors. Needless to say, they were fairly comfortable talking to locals and could easily communicate with our host mother. I felt incompetent and juvenile as I sat silently at the dinner table while the “grown ups” engaged in meaningful conversation with our host mother. It was even worse when I tried to speak to locals. There were times when I just froze midsentence, indicating my lack of Spanish fluency and my failure to conceal the fact that I stuck out like a sore American thumb. This all sounds unpleasant….it was. As time went by, I broke through that awkward, uncomfortable silence to reveal that I could speak a lot better than I thought. The trick is to talk despite the fact that maybe your accent muddies the clarity of your speech or maybe you asked the lady at the market for “trash” instead of “bag.” In my defense, “bolsa” and “basura” sound very similar.  

The view from our host mother's balcony!

Aside from the obvious language barrier, the cultural differences were very manageable. Nonetheless, there are some worth mentioning for anyone who is thinking about going to Spain. For one, get used to the metro. Like any big city, the metro is the most practical method of travel, so it is normal to see a herd of people hopelessly packed into a tiny corner. As a southern American, I was raised to embrace the concept of “personal space.” In America, pushing your way through a crowd of people can lead to confrontation. In Madrid, there is a universal understanding that being pushed by someone does not indicate aggression, rather a genuine effort to get from point A to point B. 

The view from an overlook in Toledo

Additionally, Spaniards’ paradigm of food deviates greatly from our American mindset. A meal is only for a moment. In other words, you sit down and eat all of your food at one time; there are no to-go boxes. It is not that people here take pleasure in dumping out food; they simply do not see the quality in a leftover meal that demands to be thrown in the microwave. Not every person thinks this way, but this mindset is fairly common.  

Stopping for a picture as we walked through the streets of Segovia.

Making the decision to study abroad takes bravery and independence. Naturally, with bravery and independence come anxiety and fear…for some, at least. There are some people who never think twice about questing on a new adventure. They can board a plane and land in a foreign place without knowing where to go or how to speak the language. It is okay to feel scared and to shy away from locals at first. It is okay to crave that American familiarity. It is okay to feel out of place among people who belong. Earlier I talked about some individuals’ tendency to think about the practicality of their actions. This is such an adaptive strategy, but only in the right context. The art of adapting in a foreign environment requires you to ditch that safe practicality. Do things because you want to experience them (Nothing illegal). Who cares if locals are staring you down? Jump into a conversation with someone. Let go of the fear of appearing stupid when you don’t know exactly how to respond. Take the initiative to ride the metro somewhere new by yourself (during daylight). Explore. The moment you choose to untangle yourself from worry is the moment when you start to adapt to your new surroundings. In the last few weeks, I have started to speak Spanish more and more. I feel somewhat competent having a conversation with my host mom or asking for directions. I even mustered up the courage to explore the city on my own. I have realized studying abroad is not so much about how well you can fit into a culture; it is about how well you can adapt to the culture. Letting go of my anxiety of being viewed a certain way by locals has granted me amazing memories with some pretty awesome people. I am pleased to say that I have made the most out of my international experience. I hope all of you receive the opportunity to do the same.

Best wishes!

Anna

UNCG in Spain

Madrid, Spain

Corey and Carl in Spain!

Day one. It's 11:35am and I'm trying to find my way around the Madrid airport in search of my checked-in luggage. Why don't I just ask someone? Perfect. Wait, how do you say "checked-in luggage" in Spanish? Where do I go once I retrieve it?? Where's my apartment? Oh no...

This was just the beginning to the start of my five-week experience here in Madrid, Spain. However, it quickly became, and still is, one of the best and most extraordinary experiences of my entire life. Let me, and my dragon Carl, share some of our stories.

 

 

I've lived in a semi-suburban city in Southern California and Greensboro, and I've lived in the middle of nowhere in my hometown Four Oaks, NC. What I haven't done is live in the middle of downtown of a giant city. Our directors say it is the US equivalent of living in downtown Manhattan. Within the first few days, I did so many things I thought I'd never do. I got a metro card (which I had to make an appointment for online, in Spanish!) and mastered the metro station. I tried sheep-intestine which surprisingly wasn't all that bad. Most importantly, I roomed with eight other students (and a pretty cool guy from Denmark), and started making some of the best memories of my life.

 

 

 

Our schedule for the five weeks was pretty straight forward: classes from 2pm-5pm almost everyday with a few museum trips in between. I am currently taking SPA 332 and SPA 313, Spain history and Spanish conversation, respectively, which both teach us the value and uniqueness of the language and culture (especially during our cultural visits). The first weekend we went to Segovia as a group (30 students plus 3 faculty). It was sort of like a trail, passing by multiple historic sights and structures. My favorite there was the famous aqueduct as well as the cathedral. They were both so beautiful and amazing pieces of history in Spain.

 

 

Jeremy in Peru!

Hello everyone and greetings from Lima, Peru! I could definitely go on forever about my experience thus far, but I promised myself I wouldn’t write a short story. This semester studying abroad has been one like no other. Many of you reading this have already studied abroad, may be preparing for your own journey, or contemplating the entire possibility. After finally deciding on a country and a school to study at, you spend countless hours reading dozens of articles and watching numerous videos about life in your desired country. Well, at least that is what I did. And since the semester here at USIL in Lima did not begin until March 2016, I had more than enough time to prepare myself (maybe a little too much time). I hope you will enjoy a bit of my journey so far in Lima as I share with you a few of my humorous thoughts and give some (hopefully) helpful advice. 

Plaza Mayor. Historic Centre. Lima, Peru.

Living in Lima has been very different for me. You’re probably thinking, “duh you’re in a foreign country, what do you expect?” Consider this: it took me several weeks to get used to campus life, driving and living in Greensboro. Though not as big as Raleigh or Charlotte, it is still a larger place with way more people and traffic than what I am used to having in the ‘252’. You drop me in a city larger than NYC with nearly 10 million people, what do you think exactly happened??? Well not to worry! I haven’t had any panic attacks yet (#ThankYouLord!), but I will say that actually living in this city has surpassed what I could have ever imagined if I were only to have watched others' travels on YouTube. Although I am a brave person, I have to say that I am very fortunate to have four fellow Spartans here apart of the same program. It definitely eased the transition and the lack of us knowing each other went out the window when we all realized we were thousands of miles from home (and Chick-fil-A). 

Highest View of Lima, Peru

 
Arriving a couple weeks before school began gave me much time to get adjusted to Lima and the crazy traffic. Peruvians are very nice! (a little too friendly for my preference at first but I came around…if you know me than you understand lol)   The food here has been great thus far, but since I like to cook and save my ‘Tubmans', I don’t eat out much. BTW shopping here at first was a bit of a challenge, but you adjust to all of it. Though Lima holds much Peruvian culture, as the capital of Peru it is still very ‘European/Americanized’ in my opinion. How so? Well many food corporations from the U.S. are here, like Starbucks & KFC, as well as popular clothing stores, such as H&M. My early arrival allowed me time to explore the various districts of the city with friends and to also do historical tours. The best part was being able to plan early trips to other parts of Peru. I encourage you to travel outside of your residing city whenever possible to get different perceptions of what it means to be a native. Some places I have visited so far in Peru include Ica, Huaraz, and even a short time in Arequipa. I plan to do some more traveling (as much as my budget and schedule will allow)! 

Sandboarding in Ica, Peru

As I am sitting here reflecting, I realize I just missed my 90-day Insta’ post but this will definitely make up for it. I want to leave some advice for anyone who is considering or preparing for study abroad--in case we don’t ever speak in person:
 #1) If you get the OPPORTUNITY, take it! If I had not set aside the time to consider this chance to travel abroad this semester, I do not believe it would have come together so nicely. 
#2) The EXPERIENCE cannot be duplicated, so make the most of the time that you have. Nothing will be exactly how you are used to having it or how you pictured it in your head. Nevertheless try new things, meet some people, and make friends with natives and other internationals. Especially get to know the ambassadors (similar to UNCG Pals) on campus.  

Sandboarding in Ica, Peru

                  
#3) Remember it is STUDY abroad, so take responsibility to maintain a nice balance of work and play. (Because we know that playing can get out of hand in another country where the laws may be more lenient and….Point made).  
 #4) BE YOUrself! I can’t tell you how many times people look surprised to know that I am from the U.S. (and not Brazil or wherever? My lack of Spanish skills at the peak of conversation probably gives it away LOL) Many Peruvians have even told me they are very honored to have us (gringos) think enough of their country to come and study here. Last but not least…
#5) This is YOUR DECISION! Pressure from the school, family, or friends to do what they may think is best for you, should not be the deciding factor. Like many major moves in life, you have to make up your mind how you want to spend this particular season of your life. One thing I believe is that when and if you make a mistake, you can always deal with it better by knowing that it was the choice that you made!

LIHC Dragon’s View from my apartment in Lima

I hope my account has been insightful and has made your day just a little better!

Lake Umayo, Sillustani, Ancient burial grounds just outside of Puno

Love, Peace, & Blessings

Jeremy J. Kirby

Universidad San Ignacio Loyola (USIL)

Lima, Peru 

Jasmine and Stanley in Uruguay!

It was the night before the trip that I finally realized the fact that I actually committed to traveling almost 5,000 miles away from home.  Crazy right? My mom was wondering if I was all packed while I was wondering if I still wanted to go. Standing alone in the bathroom away from the apprehensive excitement of my family, I stared at the terrified figure that stared back at me. Nothing can ever prepare you for your first trip abroad and perhaps that is what made me feel so afraid. The next morning I woke up refreshed and ready for the journey along with my dragon Stanley Miguel, a named inspired by one of my mom’s favorite songs. In my carry- on bag I had all of the items my family gave me to feel comforted in my new home with the exception of one. After arriving at the airport, running to the “check-in” kiosk and taking out all of the things that made my bags too heavy- it was time to say goodbye, at least for now. Next to me my mother instantly started crying, which of course made me cry as well and finally I was given the final item to add to my carry-on. Before walking through security my mom told me the most important words of advice I could use during my time away, “Never allow anyone to change who you are.” Although I didn’t want to turn away, I started walking towards my terminal and little did I know how much my sentiments would change in my semester-long journey abroad.

Stanley and I standing in front of a wall sculpture in Colonia, Uruguay

I decided that every day for me would be an adventure and ever since my plane broke through the clouds exposing one of the most beautiful views of Montevideo, Uruguay, I have been having one of the best times of my life. One of the greatest things about studying abroad is that there is always something new to explore and just in case you were wondering, almost everything is worth exploring because there is a good chance you’ll never see it again- or even better, it may become your new favorite place. Because I have, as we all do, only a limited amount time to explore this new country, I have learned to slow down and enjoy my surroundings while also being challenged to soar to new heights. Perhaps my greatest memory is when I felt myself saying no to climbing a mountain during a school trip, and deciding to grab hold of the hand that was reaching out for me to say yes. There has been no better feeling than how I felt when I made it to the top. It has been times such as this and the time spent in my day-to-day life that have shaped my own personal experience abroad.

The very first lesson learned when traveling abroad is simple: no matter how much you think you are prepared to experience a culture based on the movies you’ve watched or the things you’ve searched, none of these things will match the experience you are meant to have. What the movies and search engines don’t show, are the people you meet and the decisions you make along the way. I have made friends from many parts of the world and we all bond through not only living in a new place but being immersed into another language. Together we have made trips, tried new restaurants, attended events and so much more- all of which are special parts of my personal journey abroad. As the days go by I’ve realized that every day is not going to be a good day and that every aspect of Uruguay will not be something that I enjoy; however, by mixing the negative with the positive my trip is still amazing overall.

My international program and I standing on top of a mountain in Piriápolis, Uruguay

Although I am enjoying my time here there are, of course, a few things I could do without. Overall the air quality here is not great. With tons of buses and cars to go around and all of the people smoking cigarettes in your path, it can be difficult to find fresh air in the most populated city in Uruguay. Being a student of color has also brought its challenges, as there are not many people of African descent in Uruguay, only eight percent. People often look at me as if I do not belong and that is difficult to overcome when I have no one to experience this with. I also find it interesting that everything in the city, for the most part, closes on Saturdays at 1 pm- which in my opinion is the day in which they would receive the most business. However, with all of the things I could do without, I find ways in which I can overcome them. With every part of life that knocks you down, there is always a lesson waiting to pick you back up again. Being abroad allows you to really step back an analyze who you are and who you would like to be from now on, being away from home and all of the stresses of your everyday life is a vital part to personal growth.  

3 of my American friends and I before the Uruguay VS. Peru Soccer Game

Being away from the foundation in which you’ve grown allows you to solidify your personal values because when you are abroad your choice is the only voice in situations that question who you are the most. While being abroad has been a time for me to step out of my comfort zone (because that was basically left at home) it has also been a time in which I have become more comfortable and proud of who I am. I have been able to experience things here, such as discrimination, that have allowed me to value everything in my life so much more and value is not something I could have learned easily without being removed from my normal surroundings. With one more month to go, I am sure to collect more memories to hold with me for a lifetime.

A picture of me in the Japanese Gardens in Buenos, Aires, Argentina

I have been in Uruguay for three months and I am happy to say that I am not the same terrified person I was before I left. When I think back on all of the memories I have had thus far, good or bad, I can only smile at their outcome. Not only has my Spanish improved immensely but I’ve had the chance to experience so many new cultures and walks of life and as a college student those are some of the best things I could hope to learn. To those who are traveling abroad with me now, I hope your experiences around the world are matching mine, and for those of you who are eager to go sometime in the near future, the advice I can give is this: If you are willing to bring an open mind to the country of your choice, it will reward you with tons of smiles, lots of laughter, and memories to remember for a lifetime. 

Stanley and I in the National Park of Uruguay

Hasta Luego mis amigos,

Jasmine 

Jasmine Orr

Universidad Catolica del Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay