Tag Archives: Pre-Departure

Pre-Departure

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In my case, a journey of 5810 miles begins with a single step. I will depart Friday August 31st for my next adventure.

Budapest, Hungary will be my home from September 1st through December 21st. During this time, I plan to take three math courses and one culture class. I have contacted almost everyone that will be participating in my program.

As I am diving in head first to a culture that I know little about and a language I know zero words in, I am a bit apprehensive. I have read cover-to-cover two Budapest travel books and have tried to learn the basic cultural norms. For example, I have learned that while dining at a restaurant, it is rude to leave the tip on the table. The polite thing to do is to hand the waitress the tip directly.

I do know that art is very prominent in Hungarian culture. An appreciation of the arts is shown through the 223 museums and galleries in the Budapest city limits alone. I am excited to be able to tour these museums and hopefully I have the chance to visit an opera house.

They regard cattle, dogs, Thoroughbred horses and swine as national symbols. I grew up on 11 acres outside of Roseburg. We have always had dogs and horses. I have also raised several pigs and calves. I hope that my appreciation of these animals will help me relate to the Hungarian’s appreciation.

Hungarians also have a spirit for celebration. They have several national holidays and festivals. I will be able to attend the Autumn Festival. I look forward to celebrate and learn the cultural dances and experience the favorite foods of Hungary.

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As with any new experience, I have my reservations about this, but I hope that my new friends will become my “family” away from home.

Wish me luck fellow travelers!

Molly

Pre-Departure

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I’m leaving for Italy in six hours! I cannot believe how fast time has flown. It seems like just last week I was imagining what it would be like to study abroad and how amazing it would be to experience such an adventure. I am really excited for this trip and expect to be way outside my comfort zone. Growing up, I found happiness to be where I was most comfortable and could relax and act myself, and here I am about to embark on the biggest adventure of my life all alone. That being said, that is the main reason why I wanted to do this trip, to expand my horizons and go outside my comfort zone. The good news is that I have already made contact with some people through CIS (Center for International Study: the company in which my trip is set up through) who are also going on the trip. Also, I have been told that I am living in an apartment (European colleges do not have dorms like most American ones) with four to six other people which I have yet to meet.

My interpretation of Italy is that it is kinda like Portland’s Saturday market. Lots of people walking around, a friendly vibe, lots (and I mean LOTS of walking), and a good variety of locals shops to visit. However, that is based on movies, books, and pictures, and is sure to change when I get back to the US.

The biggest thing that is on my mind right now is how much cultural shock I will experience while over there. Will I feel really homesick and just want to hang inside my apartment and not do anything, or will it not affect me at all? Of course I hope that I will not see any effects of cultural shock, but I am confident that if I do, I will work through it.

My number one goal once I get there is to get out and make friends as soon as possible because those are the people I will rely on to keep me sane and help me fully enjoy my once in a lifetime trip.

Michael

Pre-Departure

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It’s almost here! I leave for Costa Rica in one more week! I have no idea what Costa Rica will be like. I have heard from friends who have both studied there or visited that it was one of the greatest places that they had ever been to. I love the outdoors so I am excited about the feedback about the beautiful forests and exciting activities that are available.

I’m very excited but a little nervous about leaving because I know it will be a great experience but it also seems like a long time to be so far away from home, friends, and family. I also don’t speak much Spanish, so I am a little nervous to be going to a mostly Spanish speaking country.

Koryn

Costa Rica Fall 2012

 

Very excited for the new places to see, people to meet, and activities to partake in 🙂

I guess that means I’m leaving soon!

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After a summer of living among Douglas Fir trees, deer and a multitude of children, it is finally time for me to travel abroad. Camp is always an amazing experience, not only because of the chance that I have to change my campers’ lives, but also the confidence that I find in myself by the end. If I can clean a soiled sleeping bag at 3 in the morning and handle the night terrors of 8 year old girl then I can do anything! Right? Of course I can!

I can’t lie, I am incredibly nervous. It’s very surreal to think that in less than 24 hours I will be flying to Sweden, where I will stay for the entire year. I also find it strange that my life can fit into one suitcase (although it is the largest suitcase I could find).

Being a political science major, I think I have idealized Sweden perhaps too much. I see Sweden as a haven for equality and socialized medicine. Sweden is a place that, politically speaking, is doing things right; They are by far one of the happiest countries in the world and are very progressive. I can’t wait to see what I learn from my peace and development courses! I am excited to learn about peace in a country that practices what it preaches!

-Maren

All Good Things Must Come to an End

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I’m ready to leave.  I have loved being here, but I’m ready to go home.  I’m definitely not homesick.  I just am dying to share all of my adventures with my family, as one can only do so much using the internet.  I am torn between wanting to go home and wanting to stay.  There’s so much that I haven’t done yet, and I wish I had more time.

There are things that I will miss.  I will miss the scones with clotted cream and jam.  I can get scones and jam at home, but where will I get clotted cream?  I will miss The Tube.  I had never used public transportation until I got here, and it’s not nearly as disagreeable as I had thought it would be.  That being said, I will never take my dear car for granted ever, ever again.

I will miss London.  There’s something wonderful about this city that I’ve never really felt about a city before.  I’m not too sentimental about places, I don’t think, but it really felt like a place I could possibly come back to for an extended amount of time.  I might have mentioned in a previous blog that I’d never stayed in a big city for more than a couple days and that I wasn’t sure how I would like it.  Well, I liked it very much.  I’m not sure if it was simply the city aspect that I liked or if it was this specific city.  I’m leaning towards the latter.

Looking back to my pre-departure post, I said that I naively hoped that I would just fit right in, and I feel that, for the most part, I did.  I mean, it was probably very obvious to the native Londoners that I wasn’t from around here, but to my own self, I felt like I fit right in.  I didn’t feel like a fish out of water.  I’m surprised about this.  I was expecting it to be a lot harder than it was.  Interestingly enough, I also never developed those nerves that I discussed in length in my pre-departure post.

I mentioned wanting to leave any pre-conceived notions on the plane in order to be completely open to experiencing all that is this wonderful city.  I feel like I did a pretty good job of this, if I do say so myself.  I soaked up all I could while I was here, and I have been going nonstop for an entire month (I will probably crash and sleep for a week when I get home).  I have learned so much about the people and the culture.  Some of my favorite experiences of this trip:

Charing Cross Road – We went on my birthday.  So many bookshops!

Waterstones, a lovely chain bookstore they have over here. Kind of like our Barnes & Noble, which happens to be my most favorite store in the entire universe.

The Tower of London/The British Museum/The British Library – Our first class field trip.  What a full, wonderful day that was!

The Tower of London. The Crown Jewels were my favorite part. So sparkly!

Caerffilli Castle – Not actually in London.  It’s a lovely castle in Wales that a friend and I decided to visit on a whim.  I was especially proud of us for making it there and back without getting lost or stuck somewhere.

The main entrance to Caerffilli Castle

Warwick Castle – Another class field trip.  It’s a bit touristy, but very fun.  They had jousting reenactments and a tower devoted to the tv show Merlin (I am a huge fan).  My only regret was that I was too old to go into the Princess Tower.

Knights from the jousting reenactment.

I should probably stop now, else I’ll end up listing every single thing I’ve done in the last month.  They say that all good things must come to an end.  I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that, although I suppose that there is some truth to it.  After all, everything ends eventually.  But even though this wonderful, short chapter of my life is ending, I will always remember it.  And it’s not as if everything after this is bad.  I’m continuing on my path to things that will be just as exciting (but probably not as drastic) as studying abroad.

Moving on, I think I’m ready to go home.  I’ll have a nice, relaxing bit of a break before gearing up to start school again in the fall.  I get to move into my new apartment and decorate it (with some memorabilia from this trip)!  And I’ve got very exciting new:  my high school English and History teacher has asked me to give a guest lecture to her freshman classes on what I’ve studied while I’ve been abroad!  It should be a nice way to sort of wrap things up.

Cheers,

Emily

Nerves, nerves and more nerves

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Hello everyone!

I will be going to Australia for a 4 week program. While there I will be visiting places like North Stradbroke Island, Binna Burra Eco Lodge in Lamington National Park, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island, and so much more. I am very relieved that I will be going to an English speaking country! At this point I am so nervous even English may not come out right. I have been checking the weather for probably the last two months and it seems to be in the mid 60s- 70s, so nothing I am not used to. I think interacting will be a little different than here because I will be in a different country with different customs and people I am not used to. I do not think I will have a lot of problems because I think I can adjust quickly and well, but it will be an adventure for sure. Since I can remember I have wanted to travel to Australia and their culture. I have always seen it as warm and sunny with a lot of poisonous snakes. I am not sure it will be “perfect” but I know that it will be amazing.

Right now, I am still in Monmouth waiting to head to my mom’s house and then PDX to start my long journey. I will be flying out of Portland on the 12th and arriving in Brisbane, Australia the 14th! It is all starting to sink in that I am actually leaving. Right now, I am wrapping up last minute details and waiting. It seems like I have been waiting for forever. I have never been outside of the country, or really traveled much at all, so I getting more nervous by the minute. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard from other people what a great experience I will have or how lucky I am. I have to agree with them, I am very grateful to be getting this amazing opportunity, but I am still scared. I am not sure if I have ever been this nervous for anything and it is hard to explain how I feel because there is a lot going on around me. Right now, I am trying to not think about my nerves and think about how much fun I will be having in just a few short days =)  Katherine

London Calling

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Pre-Departure

So I will be studying abroad in London this July. I’m sure for people who are going to more diverse cultures, like parts of South America or Asia, that they could possibly experience a culture shock and things might be very different for them. Since I am going to London, I don’t see this being the case with me. I understand that England is not America and is very different, that being said in my heart I’m a native Londoner. Since I was 10 years old all I’ve wanted is to study abroad in London, in middle school I watched BBC News every single day, now practically the only television shows I watch are British shows (not just on BBCA but online as well, thank goodness for Netflix). Thanks to my love of all things British, I’m quite aware of their culture, attitudes, language, customs, and much more.
So I’m mostly just incredibly exited to “interact” with my “host culture” because it’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Obviously I’m also a bit nervous because of the fact that all my dreams are coming true thanks to this opportunity. And of course, I’m exited to learn a ton about the culture that I can’t learn from television.

I will see you all very soon,
Allison

Exploring the World!! One Country at a Time!!

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I have certainly done my fair share of traveling. I have seen over 38 US States and have been to both Canada and Mexico, but this is the first time I have left the continent! I am very excited and extremely nervous about the entire thing!! I feel pretty sure that I am reasonably experienced in traveling, but what I love is that every time an individual travels to a new place they revert back to being completely inexperienced because every place is new and different!! I will certainly enjoy adding this experience to my travel log =D

I have always wanted to go to London, as far back as I can remember it has been one of the top five places I wanted to go to. So it is wonderful that I am actually getting to go! I am hesitant to speculate on what it will be like when we all get there, mostly because we are going during the summer Olympics. Which, will (I am sure) change a lot of the atmosphere. So I do not know what to expect really. I feel that above all it will be fantastic!

I am so nervous I do not know what to expect exactly. I know that while there I want to see as much as I possibly can, though I know I won’t be able to truly scratch the surface of the culture, I want to be able to really experience it. I also really, really, really want to make as many friends as I can. I would love to meet new people from all over the world, I am sure I will get the chance considering the timing, and hopefully this will allow me to stretch my perception of the culture I will be immersing myself in as well as the perception that others have on my own culture!!

The entire process will be amazing I am sure, I think the best part (and the worst part) at this point is not knowing what to expect at all. I can only hope that I am ready!!  Angela

“I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane”

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One of the planes I’ll be on in the next few days!

I do know when I’ll be back again….CHRISTMAS! Woah.

I’m feeling sort of numb. It was way easier to be excited when it was still a month away and when classes were a distraction. Now, with 2ish days to go and nothing to do but get prepared (and let me tell you, “nothing but” actually means no time for anything but getting prepared), I’m not nervous or bouncing off the walls I’m just not really feeling anything. Of course, this changes by the moment. I just don’t really believe it. It’s simply not possible that an experience I’ve been waiting years for is beginning in less than a week.

For those that don’t know, I have three adventures in one ahead of me. I am going to a dance intensive (dancing 8 hours a day for 6 days a week) in Salzburg, Austria for 5 weeks. This means I’ll be doing ballet and other idioms of dance with other international students whenever I’m not sleeping or eating.

These are my feet sometime in early high school. This picture is to represent my nerves about doing work en pointe at this intensive and my struggles picking which pairs of shoes to pack!

Beginning sometime in August, my parents will meet up with me for 3 weeks to travel around, mostly north of the Alps.

Ensuite, je vais arriver en France! Then, I will arrive in France! This is when my parents return to the states and I begin the portion of my trip that is the study abroad through WOU. Living with a family and taking classes taught in French and immersing myself in the culture I’ve longed to experience. On a side note, if my host family has a cat, I’ll be the happiest American in France. 🙂

Garbonzo Bean – my family’s kitty that I will miss terribly.

As I pause to think and lift my fingers off the key board, I notice my hands are shaking. Is that from the nerves of putting all that in words? Or my half drank cup of coffee? Who knows…

I don’t really know what to expect. All of the research I do and information I get still leaves me just curious. I’m more or less just preparing myself to be flexible, accepting and to be totally overwhelmed. In Austria, there will be students from all over the world and we’ll be living in a school building together. I’m excited to be introduced to so many cultures and not be the only one that feels “out of context”.

The school in Austria that I’ll be living/dancing in for the first 5 weeks of the trip! Check out the mountains!!!

For the traveling portion, I expect to just be a guest in various cities and experience each host culture with an open mind while learning as much as I possibly can!
Finally, France will be the country that I dwell in the longest. I hope to submerge myself in the French way and learn how to blend in as a French student as opposed to a tourist. I can’t wait to better my speaking skills and interact with the locals. From what I have heard, the French will respect the tourists if they respect the culture and at least try to communicate. I see myself able to adapt and take on a new way of life but at the same time, it will be really hard to not compare everything to my home life.

Palace Versailles Garden
I can’t wait for the excursions!

Oh my bags are packed, I’m [not quite] ready to go….. And babe, goodbye is hard, but I sure don’t hate to go. Putting my independence to the test, my motto has to be the oh-so-cliché; c’est la vie!

Bon voyage!!!

Emily

Keep Calm and Carry On

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I am extremely excited to be going to London!  I can’t wait to interact with the people there and become more familiar with their culture.  I’m not necessarily worried about going to the UK.  For some strange reason I am completely calm.  That’s not to say that I’m not excited because I am.  I’m just not nervous.  I once heard that the chemicals in the brain (or something, I am most definitely not a Science Major, so I apologize if this is incorrect) which make a person anxious are the same ones that cause excitement; whether a person feels anxiety or excitement depends on how they perceive and process these chemicals.  Anyway, I’m sure this confidence I have is a little naïve, but, especially for someone who is as nervous and anxious as I generally am, I feel surprisingly calm and at ease concerning my imminent departure.  And if I do happen to develop a bit of anxiety, I shall hopefully just keep calm and carry on.

That being said, I am from a small town and went to college in a small town, so being in such a large metropolis might be a bit of a shock.  At the very least, it will be a change.  I have visited larger cities and have liked them, although I have not stayed in them for more than a week at a time.  My parents are certainly much more concerned than I am, but I am trying not to let their nervousness worry me.  I just want to be completely happy and not bogged down by concerns when I arrive in London so that I can be open to experiencing the culture.  I want be fully immersed in the culture of the city and the country as a whole.  I would like to imagine myself fitting right in with the culture of the UK, but I have a feeling it may not be as easy as I would like it to be.

I am trying to remain uninfluenced by stereotypes and preconceived concepts of the UK, but it is a bit difficult as I am very fond of various British television shows (Sherlock is my favorite) and, as much as it pains me to admit it publicly, I am a fan of One Direction.  However, I am going to try my very hardest to leave any and all preconceived notions behind when I step on the plane…at least, that is my goal.

Moving on to a drastically different subject:  I have heard from various sources that tea is very popular in the UK.

This concerns me greatly as I can’t stand tea.  I really have tried to make myself like it.  In fact, as soon as I found out that I was accepted into the study abroad program, I went out and bought myself a box of tea.  I thought to myself, “I’m going to be in the UK for four weeks, so I must learn to like tea.”  And, like I said, I really have tried very hard to like tea.  I have tried so many different varieties of tea in so many different ways, and yet I still haven’t found a kind that I like (the one pictured above was lemon ginger).  Oh well, at least I like scones and cucumber sandwiches.

(Taking my photography a bit further and channeling my inner Beatrix Potter.  That would be my new bunny in the background.  His name is Maxwell, and I will miss him very much while I am away.)  Emily