The Windy City Welcome

Hello from the Windy City!

It’s almost a week in the city, and I am already absolutely in love with all of the experiences that the Chicago has to offer.  Most of last weekend was filled with orientation sessions that help us understand how to live in the city, but we’ve already begun to explore the culture of the neighborhood. After my family and best friend helped me move in, we grabbed lunch at a restaurant, called Wow Bao.

       

None of us ordered bao, which are steamed buns filled with pork (usually), but the rice bowls that we did order were so tasty! Instead of the traditional counter and register to buy food, customers order on a computer and the food appears in the pods with your name. It was a “Welcome to the future” for us if anything and a great first meal in the city.

My Roommates (left to right) Shannon & Molly

Saturday and Sunday were filled mostly with unpacking and making the apartment homey, especially since we’re living here for the next three and a half months. Chicago Semester is very committed to ensure that its students are well-acquainted with how life in the city works; this includes learning about public transportation, safety in the city, networking, shopping, and community involvement. The program provided several session in which we learned about these various topics. Another important value of the program is that the students embrace the vast cultural diversity that is found throughout Chicago and its over 200 neighborhoods. The city is widely-known as a place where immigrants can find a fresh start. To get a taste of the culture, all the students went to a different part of the city for deserts for the first night of orientation. I went to the neighborhood of Pilsen to Panadaria Nuevo León. The patisserie was brimmed with various deserts whose names I had absolutely no clue but were falling apart in delicious goodness. We even got the baker (after all of us urging her to) to take a picture with us!

            

The following day, several different groups visited different parts of the city for lunch and a short introduction to the people that lived there. I visited Little India (which is almost all the way north edge of the city), where we had the most delicious food.

 Would you believe all this food (for 8 people) cost less than $50?!

Foods pictured: butter chicken, lentil curry, tika chicken, chapati and naan breads, potato curry, basmati rice, beef and bean somoas, and a beef dish.

I had had Indian food before, but this was the most to-die-for that I’ve ever had. Needless to say, it was worth the hour commute from our apartment complex.

After learning about the various neighborhoods, my roommates and I began mapping our semester bucket list. Our first adventure was to Millennium Park and Greek Town. Following the sage advice of the Chicago Semester faculty, we carefully mapped our route. Even though I’d been to Chicago multiple times, my family and I had only visited Chinatown together, because of my Chinese heritage. So, I resigned to do the most tourist-y thing: visit the Bean. The only thing I learned from the experience? The Bean is super dirty.

Greek Town is about a 20-minute walk from our apartment in the Gold Coast neighborhood, and it is full of restaurants (because Greek food is the amazing). Molly, Shannon, and I got sandwiches and cannolis that were so tasty!

The day was windy, cloudy, and cold, but the view was well-worth the aching feet and numb faces. We walked around and eventually landed at a coffee shop called Meddle Dark Matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday was the first day of internship for most of the students. Fortunately, Shannon and I don’t start until next week, and Molly’s first day started late. So, we accompanied her to Andersonville, where she works at their chamber of commerce. We explored the Swedish neighborhood until she had to leave for work. For all the neighborhoods I’ve visited so far, it’s been fairly easy to see what the people value and the center(s) of their culture.

Less than a week in, and I’ve only scratched a piece of the entire surface of the city, but I’m well on my way. Even though I’ve already gotten myself lost twice, I’m becoming more comfortable with riding public transit and routing my destinations better. My first day of internship is on Monday, and I anticipate nestling into a routine of a set schedule mixed with bouts spontaneity.

  

A Journey to the Past + NYC

It had been 8+ years since I had been on an airplane, so flying into New York was exciting in more ways then one. Given that I’m participating in a domestic program, I was lucky enough to have my mom fly down and spend the weekend with me before orientation on Monday. In order to get reasonably priced tickets, our flight had a layover in Chicago. How it makes sense to go from Detroit to Chicago and then to New York City, I do not know.

My first couple of days in New York were spent exploring the nearby blocks and buying the necessities I couldn’t fit into my suitcases (such as coffee for the coffee maker I did make sure to pack). As someone who’s lived in Michigan their whole life, I found it so bizarre to see your typical chain stores, e.g. Staples and Target, in multi-floor buildings! Take an escalator to buy some bananas? So odd.

I’ve also quickly discovered that it’s quite dangerous (read “dangerous” as “extremely-tempting-and-bad-for-my-wallet”) to live across from Taco Bell and Starbucks, and especially with Arby’s only a couple of blocks away. I have yet to succumb to the 99 Cent Fresh Pizza shops, but I know it will be soon.

I’m currently staying at the New Yorker Hotel (I know, educational housing in a hotel, weird right?) in midtown of Manhattan, so there’s constantly a bustle of noise going on outside my window. Honestly, the first couple of days were nerve wrecking as my mother and I attempted to navigate the streets and poured over app upon app trying to figure out how the subway worked, but we did not get lost, huzzah!

Right before my mother left, we were fortune enough to attend a showing of the Broadway musical Anastasia. I adored the movie Anastasia, so I was ecstatic to see this performance and it did not disappoint! The renditions of my favorite songs from the movie, “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past” were beautiful. And everything else, from the special effects to the scenery, was amazing.

As I’ve already hinted at, I didn’t really do much during my first weekend in NYC besides seeing Anastasia. At first, I felt ashamed by my reluctance to explore the city, holing up in my room as much as possible. But I’ve been reminding myself that I’m here for 15 weeks, and that I have time to explore. Pushing the bounds of my comfort zone and trying new things doesn’t need to be rushed. Growth takes time.

As I’m putting the final touches on this post, orientation and my second day of interning have already passed, and I can already feel the nervous energy that surrounded me being replaced with an acceptance of my new environment and an excitement to start properly exploring New York.

Let this journey begin!

Take Some Time and Forget the Map

On day one of orientation here in London, our program put on the screen a list of several apps to help make sure we knew where we were going the next few days. There was a frantic rush as everyone grabbed their pen or pencil to scribble down the names, myself included. I was nervous and overwhelmed, terrified of showing up late to any of the meetings or required events. Honestly, I needed all the help I could get.

Going to and from school and our residences, we were constantly clutching on to our phones, double checking that we were entering the right tube station, turning the right direction, or getting on the correct bus. By about day three, we were slowly starting to get the hang of where we needed to go—that is if we were going to school or back.

The Saturday after we arrived, my roommate and I decided to get some lunch before heading out to get our groceries. We mapped our way back to what we thought was our street, only to discover that there’s a difference between Angel and Angel street. Angel street just happened to be near St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is about twenty minutes away from our home station. St. Paul’s was beautiful and ginormous, and it was a nice surprise to stumble on. After snapping a few pictures, we headed back to the bus using our trusted map app.

Bumping along the jammed London streets on the double decker bus, we got to see a lot more of London than we were expecting. Before we knew it, we were driving along Oxford street with all of its beautiful Christmas lights still up, and traveling through the West End, the bright marquees blinking furiously. We were so entranced by it all, we weren’t paying attention that our bus had crossed a bridge over the river Thames and onto the South Bank—definitely the opposite direction of where we needed to be. And there our bus stopped.

We ended up finding our way back to our residence, slowly but surely, and stopping to take pictures of the sun setting on the London skyline and the London eye in the process. It was quite an adventure. Almost two and a half hours in an attempt to get some measly groceries!

 

Since then, I’ve wandered into neighborhoods that are nowhere near where I live, found some great cafes and bakeries, turned the wrong way out of tube stations and discovered bookshops and theatres for shows I want to go see. Though I always have my map ready in case I need it, I’m starting to put it away and just explore, letting the city take me where it wants to.

 

¡Bienvenidos a Quito!

Welcome to the land where mountains surround, altitude sickness occurs, hectic traffic and crazy drivers rule the roads, and where people are relational above all things! I left my cozy small town of Zeeland, MI, Monday morning to arrive in the large foreign city of Quito, Ecuador, for the semester. Yes, for the semester… I am still trying to convince myself of this even as I am here.

I arrived late Monday night and met my fellow international students through IES on Tuesday. Together we were given a tour of old town Quito, Iglesia compañia de Jesús, Iglesia San Francisco, and Basilica del Voto National (pictures attached, see google for more!). These churches are incredible in the nature of their architecture that reveals the religious and political history of Quito. Wednesday through Friday this week were consumed with full days of orientation to learn about rules, safety, academics, culture, and tourism of Ecuador. While the information was helpful and needed, they were very long days.

Luckily, we were rewarded after a long week with a group excursion on Saturday to the Otavalo market that is famously run by the indigenous Andean people selling anything and everything handmade in hundreds of tents in the street. On our way we stopped for a typical Ecuadorian breakfast of bizcochos with coffee or tea at a small restaurant with a view of Cayambe Volcano. We also did a short hike on our way to the market to Cascada de Peguche, a beautiful waterfall, where we got to slightly test our lungs in the altitude. After a time of much fun and buying all things alpaca at the market, we went to Laguna Cayapas Cuichocha. This lagoon is in the crater of Cuichocha Volcano, which we later found out is active and the fourth most dangerous in Latin America. We took a boat around the lagoon in the crater to see the bubbling volcanic gasses being admitted to the surface of the water; it was beautiful!

Despite the excitement of being in a new country, being able to travel, and seeking out new opportunities in language, academics, and culture, I have struggled this week with feeling overwhelmed. Jumping into a new lifestyle is not easy for me and we had so much information thrown into our brains that is so foreign in just a few days of being here. I’m struggling with the idea that the middle of May feels so far away, yet I know that I will regret saying that by the time May comes around. Ecuador is a country that has so much to offer, I just need to learn how to live into the person I was created to be in a new place, with new people, and with new opportunities.

¡Hasta pronto!

Morgan

 

(click on first photo to view as slideshow!)

Reflecting on my Time Abroad

It’s been a while since I left Cape Town and returned to the U.S. and I’m still adjusting to life back in the Midwest. There’s no more weekend hiking up mountains or eating way too much food at the different markets. What there has been, however, is lots of time for reflection. After four months abroad, it has been difficult to express exactly what my experience was like to my friends and family when they ask the inevitable, “How was South Africa?” It doesn’t seem like there is anywhere to begin. So much happened while I was abroad that my mind just jumps from one thing to another, not knowing what to say. How does someone sum up four months of experiences and memories into words?

I am still searching for the best way to talk about my time abroad and still sifting through the most important and influential experiences I had. Being in a new country, surrounded by completely new people, forced me to step outside of my comfort zone in more ways than I anticipated. At the start it was an isolating experience and I had to find ways to break down barriers and build relationships. But after a couple of weeks I was able to find my place in Cape Town and focus on making my time there count. I was able to learn so much while abroad, not just in the classroom, but through immersing myself in the culture, meeting new people, and participating in service learning.

Seeing how things are halfway across the world gave me a new perspective, one that I hope I will continue to view things through. The exposure to the corruption South Africa faces, the poverty that is overwhelmingly present, and the aftermath of Apartheid showed me the brokenness that there is in South Africa. But, the people I met, the culture I lived in, and learning about how they have and are overcoming their history showed me the hope and restoration there is. I learned that in times and places where brokenness is so prevalent, it is important to focus on the progress that has been made and the hope that will allow for more progress to follow.

Along with learning a lot, I also grew as a person, becoming more independent and open minded throughout my time abroad. I was able to broaden my perspectives and open myself to new ideas through being put in unfamiliar situations and being surrounded by new people everywhere I went. I am grateful that I was given this opportunity to grow and learn in a unique way and in such a special place.

I miss the view of the mountain on my walk up to campus. I miss the way the people of Cape Town made me feel at home. I miss the hustle and bustle of the Saturday food markets. I miss learning about such a rich culture inside and outside of the classroom. I miss the new friends I made through IES and UCT. I miss having a new adventure every weekend. There’s a lot to miss, but it is also good to be home. I’m excited to be home so that I can implement what I learned during my time abroad to my life and my studies here, so that I can share my experiences with those around me. And I guess missing Cape Town so much just means I’ll have to go back 🙂

 

Thoughts on Leaving Australia

Recently I thought, how will it feel to leave Australia? This isn’t the first time that I have reflected on the idea of going home, but I realized that in the past, I had always been focused on the returning rather than the leaving. I would think about seeing my family and friends who I haven’t been able to see for a couple of months and I would feel excited about the new stories they would have or the stories that I have to tell them. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized that returning home means leaving Australia. I heard stories before leaving the States about students who have tried to extend their stay in whatever country they had been studying in, and I had even heard a couple of stories in which students decided to transfer schools to complete their studies in this other country. I knew that wouldn’t be me, there’s too much back home that I would miss if I stayed but I also can appreciate the feelings of those other study abroad students a bit better now.

Here’s a pic from the inside of the famous Opera House

Upon first arriving to Australia I fell into the classic wanderlust of experiencing a new country for the first time where everything seemed new and exotic and interesting. This feeling was particularly strong during orientation when I was going on excursions and didn’t need to worry about food or classes or planning. But when I arrived in Sydney life did become more difficult. Suddenly I needed to cook and clean for myself, and although I can make mac & cheese with the best of them, my experience in both cooking and cleaning have been limited up until this point. I also had no sense of direction, I felt as though I was getting lost everywhere I went, and I felt far away from the city where most of the people in my program who attended different schools lived. There would be times where I felt a bit guilty writing blog posts or posting pictures on Instagram or Facebook because for every day that was filled with adventure and traveling, there were four or five other days which consisted of mostly cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, schoolwork and other mundane activities not typically associated with studying abroad.

Luna Park: where I accidently ran into all of the athletes from the Invictus Games

This seems likely to be the second stage of traveling to a new country, when suddenly the new country doesn’t seem so perfect or amazing as it was when you first arrived but this felt different from the culture shock I was expecting. Typically when I thought of culture shock I actually projected my stereotypes instead of realizing that the shock arises from what’s unexpected. I thought the culture shock that I would deal with would mostly consist of trying to understand the slang or eating more seafood as I lived near the ocean but that isn’t what my life in Australia has been like at all. Instead, the shock was spurred by the fact that a good deal of what I imagined Sydney to be like wasn’t true. The strangest part about living in Australia I think has been that where I live now isn’t radically different from back home, but it’s just different enough so that I would notice these differences consistently. The food is in many ways similar to the States, but the brands are different, there are far fewer item options, and at times items that I am used to aren’t available such as breakfast sausage, biscuits, or Cool Ranch Doritos. I also perceived Australians as small differentiations of Steve Irwin or the surfer archetype but of course that isn’t true either. Occasionally I’ll come across an Aussie who may be similar to either of those descriptions but in the big city of Sydney, many Aussies don’t act like either of those stereotypes. I suppose that would be comparable to expecting to see people who look like the guys in the TV show Duck Dynasty while walking around New York City, it’s simply a different culture in the city. But these differences certainly haven’t been bad, in fact I feel as though I have learned a lot as a result of this shattering of my expectations.

Darling Harbour on a cloudy day

While these changes at first felt strange and uncomfortable, slowly the differences started to feel natural. I know the names of different train stops and know certain areas of the city fairly well, I know how to use the bus and how to get off at the right stop properly, and even looking the correct directions when crossing the street has become second nature. Perhaps some of the most rewarding times are when I have been asked for help by Aussies themselves. When I returned to Sydney from New Zealand, I was getting on the train to go back home and an Aussie couple asked me how to get train tickets and how to get on the right train to get where they needed to go. It felt amazing to know the answer to their question and be able to help them out, suddenly Sydney was starting to feel more like home.

Royal National Park on a perfect day

The feelings of missing Australia became even more pronounced when I remembered some of the problems that I will be returning to in the States. While studying abroad I’ve felt very, very far away from a variety of socio-political problems that the US faces and it is honestly difficult to think that I will be returning to these problems. This isn’t to say that Australia is without its own set of socio-political problems, while I have been studying there the Prime Minister changed for goodness sake, but by studying on exchange I didn’t feel the weight of those problems the way I sometimes do back home. I found it particularly funny when I would come across an Aussie student in one of my classes who would bash Australian politics or say that Australia had all sorts of problems because I personally didn’t see these problems nearly as much. I suppose that when you grow up in a country, you’re privy to all of the issues or concerns that country may have. Meanwhile when you travel to a new country for a short period of time, you tend to be blissfully ignorant for at least a little while.

The Grounds of Alexandria which is a marketplace and coffeeshop all in one

So when I thought about what it will mean to leave Sydney, I considered all of this. I thought of how scared and out of place I felt when I first arrived, how awestruck I was by some of the differences such as the Opera House or kangaroos, and how much Sydney has started to feel a bit like home. It’s sad to think that I’m going to leave this place. I realized that at some point of studying abroad there’s a transition from being a tourist to being something else. I’m certainly not a native and there is plenty about Sydney that I don’t know, but I also feel as though I have played a role as an active member of Sydney rather than somebody who has just passed through the city. A popular caption on posts by bloggers is something along the lines of “this city will always have a piece of my heart,” and while that phrase is a bit of a cliché and it makes me roll my eyes, it’s a cliché because it speaks of a truth. I know that when I return home, I’ll be different. Not in any major dramatic way, but I have been influenced by living in a new city, a new culture, and a new country on the other end of the world. But I also would like to think that I changed Sydney a bit as well, once again not in any major way whatsoever, but to the friends I have made and classmates that I talked with, I have been able to share who I am with others as well.

Blue Mountain Waterfalls

It will be strange leaving Australia, particularly because I feel as though I have grown so much while I have been here but the end of my time is coming soon. I will leave knowing that I made the most of my time academically, socially, and adventurously but I will also know that there is so much of this country that I didn’t see and experience. I have also been reminded of just how much of the US I haven’t seen or experienced yet either, and I intend to see more of my home country when I return as well. This is such a big, beautiful, amazing world. And I cannot express how grateful I am that God has allowed me to experience this part of it.

 

 

 

Homesick with Home So Soon

     In retrospect, most things seems simple and clear. In retrospect, every challenge pairs with growth. In retrospect, life becomes a movie where the pain of the temporary never quite hits because the hope can be seen on the horizon. Looking back at my time abroad, I can see the lessons, colorful memories, and true friendships. I can see the journey from when I arrived to where I stand now. However, I am not done yet. I have two weeks left in India. Two weeks left to soak it in, to finish my internship, to travel back to Jaipur, to visit with my friends, to finish writing a 20 page paper, and to give a final presentation. Two weeks left to thank the place that has welcomed me, pushed me, broken my heart and put it back together, and that has filled me with awe and exhaustion. I am trying to ground myself in gratitude, to not wish the time away.

     However, there are times in every day when I cry for the slow turning of time. Typically, I am not an overly emotional person but something about the last month at my internship, uprooted from my program friends, my supporting teachers, and host family, has left me stuck deep in homesickness (In my program, I take classes the first part of the semester; the last month of my semester is comprised of an internship – not classes). I have managed the majority of my study abroad experience only minorly scathed from the burn of being far from home. There have been days when everything I love feels as far as it is and days when I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through. Yet, each of these days were met by a small group of people from roughly the same place and adapting to the same space at the same time as me. Here, at my internship, I have had to build a whole new community with people from different places, all adapting to India at different paces. However, building up support one loving, kind person at a time, I have found the courage to stand.

     I am ready to be home. I am ready to see my family, friends, boyfriend, and dog. I am ready to lie on my couch against a warm fire, go on long runs in the snow, and eat my favorite holiday foods. I am ready. However, readiness doesn’t change reality. I want to say that I am holding to hope, grounding myself in gratitude, and appreciating my fleeting time left. There are some moments where I feel like I can and some moments where I feel like those words simply fall through my mouth without sticking to my heart. As I write, as I let the frustration out, as I cry to both my dearest friends and strangers, I realize that even when the words feel empty, I am making it. I am soaking it up, I am feeling this fully. I am ready to be home but I am not going home just yet and I am finally allowing myself to sit in this uncomfortable space of heartache. I am here and I am managing. I am smiling, crying, learning, and loving. In retrospect, I know this time will bring growth. In retrospect, I know my reflection on my time in India will be too full to put into words. In retrospect, I know I will miss the excitement, the life, and the color of these days. Instead of diving with energy and joy, today, I am just trying to feel it all. Thank you for those who read, good luck with finals, and know that you are capable of making it to the end.

On The Way to His True North – News from Hope Magazine

In case you missed this article on the recent News from Hope magazine, you don’t want to miss the story behind how Hope alumnus Danny Kosiba began his whale research journey during his semester in New Zealand, and where this has led thereafter!

Playing with Fire

As my time at the Oregon Extension is coming to a close, I’m trying to catalogue stories in an attempt to remember this incredibly rich experience. The semester feels short and long in a timeless sort of way and I have to work to remember both that I’m going and that I’ve been here. As I reflect on my time, I realize many of my most meaningful experiences have revolved around contact. Here at the OE, there are less barriers between us and our fundamental needs. For example, when it gets cold, you can’t simply turn up the thermostat. You throw on some boots (or sandals), tromp out into the snow, and grab wood for the fire. This closeness to my own heating and fire in particular was uncomfortable at first, and as you’ll see from the story below, rather comical.

 

Just as the weather was getting cold, a girl from the cabin next door was having trouble starting her fire (she can do it just fine now – we all learn eventually) and asked if one of my cabin mates could get it going. Being a bit of a beginner, I was both excited to give it a shot but also scared out of my shoes. Right in front of this girl, I looked my more experienced roommate in the eye and rather sheepishly asked him if I could start their fire. Almost indignant, he said, “Why the hell do you need my permission? Go start the fire.” Tail tucked in a bit, I trundled over to the lady’s cabin. I got a bunch of kindling and paper and logs jammed into the wood stove in a random assortment. Rather predictably, this did not work. I don’t really remember how that fire failed, but I know it took me 3 or 4 matches to get that fire going and I left thinking the girl who asked probably could’ve done a better job than I.

Nonetheless, I learned a tad and in an odd way, my friend’s ridicule at my asking taught me to take more risks, to go out on a limb more often. Later that week, my roommate made a fire building request form (which should be filled out whenever I want to start a fire) to commemorate my timid request. It still hangs in our living room to this day and every time someone new comes into the living room, the story comes out and people laugh at the questions on the form (like, “What, is your fire lighting experience measured in seconds?”). It’s funny now because I’ve taken to tending the fire late at night, alone (with no form filled out!). Its these late nights with hot coals where I’ve forged my confidence. The heat that used to scare the hell out of me (for good reason – white burns adorned my hands for a good month thanks to a hot rock in a fire), is now like a respected friend. As long as I’m smart and treat the fire well, it won’t mess with me.

In this story about fire, the proximity of the OE and the value of that proximity is seen clearly. Without distractions (or I should say less distractions) from real life, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the everyday and the tangible. Take as a further example, the wood I chopped to tend said fires. In chopping, I learned to respect wood’s individuality. Every tree is different – some hard, some soft – some splinters, some splits – some break your axe, some bust your shins – some move obligingly aside from your axe, some send tremors up your arm. The intimacy with materials and the confidence and care this creates is irreplaceable. Being here has reminded me of just how disconnected most of my “modern” life is. The conveniences are real and useful, but I cannot now avoid forgetting that they come at a cost.

“Study” and “Abroad”

When I first started looking into studying abroad, I repeatedly heard stories about the workload while abroad and how the “abroad” played a much bigger role than the “study.” Well, they fooled me. Now, my program is a unique one, because it focuses on the European Union and has three week-long trips throughout the semester that are designed to align with our studies. We just returned from the last of our trip, where our program split us into three groups, of which mine went to London, Belfast, Dublin, and Stockholm. These trips leave the rest of our class schedule packed, to say the least.

So what have I been learning? To start, I know much more about the European Union than I ever expected to. How it started as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 as an economic organization that could help prevent further conflict between the major powers in Europe of France and Germany. How it is now made up of 28 countries, but is likely losing a member state for the first time during finals week next semester on March 29 when the UK exits. That’s right, I can tell you just about everything you could ever hope to know about Brexit as well. Insider scoop – Britain is probably in trouble.

In Brussels, we visited several of the EU institutions, including the Council of the European Union.

The great part about this program is that we get to travel to the places where the most important decisions are made in the EU and talk to key officials. We have been to the parliament buildings of the EU, the UK, and Sweden, and talked to members of the EU and Swedish parliaments. Apparently the parliament members in Britain have other things to worry about currently…

Speaking of, my Brexit class and I got to meet with negotiators who have been working in overdrive to hammer out the details of Brexit deals on both the UK and EU sides. Additionally, the final project for our class was to meet with a class of students doing the IES program in London to present and debate our own terms for a Brexit deal.

The UK Parliament, where we got to go on a tour and see the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

My favorite parts of studying abroad come when ‘study’ and ‘abroad’ stop being mutually exclusive. Though much of our mornings or afternoons were filled with meetings, we had the opportunity to go on city tours and go off on our own. Our first night in London, I went to a friendly of the US men’s soccer team against England at Wembley Stadium, the largest in the UK.

The US lost 3-0, but it also happened to be the last international game for legend England’s Wayne Rooney.

I also got to meet up with a friend I made during an international leadership conference in Liverpool that I went on with a group of students from Hope College. We met up and went to see incredible artifacts like the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.

This slab of rock had text from 3 languages inscribed on it, allowing scholars to decipher the meaning of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Thanks to my crazy network of friends and family spread out all over Europe, I also got to see many other people from different stages of my life:

    

My cousin who plays professional soccer in Einhoven (in the Netherlands) was able to come hang out with me for a day in Brussels. 
I randomly (almost literally) ran into Allie DeJongh, a class of 2018 Hope student who now is on a Fulbright scholarship and is teaching English in Brussels.
In London I also met up with one of my best childhood friends from Prague and his dad.

Yes, I have been very busy and I should probably get started on that 12 page paper due soon, but in the past month I truly have gotten to experience a great blend of both studying and being abroad. I am developing a much greater understanding of Europe as a collective whole – its problems and its functions. At the same time, seeing old friends during my travels is a good reminder of why we do it in the first place. To meet people from different places and share ideas and experiences with each other.