Horses, Pizza, and Hikes.

Quote of the week: “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” -Martin Luther King Jr. Becoming more familiar with a place makes everything feel so much better. From being more comfortable with the normal things in a city and also realizing that some things, RTD (Regional Transportation District), does not always work the way you …

Christmas in Japan

It has been awhile since my last post, but the adventures keep on coming! It is already halfway through January, but Christmas in Japan has left quite an impression on me. While Christmas is a big deal in the United States, in Japan it’s a much more (extremely) commercial, just-for-fun kind of holiday. Class is …

New City, New Viewpoints, New Experiences

Quote of the week: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Arthur Ward Studying abroad is something that I have always wanted to do. The thrill of being somewhere new, experiencing a culture and city has its way of growing and challenging …

Exploring Liverpool’s City Centre

Greetings from Liverpool!  It’s been a week since my parents and little sister dropped me off at the Grand Rapids airport. After two connecting flights, a bleary trek through the Frankfurt airport, and over 30 hours without sleep, I’ve spent the last seven days trying to settle into Aigburth Park, where I will be living …

Chapter 9: a day in the life

song: walking on sunshine Hi all! Today I am walking you through a day in my life as a study abroad student in Barcelona, Spain.  Since it’s Monday, I wake up around 8:00 am to get ready then leave for the train station at 8:45 am. Then, I board the train to take me to …

Chapter 7: Madrid!

song: put your records on Well, friends, time is flying. I hope this season is treating you well. Today is the day that I share about my trip to Madrid, the lovely capital of Spain.  On a hazy warm morning, we boarded a sleek silver train to Madrid. After about seven hours, we hopped off …

Back Home

Although I had a few health issues, my time overall in Chile was amazing. I grew so much as a student, woman, global citizen, and social worker. For future study abroad students or travelers, Chile offers a wide range of adventures. Across the country are numerous natural wonders: the Atacama Desert, National Parks, Andes Mountain …

Art of Chile

After my health scare, I am recovering and have found joy in exploring the city. The IES program was an immersive experience. Whether sitting through classes, developing conversations, or observing everyday life, I was challenged to consider the past, present and future of Chile. My program connected my academic interests to my personal ones. In …

Chapter 11: Southern Spain

song: amigas cheetahs Greetings all! Today is the day I share about my trips to Seville & Córdoba, major cities in Andalusia, or the south of Spain. Honestly, these three days in southern Spain were a whirlwind but I will share the highlight of this trip – the history. The history that can be seen …

Chapter 10: Gaudí

song: strut Hello friends! Today I went to Park Güell with Tia and we discovered that the park is so much larger than we imagined. When you search “Park Güell” on Google or Pinterest, you typically see the benches made with colorful tiles overlooking Barcelona. So, naively, I assumed that that was Park Güell – …