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 …
Category Archives: Travel
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 …
¡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 …
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 …
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 …
The Driest Place on Earth
I’m still trying to process all of the wonders that I experienced in the Atacama Desert. Day 1: We arrived to our hostel and immediately went for a stroll through the small, desert town of San Pedro. The dirt roads are lined with companies offering tours to all of the attractions, ice cream shops, and rows …
Nature at Home
Today I’m sharing a piece written by my good friend Will Lake who’s also here at the Oregon Extension. Earlier in the semester we read Annie Dillard, a nature writer, and were asked to copy her style of writing and observation. We each trundled outside and found a spot to sit as still as possible …
Must’ve Been a Fairytale
A magical place. Massive green trees and extremely colorful flowers. A stone path leading to every building. Wooden cabins adorned with fire places and jacuzzis. The constant aroma of a campfire. My program, CIEE, planned a trip for us to Pucón (I prefer to call it “Fairytale Town”) where we had the privilege to stay …
First Program Trip – Berlin and Warsaw
I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you did not get to bed before 10 pm on your 21st birthday, and I am probably right. I, however, had a slightly different experience. For one, the only thing you get in Germany for turning 21 is the ability to legally rent a car, so …
Weekend in the Whitsundays
Upon arriving in Australia I had made it a priority to ask Aussies that I came across for places they would recommend for a weekend trip. From my own research I had considered Melbourne, Uluru, and Tasmania, and while the Aussies agreed that those would be fantastic spots, the suggestion I heard time and time …
You must be logged in to post a comment.