Balancing Travel

One thing that has been really different being in Europe compared to being in South America is the travel opportunities. In Europe, it is really easy (and pretty cheap) to travel to a variety of countries within a pretty short timespan. For example, I just returned from being in Istanbul for a long weekend. While …

Early Bird Gets the Worm

A lesson I learned last semester: don’t wait to ask for opportunities. The semester isn’t as long as you think it will be and you don’t want to wait too long. This happened to me when I visited the archaeological lab in Ecuador. It was a fantastic experience and I loved visiting, but I found …

It’s All Greek to Me

Γεια σας! That’s Greek for “hi everyone!” One of my concerns coming to Greece was that I didn’t even know how to say hello. Coming from Ecuador, where I spoke the language, this was really intimidating to me. How was I supposed to manage in a country where I couldn’t even ask for directions (and …

Rabat to Meknes and Back

Where do I even begin? It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Morocco for a little over a week. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time, I feel like I have been in Morocco for forever. In the short time I have been here, I have stayed in two …

Travel Day!

As I write this, I’m halfway to Rabat, Morocco! I’m sitting in the Paris airport waiting for my last flight. When I get to Rabat, I will have been traveling for 28 hours. At this point, the travel is definitely starting to exhaust me. I could have booked my flights differently, making a shorter travel …

Where am I?

We’re trying something different this time! I made a short animation to describe the situation I’m starting the semester with, and give a little background on how it’s different from last semester. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to study in such different countries and programs, and I can’t wait to explore the differences with …

Reflections from a hobbit (at heart)

If I took a quiz on which fictional fantasy character I would be, based on personality, I am at least 80% sure I would end up as Bilbo Baggins. Specifically, pre-dwarven company Bilbo Baggins; the Bilbo Baggins who sits in his aesthetically-pleasing hobbit hole, drinking tea, and by firelight reading in a plush armchair. Maybe …

Fluency?

One of the major things I wanted to work on this semester was becoming a fluent Spanish speaker. Now that I’m almost done, I can’t help but wonder if I actually made it there. I started my Spanish journey in my early teens, and I don’t think that I’ll ever be mistaken for a native …

Homesickness and the Holidays

So the holiday season has come in the US! It started with Halloween (if you consider that part of the holiday season – I think it kind of counts because so many people celebrate). Next up – Thanksgiving! Not here though. While Halloween exists in a very small way in Ecuador, Thanksgiving basically does not …

Using Time Abroad to Live Your Dreams

So if you know me, you probably know that I love archaeology, particularly Latin American archaeology. That’s what I want to go on to study once I graduate. If you know West Michigan, you probably know that there’s not a whole lot of Latin American archaeology going on in the area. Not that I blame …