Why I Packed My Hiking Boots: Discovering the Heartbeat of Britain

Bueñas Días from Barcelona! I’ve had a fantastic week travelling Spain with Megan Barta, a fellow Hope study-abroader wrapping up her semester in Barcelona. We shared many memorable experiences as we explored the stunning Andalusia region of southern Spain during Semana Santa. From exploring the Sacromonte district in Granada, to visiting La Mezquita in Córdaba, …

Horse Girl Goes Abroad

A special thing about studying abroad is getting to experience old rhythms in new ways. Something that has been an important part of my life since I was little has been horseback riding. Whether it’s riding almost daily, competing on equestrian team, involvement with 4-H, teaching riding lessons, volunteering at a therapeutic riding center, or …

Schooling…or Unschooling?

As of this writing, it’s Friday, and every single class on my Liverpool Hope University (LHU) timetable was actually held this week AND last week, making me a very happy student. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the education structure here is different from Hope. Classes at LHU last a full year (October – …

The Peak District

I felt a little over-citied last week. Don’t get me wrong, Chester was lovely, the football match in Manchester the weekend before was memorable, and there’s always something to do in Liverpool’s City Centre, but I’m really a country girl at heart. I knew that moving to a lively city would be a change from …

Sefton Park

Happy Monday! I’m thankful to have one week of classes under my belt! With each passing day I feel a little bit more settled. Daily I learn something new, like the fact that there are no drinking fountains on LHU’s campus or that nobody closes the refrigerator doors in the grocers or that it costs …

Secular Sanctuary

Last week I visited St. Paul’s Cathedral, or should I say St. Paul’s V. The very first St. Paul’s was founded by a monk in 604 AD. Now, in the middle of a sea of lumbering office buildings, rises the unmistakable dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The architect, Christopher Wren, oversaw the construction of this …

As they say in Les Miserables: Who am I?

Who am I, you ask? Well, to make a long story short, my name is Katie Joachim and I am a rising senior at Hope College, studying Theatre and Creative Writing. Some of you may have seen me as the Baker’s Wife in Hope’s production of Into the Woods last fall. Currently, I am an …

Fresh Air is Good for the Soul

Ever since I figured out what I wanted to do with my life, I’ve dreamed of living in a city.  Getting an apartment in New York or Chicago, taking public transportation to work every day; it all seemed like the dream. And living in London was the perfect trial run for it. Now, don’t get …

“Cheerio” From England!

If you know me, you probably know that I’m studying this fall at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. However, my parents and I traveled abroad early so that we could have a little UK vacation before moving me into “uni.” Here’s a little bit of what we did and saw! We spent most of …

Fútbol, Football, Soccer

Camp Nou. The vibrance erupting through the stadium, the echo’s of yelling fans, the articulate yet free flowing style of Barcelona football, is all simply magnificent. A few days ago I had the pleasure of experiencing this firsthand as Barcelona FC played Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal. Barcelona triumphed Bilbao 3-1, winning …