Every time someone asks me about how my semester abroad is going I say, “so far so good.” As I’m currently typing this, classes start tomorrow so thus far, my first week has simply been a lot of “getting adjusted”. Getting adjusted has meant buying my own toilet paper because for some reason my 8 …
Tag Archives: Europe
íshellan var mjög köld
After settling down, eating, and fully absorbing that we truly were spending the night in Iceland, there was a big decision to be made. Is it most sensible to stay put and rest up in preparation of the next day of travel? Is life telling us to seize the day and explore, even though we’re …
Weekend Walks in the Gardens of Versailles
Ah, what did I do this weekend? Thanks for asking! I walked eleven and a half miles through the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. No, I’m not kidding. Thus is the typical weekend in France. I live thirty minutes away from the Palace of Versailles, King Louis XIV’s extravagant land of palaces, golden gates, …
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Can you believe??
My journey was *supposed to be* a fairly simple one: drive to the Chicago airport, get on a plane headed to Iceland, get on a plane headed to Manchester, join my study abroad gang and drive to Liverpool Hope University. To be fair, I had done/am doing what my plan calls for, just in a …
Comfort vs Chaos: Why You Should Always be a Beginner at Something
It’s been eighty degrees and sunny all week here in Paris, and it feels like the end of spring—not the beginning of fall. However, assignments, tests, and homework are here to remind me that it is, in fact, the turn of the season into a new academic year. Starting school at IES Abroad in Paris …
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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 …
Vivre à Paris: Rules, Reasons and History
Paris is a complicated, historic city. There are unwritten rules to just about everything, and if you want to be treated like a local, you better follow them all. Unlike in newer American cities and towns, quick convenience and individual happiness are subject second to the city’s collective needs and functionality. Say au revoir to …
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Why Liverpool? (again)
Last summer, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Liverpool for 10 days with a group of Hope College delegates to participate in The Big Hope 2. This young leaders’ congress was an amazing experience. Young people all over the word came together to discuss freedom, conflict, equality and change, in a way I had …
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 …
An Open Letter to Pre-Study-Abroad-Me
Hi Em, I know you’re scared out of your wits right now, even though you’re too proud to admit it. As much as you want to put on a brave face for your mom, who will worry about you for the entirety of the time that you’re away from her, it’s okay that you’re scared. …
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