Prehistoric Mystery

A couple weekends ago, I was able to take a train down south with a friend to visit one of the best known ancient wonders of the world – Stonehenge! Before coming to England, this was one of my bucket list items to see. As I soon discovered, this prehistoric site gets mixed reactions among …

Coastal England

With the sound of the waves clapping against the cliffs, a coastal breeze that circulated through the air, a blue fall sky cast above me, and the smell of the fresh salty air, I was very content. I was near the ocean. As the big blue sea is one of my favorite places to be, …

Academics in London

“This will not be a cookie cutter class that some of you may be used to, gear up!” These were the first words spoken from one of my professors in London during the first class. I knew at that moment that I was in for a treat. A good treat that is!  As I have …

Far From Home

8 hours and 3,848 miles later… I have made it to London! What a whirlwind this past week has been! From arriving last Tuesday and adjusting to the new time zone along with the anticipated jet lag to slowly navigating my way around the city, my time here has been filled with nothing short of …

Into The Unknown

As I prepare to officially depart for London in less than 2 days, I can’t help but do a little reflecting on my thoughts about leaving what is comfortable and known to me, and to then be entering a foreign place that I have never been before. The familiarity of family, friends, and the pace …

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 …

Familiar Faces

The last couple of weeks of my semester I was blessed to have my parents come and visit. Although FaceTime is a wonder and I’ve been able to talk to my parents face to face throughout this semester, it was so good to have them here in person. I loved being able to show them …

It’s the Climb… or Three

Being surrounded by mountains is something new for me, but here in Cape Town, I have caught the hiking bug. I have really enjoyed spending a morning or a day climbing up one of the mountains here and being rewarded with beautiful views of the city. There are three mountains that are the most well …

Experiencing the History

Throughout my time in South Africa, we have learned a lot about the history of this country, including the struggles it has faced, the most prominent struggle being Apartheid, the system of racial discrimination and segregation. We had the chance to visit the Apartheid Museum, Mandela house, Robben Island, and District Six. At the Apartheid …

A World Wonder

Nowadays there are quite a few lists of different world wonders. One of these lists is of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. I had the incredible opportunity to go and experience one of them a couple of weekends ago. My friend, Noelle, and I took a quick trip to Livingstone, Zambia, to see …