Exploring On My Own

Bonjour again from Paris! I have surprised myself with how well I have adjusted, from not feeling the effects of jet lag to not getting lost on the metro. I think I am starting to fit in after all – especially after being asked for directions a few times already! The past two weeks have been full of orientation activities, meeting new people, and familiarizing myself with this still new and foreign city. To take a break from all of the craziness, I decided to spend this weekend by myself, doing the things I wanted to do. I had a list of places I wanted to go see, but at the last minute I decided to just walk around Paris. By the end of my three-hour adventure, my feet were terribly sore, but I call that a successful day! It was very cold, but seeing the sun made up for it, especially walking towards the Eiffel Tower. I will never get tired of its view. It will always be my favorite place to go to while I am here and I am pretty sure it will be the last place I will go before I leave. Here are a few pictures from my walking adventure that I wanted to share with you!

Even the tree branches can't hide the Eiffel Tower's beauty
Even the tree branches can’t hide the Eiffel Tower’s beauty
#jesuischarlie
#jesuischarlie
The Seine
The Seine

Some of you might be thinking, “You are crazy!” “Why would you want to be alone in Paris?” “Don’t you want to be with friends?” Well, let me put it this way: Sometimes the best way to explore a new place is by yourself. Don’t let the thought of not having someone to go with you hold you back from getting to know that new place. Sometimes it’s nice to just not have any plans at all, really. This doesn’t only apply to me because I’m in Paris, but it can apply to you too! I challenge you to get on the bus or train (or even walk!) without a set destination. Get off at a random stop and explore where you are. Walk around. Take pictures. Sit down and write. Listen to music. Take a moment to fully recognize where you are in that moment and I promise you it will be a memorable experience. I have so much more time to explore this new city that is slowly becoming my new home that I know this will be one of many other adventures. Before I end this post, I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes that I think sums up how I feel quite nicely:

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” -Lao Tzu

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @HopeMarisela16 for more of my adventures!

Surviving an Internet-free Weekend

A while back a friend of mine participated in something that sounded less like an experiment and more like a dare suggested by a sadistic college student; he was to go a week without using the internet. No internet for seven days and seven nights. Not even for Google. No Skype, no Netflix, and definitely no Facebook.

That was last summer. A few weeks ago, shortly before the end of our winter break, I too committed myself to abstaining from the internet for… three whole days. It was as long as I thought I could get away from it before having to be physically restrained from grabbing my laptop or Iphone in sheer frustration. Here’s what I learned:

  1. It never really leaves. My first internet free day was plagued by a gentle tugging sensation at the base of every thought. It was my need to check a hundred things, ninety-eight of which I was sure I was just making up. The Internet loomed on the horizon of my mind, and like a moon exerting its gravitational pull on a planets oceans, it tugged and heaved, never letting up
  2. The compromises begin almost immediately. Remember that voice you always hear when you’re about to finish an episode you’ve sworn will be your last? The one that only ever seems to speak up when you start feeling guilty about not doing more important things? That voice spent the first day coming up with a whole booklet of excuses and compromises, urging me to check exam results I’d already seen, news on that one TV show I really liked and everything in between. There was never a moment where he wasnt urging me to take a quick peek, just a glance. It would’ve been so easy too, a single tap on the Google app…
  3. I rediscovered reading. I came to realize I read books like a read forum posts; quickly scanning entire paragraphs to get the gist of what was being said so I could move on to the next. Reading whole sentences felt like I was physically underlining every sentence on every page with a blunt pencil and no ruler. It was exhausting and even a little saddening, but by the second day I’d relearned how to read without trying to scan entire pages worth of content.
  4. You become increasingly aware of the hundreds of roads leading back to the Internet. Everything from sports channels on cable TV to a popular brand of spaghetti sauce has a social network handle these days. It seemed the longer I stayed away from the Internet the more I noticed just how much everything else is linked to the internet.
  5. You eventually stop caring. The most surprising thing I learnt came on the fourth day, on a calm Monday afternoon. I was 300 or so pages into the book I’d started on the morning I’d sworn to stay way from the Internet when I realized my little self-imposed exile was over. I didn’t have to do this any more. I breathed a sigh of relief, licked my thumb and turned the page, wondering what happened next. It would be another day before I came back to the Internet, and another hour before I was swearing never to leave again.

So that’s it; the days In spent away from the Internet and in my own head were some of the weirdest days I’ve ever lived through, filled with longing, craving and then, finally, acceptance. My friend made it through a week; I’d like to think I could’ve beaten his record, but I also like to think I can take Usain Bolt on for at least ten seconds.

Gettin’ Fancy for the Dance-y

Okay, I went to my fair share of dances in high school, and they were alright, but I never expected to go to one in college. To be honest, the original reason that I decided to go to Winter Fantasia was because it was a great excuse to get a fun new dress. Then, my boyfriend, Larry, said that he would come up and visit so that he could go with me, and I was sold. I didn’t go to Fantasia last year, so I didn’t really have any idea what to expect, but I knew that it was at the incredible Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, so it was going to be swanky. Toss in a Great Gatsby theme, snacks, and planning by the ever-excellent Hope SAC, and I knew I didn’t have too much to lose.

That was an understatement.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

Larry
What a dapper gentleman, am I right?

Winter Fantasia blew every dance I’ve ever been to out of the water. I had so much fun with my boyfriend and my friends and a great DJ and a great facility and the great city of Grand Rapids. I am so thankful for Hope SAC and the awesome events that they always put on. From Spring Fling to Winter Fantasia and concerts to Upright Citizens Brigade and everything in between, they do an awesome job. I am always super impressed by their events! It’s awesome to go to a school where I’m never bored – there’s always something interesting going on, and Winter Fantasia might just be my new favorite.

Sarah
With my friend Sarah before all the dancing happened!
Steph
Spiffy Stephanie!
Camp
So great to be with this group of friends from camp!

Want to know more? Keep up with me on Twitter, Instagram, and via email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu. Thanks for reading!

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

– Ezekiel 36:26

I Was a FAN of Winter Fantasia!

Hello readers! Hopefully you’ve all had a great Thursday and are ready for the weekend to come!

As I look back on last weekend and all the fun had at Winter Fantasia, I can’t help but want to go back! If you know anything about me, I may be a quiet person, but when it comes to dancing, there’s nothing quiet about me. I LOVE dancing!

For those of you that don’t know what Winter Fantasia is, let me explain. Winter Fantasia is a dance, much like high school Homecoming, except a lot more fun. Girls get dressed up and do their hair, and guys…well, I’m not sure what guys do, but they look pretty dapper as well. Usually it’s held at the Amway Grand in downtown Grand Rapids which provides a pretty amazing venue, plus some great food!

Here are my friends and I at Winter Fantasia this year! There was a photo station where everyone could take fun pictures together - it was awesome!
Here are my friends and I at Winter Fantasia this year! There was a photo station where everyone could take fun pictures together – it was awesome!

Last year was a different story though. It was my freshman year and my friends and I were so excited for Winter Fantasia. We had heard it was going to be great from the upperclassmen and we were so excited to go and have a blast. However, just a day or two before the big day came, there was a HUGE snow storm. This storm was so bad, in fact, that transportation couldn’t be provided to the Amway Grand! My friends and I were so sad. However, SAC (Student Activities Committee) moved the whole event to the Haworth Inn, right next to Cook Hall, and it turned out to be a great night regardless.

Even though both experiences were a little different, it was still a great experience with my friends dancing the night away!

Hopefully most of you got to experience Winter Fantasia, but if not, there’s always next year! Until next time, readers!

Last Winter Fantasia at Hope

This past weekend was one of the highlights of the year for Hope students! That’s right, it was Winter Fantasia! Each year, the SAC committee puts on this dance at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids and features fun activities like dancing, delicious food and a photo booth. Even if you aren’t into any of these, the hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous, so walking around is a great time as well.

This year I went with some of my roommates and we had a great time getting dolled up since we rarely have a chance to do so. Once we arrived, we all went straight for the photo booth line and had a great time using the props that were provided. After that, we (of course) had to go visit the dessert table and see what kind of goodies were there. We stuffed our faces with some delicious treats and then proceeded to the dance floor where we made total fools of ourselves dancing around. The atmosphere on the dance floor was so energetic and fun because people were letting loose from the stressful week they all had. It was especially nice to see people there that I don’t usually cross paths with during the week, so a lot of catching up occurred. For instance, my friends that I went to Vienna with were all there so we got a nice photo together in commemoration of our great adventures abroad.

Things started dying down later into the night and we were all pretty tired, so we made our way back to Holland and fell asleep immediately. It’s funny to see the transformation over the years from freshman year being able to stay up until the early morning and then reaching senior year and needing to sleep as close to midnight as possible. We’re starting to get old and can’t stay out as late as we used to back during freshman year! Anyway, it was a pretty eventful evening and if you’re reading this and currently attend Hope, you should definitely go next year. If you’re a prospective student, this is definitely an event to look forward to when you attend Hope. I HOPE you have a great rest of your week and a relaxing weekend!

Having fun with the props
We’re a functional group
Ladies all dressed up
Reunited friends from Vienna

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.

Cooking in College {part two}

Last semester I posted several recipes that my friends and housemates enjoying cooking. Well, it’s a new semester, and we all still need to eat. So, I thought it would be fun to give y’all some more things to try cooking! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili – Courtney J.

  • 1 ½ Cups Broth (Veggie or Chicken)
  • 2 Sweet Potatoes (Chopped into ½ inch cubes)
  • 1 Small Sweet Onion (Diced)
  • 1 Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes (14oz)
  • 1 Can Black Beans (Rinsed and Drained)
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 Teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

Directions: Throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker, and set on low for 6-8 hours. Top with lime juice, avocado, sour cream and/or shredded cheddar& enjoy

Chicken Divan – Leslie K.

  • 1 lb broccoli
  • 1 can cream of broccoli soup
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • (1/2 cup rice for one serving)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Get any sort of pan and put the cooked broccoli in first. Layer it with the pre-cooked chicken, then put the cream of broccoli soup on top, followed by the shredded cheddar cheese. Cook for about 35 minutes or so. Put on top of however much rice you desire and enjoy!

Poppy Seed Chicken: Elyse M.

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 sleeve of Ritz or Club Crackers
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, or more if desired
  • 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions: Place the chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to as boil over high heat, the reduce hear to medium, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked – about 20 minutes. Drain water and shred the chicken. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, crackers, and poppy seeds in a bowl; set aside. Blend the sour cream and cream of chicken soup in a bowl; pour half of the soup mixture into a 9×9-inch baking dish. Add the shredded chicken, then poor the remaining half of the soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with cracker mixture. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Hope y’all try these recipes out! Cooking can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Find some friends to cook together! After all, life is better spent with others!

Had a great night cooking with my roommate, Elyse!
Had a great night cooking with my roommate, Elyse!

Foundations for Fitness!

Greetings, Hope College! With the New Year in full swing, I’ve noticed a lot of people trying to carry out their New Year’s resolution of exercising more at the gym. Not only are Hope students trying to be more active, other people in the Holland community are attempting to improve their overall health as well. I’m apart of a new program here at Hope called Foundations for Fitness, where a student becomes a mentor to a child for ten weeks. The goal of this program is to establish some healthy habits in the child while encouraging them to be more physically active and hopefully making it fun at the same time! So far I have only met with my mentee for two weeks and in that amount of time, we were able to create some goals and focus on areas he wants to improve on, such as balance and endurance.

In order to participate in the program, each student (usually between the ages of 6 and 12) had to go through assessments before beginning. Such assessments include heart rate, blood pressure, waist circumference, height and a quality of life survey. Following this assessment, the child and their parent are involved in about ten weeks of introduction to equipment in the special facility in the Dow while starting some exercising before the subsequent ten weeks of working with a student. After the whole program is finished, another assessment will be taken to see the amount of improvement in the child.

As briefly mentioned, the ten weeks of physical activity with a mentor takes place in the Dow in a room above the pool. I did not even though this room existed until I was told to go to a certain part of the gym. What’s really cool about this room is that it is filled with a bunch of fun equipment such as free weights, Dance Dance Revolution, ellipticals, basketballs, steps and bicycles that provide energy for an Xbox. I thought that was extremely clever to have the game powered by human energy!

Once a child is paired up with a mentor, it is up to the mentor and parent to figure out what time to meet up at the Dow each week. Typically, each meeting with the child and his/her parent is 90 minutes, once per week. Depending on each person’s availability, more meetings can be made if possible. This program is awesome in so many ways! It’s promoting a healthier lifestyle but it also is fun because a child has someone to look up to that isn’t a parent and is closer to their own age. I know I would have had a blast with this if the program was created when I was child. I strongly recommend getting involved in any way possible if this is something of interest to you. If you have further questions about the program, feel free to reach out to me and I can lead you in the right direction!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.

#thatcrutchlyfe

Sprained Ankle
This is picture of my swollen ankle a couple hours after I hurt myself.

It was just another ordinary Sunday night. It just so happened that that night my friends and I choose to play some walleyball (volleyball in the racquetball rooms). It was game point in the opposing teams favor. They served the ball and one of my team members hit the ball. I could tell it wasn’t going to be returned, so I did a quick little sprint/dive to get the ball. And I did hit the ball, but to no avail, we still lost. I lost more in one way in that moment. When I did my sprint/dive, my ankle had fallen in and I heard a little crack. As I got up, I had to limp out of the racquetball room. I realized that my ankle may be in trouble. As I got outside of the room, I re-looked at my ankle and saw that it had swollen to twice its size. I am a person that usually ignores pain, but in that moment I had to admit that there was something wrong. And indeed there was. I couldn’t put any weight on my ankle. Therefore, one of my friends took the liberty or piggy-backing me back to my dorm.

The next morning I got up and went to the Health Center on campus (also assisted by a friend). When I got there, they immediately put me on crutches. When the doc was able to see me, he told me that I either had a break or a sprain. He wanted me to go the hospital to get an X-ray and see which one it was. In the mean time, he gave me a ankle brace, some pain medication, and a slip that would allow me to get an X-ray at the hospital. To put this long story to end, good news everyone, I got the results back and it is just a sprain!

#thatcrutchlyfe
#igotabrace #igotacrutch

Naturally, I have learned some things now that I live this #crutchlyfe.

1). Each registered student has $1000 worth of free medical bills at the Health Center. Therefore, the medication, brace, X-ray, and Crutch rental were all free!

2). Hope College people are nice people. I have had a lot of people offer to help me whenever. I love me some Hope people.

3). Crutch Walking is a work out and a skill. At this point, I can handle it pretty well, but I sucked at it at first.

4). Snow and Crutches do not mix.

5). I am going to be a terrible old person to have to deal with. As an independent being, I don’t like having to get help very often. Sorry future kids….

Since it is just a sprain, I do hope to be off the crutches by Friday. We will see!

For more about me, follow me on twitter @hopejohnluke17 or on Instagram at johnlukehawkins. Until next time!

Day Trip to Versailles

It’s only been a little over one week since I arrived in Paris, yet I feel like I have seen and done so much! Last Saturday, some of the other students and I planned a day trip to visit Versailles. We all met up at one of the metro stops and from there, took a train that had a scenic route of the suburbs of Paris. It was freezing outside, but I was just happy the sun was out! It only took about 45 minutes to get from Paris to Versailles, and when we got off the train it was only a five minute walk. Before I go into our visit, I have to tell you about my very first McDonald’s experience in France! Because this “Macdo” (what French people call McDonald’s) was a busier one, you could order your food on one of the many touch screen machines and pick up your order up front. Naturally, being in France, there are special menu items you can’t get anywhere else like macarons and croissants with jam. I just ended up ordering fries and chicken nuggets and THEY WERE SO GOOD. Seriously, so much better than McDonald’s in the States, just saying!

Touch screen machine where you can order your food!
Touch screen machine where you can order your food!

Anyway, back to Versailles, it is HUGE. It is so huge that you cannot possibly see every single apartment/room in one day! There are over 700 rooms in Versailles as well as the Gardens of Versailles. I was worried about the crowds, but during the winter there aren’t too many people visiting. However, when spring rolls around in March and the gardens are in full bloom, it will be packed! Regardless, I was most excited to see one room in Versailles: La Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors). It’s not hard to see why this is one of the most famous rooms in Versailles! It is known that King Louis XIV would walk from his room through the Hall of Mirrors daily, where he would be greeted by those eager to receive an invitation to a ball or dinner. What makes this room even more beautiful besides the chandeliers and its detailed ceiling is that its many arched windows allow the natural light to come in. I’m sure it looks even prettier at night!

Me in the Hall of Mirrors!
Me in the Hall of Mirrors!

Unfortunately, this time of year isn’t a good time to visit the gardens, as they are not in full bloom. I heard that’s the best part about Versailles, so I am already planning on coming back in the spring!

Tried to get the whole view, but it was just too big!
Tried to get the whole view, but it was just too big!

Thanks so much for reading! Keep up with my adventures while studying abroad on Twitter: @HopeMarisela16 or send me an email at marisela.meraz@hope.edu.

P.S. Study abroad applications for Fall 2015 are due February 1st! Go here for more information!

In Love With Winter Fantasia

Upon first meeting me, you probably wouldn’t think that I love to dance. Don’t be fooled by my quiet nature and calm attitude, I like to bring it to the dance floor.

Which made Winter Fantasia the Night of nights for me. Do you need more reasons to love it? I have them: awesome food, great friends, beautiful venue, and of course the dancing. Here are some photos from my night so that you can get a better look!

First, here’s what it looked like. Beautiful, right? It felt like a prom, but better because it was with Hope 🙂 We walked in and right away I was super impressed. According to one of my cluster-mates, it’s one of the nicest hotels in the area, so it’s super cool that we got to go there. A few of us went exploring and rode the elevator up to the top and saw all of Grand Rapids!

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Next are my two photos dedicated to the food at Fantasia: you were delicious, thank you. There were small appetizers, like cheese and crackers, and spinach dip with pitas and chips. There were also plenty of desserts. They had cupcakes, mini cut cakes (like in the photo), chocolates, giant cookies, small cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries.

More food 🙂
Pretty food!

And finally, a few of the people I got to spend the night with! Dancing with them all was the best! I have this theory that if you dance once a day, you’ll be in a better mood. It has something to do with letting go and just being yourself, I think. That’s why things like Fantasia are the best!

A few friends and I at Fantasia!

Winter Fantasia is just one of the many events that our Student Activities Committee puts on! Personally, I think that they do a great job at all of them, but this was my favorite so far. I probably say that about every event. Oh well.

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions for me you can contact me at brookelyn.wharton@hope.edu, through Facebook, or my twitter @hopebrooke18! I’d love to answer them!