What you see here is a re-cap video from our 3-day orientation in the Northern Styrian city of Mariazell. Here, we were acquainted with most everything that has to do with our program and beginning our experience in Vienna (I say ‘beginning’, because there was and is still much to learn, everyday while being here).
It feels like it’s been a month, but today marks the end of my first week on San Cristobal island. I moved in with my new family, started getting accustomed to island life, began my evolutionary ecology class and four days later took the midterm.
As part of the IES Abroad program, housing is provided to students through Costarricense host families. As I mentioned in my 1st blog, all of our host homes are located in Santo Domingo de Heredia and are within distance to one another. My Costarricense family consist of my host mother, her son, and her two grandchildren. Being a native Spanish speaker has allowed me to communicate with my family easily and has allowed me to help out my compañeras (female classmates).
When I landed in London on my first day, it suddenly hit me I was across the “pond” and that it was all about me being independent and self-sufficient from now on. Once I got my bags and took an hour long ride from Heathrow to Nido Kings Cross, I felt a bit better. I stepped out of the taxi, went inside and filled out some basic paperwork.
Let me fill you in on some of the things I have done since I arrived in Nagoya.
I had the pleasure of going to the horse races recently and what an experience that was. Let me preface this post by saying that I have never been to a horse race nor have I known anyone (as far as I know) who has. So when my friend invited me, I had no idea what to expect. Due to my ignorance I met her at her friends house where we would be eating lunch first in a denim shirt and flats. This was a maaaaajor NO NO as I soon saw everyone wearing beautiful dresses, heels, and frilly hats. I had no idea!
My friend Jenn found this really awesome app that has “cultural tours” around Sydney. You choose a tour, it gives you a starting point, and you follow the app around Sydney almost like a scavenger hunt. It was such a cool experience following the app around to cool sculptures, statues, monuments, murals, and more! My favorite was an exhibit of sorts entitled “Forgotten Song”. In a small alley way there were 50 empty bird cages hanging from above honoring the 50 or so bird species pushed out by European settlers.
“We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.” • Carson McCullers
While there have been some tough aspects of adjusting to life abroad in Madrid, I’ve already had some amazing experiences in my three short weeks here. I have met some awesome people and have seen some awesome sights, all while attending college classes!