VSU Study Abroad

Adventure and farewell...

2010-08-13T11:13:00.006-04:00

A part of this program allows you to visit two countries using a Eurail Pass. My last weekend overseas, I was able to visit Switzerland. I chose to go to Interlakin to experience different scenery than a city. The second I got off the 6-hour train ride, all I could see was the Swiss Alps surrounding me. I was overwhelmed by their beauty.

I stayed in a youth hostel with six other girls in a big room with a multitude of bunk beds and suitcases. The hostel had its own grill, game room, nightclub and activity-booking place. I signed up for whitewater rafting and canyoning right away. I was ready for something adventurous and active, even though I knew I was getting myself into the coldest water possible. Both activities were amazing!

Whitewater rafting was exhilarating. There were so many times where we all almost fell out— especially when we ran into another raft. I was holding on so tight! The instructor played a joke on all of us too at the end of the rapids. We got out of the raft at a point where the water was really shallow and he told us to start running to get the raft going again, so we were all running along side the raft pushing it in freezing cold water, and all the sudden there’s a huge drop. The instructor jumps in the raft just in time, as we all splash underwater. I’ve got to say that was a good little trick.

The next day I woke up at 7:30 a.m. in the morning to go canyoning. I got to jump off waterfalls, slide down rocks, climb and repel down cliffs. This was a really intense three hours, but totally worth every penny. It was really funny trying to move in my half-inch thick wetsuit and life jacket, but I could sure still feel that freezing water! The best part of these activities was to be able to stop for a second and look around and see the most amazing views from every angle. It was challenging to really take in everything where I was.

After an adventurous weekend — which ended up giving me a small cold — I arrived back to Paris to have my last week jam-packed of all the things I wanted to squeeze in before I clicked the seatbelt on my plane ride back home. Not only did I have my final portfolio due and finals, I had my own list of final things to visit. So, undoubtedly this was one of my busiest weeks. In between finals, I went about going to get my favorite meals. I had many crepes and many espressos. I started off the week by going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. This was really fun and I did the most cliché thing and got to the top, got a glass of champagne and took pictures. I felt like the last week in Paris was the perfect time to be the most of a tourist.

I also visited the The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris, where over 6 million bones lie. This underground graveyard was terrifying and interesting at the same time. I could hardly even comprehend how many people’s bones were around me.

The rest of the week was just full of little things like going to Montmatre to pick up some last minute souvenirs and going to get a famous falafel where I saw Owen Wilson run by me with the same falafel! Apparently last year some girls from the trip saw Johnny Depp. I also went to Shakespeare and Company bookstore and bought a book and played the piano.

Saying goodbye to one thing at a time in this city was really hard. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid really slow, but painfully fast at the same time. I truly fell in love with this city while I was there…. The moment I got my luggage at the airport in America I broke into tears. This trip was life changing, educationally stimulating, amazingly fun, and visually invigorating. I would recommend someone doing study abroad anywhere in a heartbeat, especially in Paris. There is just so so so much to do and see in this city and so much culture to experience and soak in. I can’t wait to return back to the city… I still feel like there’s like a thousand things I didn’t even do while I was there. One day I will be back…. And until then, au revoir Paris! I love you!

Characters - my final

2010-08-12T16:41:00.005-04:00

Another idea for a theme was characters, like something from a fairy tale (I even wrote a fairy tale to go along with it):

Once upon a time there was an evil ice witch who owned all of the lands. She turned any vibrance to grey and any softness to worry. She traveled all over embracing the souls of nomads, attempting to steal away their glee and turning them into emotionless droids doomed to walk around smile-less forever. The witch captured the innocent souls with her beauty and drew in unsuspecting innocent victims and made them her slaves. She even shook hands with death and sent him into the world in true form. The princess of Givery, however, was aware of the evil Ice witch’s wrong doings and she was set out to change the cold and colorless air back to beauty. The Princess of Giverny conspired with her renaissance princess of Brittany to take back over the world.

In order to turn the world back to good, the princesses had to unleash the all-knowing jungle cat who would have to spread the word through music. Aladdin’s distant cousin, Alardirean, began his deep breathing and exhaling into the special pipe that would send vibrations through the grounds of the earth to key point people. The vibrations traveled through cellphones and words, unknowingly to all it touched, began to cancel out the witches spell. The vibrations quickly made their way back to the malevolent witch herself, and in turn, forced the evil witch to smile. From then on, the ice witch was doomed to smile for all eternity, and thus created an uprising of happiness in all of the nomads. The world lived happily ever after.

Reflection

2010-08-12T16:30:00.004-04:00

Reflection was a topic I considered for my photography final...

Quasimodo and Picasso!

2010-08-12T16:17:00.006-04:00

The best part about being here is being able to go to the Notre Dame anytime you want. I’ve been inside many times —for pictures and once for watching an organ concert. Today I went there to go to the top to see Quasimodo! I climbed so many stairs today I couldn't even count them. And they were spiral stairs, so when you look down while you’re walking up, it just feels like you are going in a circle. Once I made it to the top, I got to experience an awesome view of Paris — one of the best. I also got to make some friends with some awesome gargoyles. I loved being able to see where the famous hunchback resided and performed his bell tolling duties.

Later today… I climbed yet another copious amount of stairs. My photography class went to the 'Arc de Triomphe in order to take night photos. We made it to the top, I broke open my bag to eat a sandwich and then snapped away at the night lights.

The pompidou was just as intricate inside as it looks on the outside. I can’t even count how many Picasso paintings I got to see! I saw some of the most interesting contemporary and modern art. I would highly recommend anyone to check this museum out… seriously.

You know one of my favorite parts of this city is waking up and walking down the street to the closest bakery and getting the most amazing croissant you’ve ever had in your life and an espresso. Man, its one of the joys in life that I never want to say goodbye to.

Experiencing history with all the senses

2010-08-12T15:18:00.008-04:00

The famous opera house Palais Garnier was mind blowing. The second you walked in you were overwhelmed with the bright gold and dark art. I was really excited to visit the Palais Ganier mostly because of my love for The Phantomof the Opera musical. I have read the book, watched the play, and seen all of the movies. Did you know that this story, written by Gaston Leroux in 1910, is based slightly on a true story. There are rumors that, in this very building I visited, an ex-musician lived in the crypts wondering the halls late at night singing. There was definitely a surreal, ghostly feeling to this beautiful place. Our photography class had an assignment to capture the essence of this place and I used the object of motion. I feel that years and years of music have echoed through the hallways of this place and the walls have soaked up all of the notes. I even got a chance to see the box #5, in which the phantom regularly sat to watch the plays.

Later this week, I also got to visit Versailles. Versailles was an extremely amazing and educational fieldtrip. Being able to witness the home of many kings and queens — especially where Marie Antoinette resided — was almost surreal. As I walked in, it embraced all of my senses. I felt the marble; I saw the paintings; I smelled the stone and breathed in the history of the place. I could really see the hierarchy and how it was set up as I moved through the rooms. I loved visiting Marie Antoinette’s gardens… I spent the entire day there, probably walking around 15 miles

This past weekend I got to take a weekend trip to Normandy where I was able to visit the Omaha Beach graveyard. The weekend began at Mont Saint Michel, where I was able to visit and tour the eigtht wonder of the world, the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Michael. After our visit we went on to our hotel and had a free night. The next day I went to a renaissance festival in Brittany where I saw many interesting characters. At the graveyard the final day, I saw many graves and too many were unknown soldiers. This hit me hard seeing in crosses how many people died in just one part of the invasion. My cousins grave was not located at that particular gravesite, so instead I drew his name on the beach down below the graveyard and threw a flower into the ocean to commemorate him.

We arrived back in Paris Sunday evening, just in time to rest for another full week of school and site-seeing.

Bastille Day! And Claude Monet

2010-07-27T12:56:00.012-04:00

I was lucky enough to experience Bastille Day — a French National Holiday celebrated on the 14th of July every year to commemorate the 1790 storming of the Bastille to free prisoners, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. I love the history I am learning here! So the French celebrate this day on the evening and the day of Bastille. On the night of July 13, they open thedoors of every fire station andthrow a ball. I had the opportunity to visit one a few metro stops up from my “home” and I was only asked for a small donation to enter. There were probably over 2,000 people dancing under lights and to music. The firemen were dancing around and the streets afterwards were filled with people, noise, and celebration. The following day there was a military parade that I missed unfortunately even though I ran in the rain to try to see it. I did get to see some of the aftermath and ran into some good photograph opportunities.

That night, after a few classes, some friends and I headed to the Montparnasse tower where we could see a 360-degree view of Paris. As we waited for the sun to go down, it got increasingly colder as we sat, talked and photographed. (It got so cold I purchased a hoodie). We had the perfect view of the Eiffel tower, where the fireworks were set off. When the fireworks began, the crowd that joined us on the tower were in awe of the show. My camera snapped, my eyes lit up and I enjoyed the celebration and appreciated Parisian history.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit Givery, 50 miles from Paris, where the famous painter Claude Monet lived and created his impressionistic oil paintings. This was a fieldtrip with my photography class where I was supposed to, beforehand, pick a Monet painting and capture that panting in real life as a photograph. I chose 3-4 paintings to give me options and I finally picked a water lily composition that I feel that I capture quite nicely on film, as you see below. (Monet on top, my photo on bottom)

This week I also took a trip to the Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus, where I scaled an infinite number of steps to reach the second largest point in Paris. Again, the view was stunning and the church itself was beautiful. I had myself a lovely crepe and a glass of wine and saw many recognizable places where the film Amelie was captured, which was exciting and added to the ambiance of the place.

Many amazing times here in the big P… can’t wait to come back one day already!

The architecture is inspiring, but I still miss Mexican food!

2010-07-27T08:55:00.005-04:00

Last Wednesday we hit the halfway mark. I am holding onto every moment in this beautiful country and embracing every experience so that these next few weeks do not fly by. Yesterday I went with a group of girls to Chatres, an hour south of France, where I got to see one of the most famous Cathedrals and Crypts, known for its perfection of stained glass art. This was a beautiful small town and the Cathedral was breathtakingly gorgeous. Until then, I had never in my life lost feeling in my toes because of the overwhelming details of gothic architecture and stained glass. This only broadened my interest in France, as up until now I have only spent my time in Paris.

Tomorrow I am going on a field trip with my photography class to the Palais Garnier, an opera house that inspired Gaston Leroux in 1909 to write the Phantom of the Opera. This story is very dear to my heart so this field trip will be truly inspirational. The best part about this photography class is that the places I have been make it really easy to capture beauty. The true challenge is to capture the beauty that you see beyond what is right in front of you. I am forced to look deeper and find and record what stands out to me, not just what I see first hand. What is great about this is that I see more in a building than I would just passing by; I get to sit there and study it for a few minutes.

Professor Desmal Purcell is an amazing photography professor and I would highly recommend him and to check out his photography at http://desmundo.com/ . I purchased a photo from him the other day. He held a small exhibition at the Cite Universitaire and I fell in love with one that captured the history of Shakespeare and the famous bookstore here called Shakespeare Co. I have learned more than I even realize on this trip about art history, French history, English history, and so on. I feel like a limitless sponge soaking up knowledge that I never want to release.

This past weekend I also went to see the Moulin Rouge up close, which was fun. I also got to go on a mini trip with Prof. Purcell where we practiced night photography and I took a lot of photos that were lomography inspired. Last week I got to visit the Louvre. Here I got to see world famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa, The Raft of Medusa, and Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804. It was funny trying to see the Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa because it was behind glass, surrounded by security, blocked by rope about 10-15 ft away from the painting and with hundreds of onlookers trying to get their snapshot the most celebrated and widely reproduced work of all time.

I’ve recently come to a few starling revelations about my time here. First, it's now strange to hear English in public… I was on the metro a few nights ago and I heard a group of people speaking in English and I turned my head back real quick — shocked to be able to understand the noise surrounding me! Another is, I miss Mexican food. I spent over an hour last night with some friends trying to find a Mexican restaurant and to our luck, the one we found was closed. Almost everything is closed on Sundays in France, so I should have known. Anyway, as much as I love it here, I sure do miss having a Mexican restaurant readily accessible! I wonder what I’ll miss next week!

Falling in love...

2010-07-12T09:28:00.005-04:00

I have spent 10 days in Paris, and already I have fallen in love. It happened to me on the metro, on the way to the Eiffel Tower… a man came on and started playing music, and I was looking outside the windows over the city. I was filled with a warm feeling that hasn't left me since.

I arrived July 2 — jet lagged, in bad mood, not knowing a thing about what I was doing and so forth and so on. Since my first day, I have learned a great deal of the French language, eaten the best salad of my life, and visited Jim Morrison's grave, the Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower numerous times. I have gone to a piano bar and heard a talented pianist play Michael Jackson tunes, sat on a bridge and played guitar with accommodating French boys, and taken many wonderful photographs. I got to visit the Dali Museum, and an exhibition by an amazing photographer named Willy Ronis.

Classes have been really simple so far and I have enjoyed every moment of them. I met an American girl last night who has lived here for almost two years. She convinced me that it's realistic to live here and go to school! I would absolutely love that, and I believe it's at least an option I can keep in consideration for the future. There have been so many experiences that it’s somewhat of an overload of excitement for me. There are seemingly endless things to do here and I can already tell I am a different person after such a short time; I feel more educated with every day I spend here.

I have to walk everywhere and learn how to navigate the city streets using only "Franglais" (a slang term the French use for the combination of French and English). There have been some amazing Parisians that have guided me towards home when I have gotten lost and written down plenty of places to visit while I'm here. When I think about the next couple of weeks and what I still have to experience, it still doesn’t feel real. My room is really nice, although there is no air conditioning! The first thing I did when I got here was buy a mini osculating fan to help cool off. It doesn't get dark here until about 10 p.m. and the sun comes up around 6:30 a.m.; this leaves me with plenty of daylight to do anything I would like.

The freedom I have here is amazing. I have already made a ton of new friends and every day I make a new one, either through the program or a true Parisian! I look forward to the many future adventures as well as the knowledge I will gain about French culture and new photography techniques.

Meet Natalie Hogg

2010-06-27T17:17:00.005-04:00

My name is Natalie Hogg and I am a student at Valdosta State University majoring in intercultural communication and in 9 days I will be on the other side of the world. I have been blessed with the opportunity to study abroad to Paris. I have been there once before, but only for a day on my way to Istanbul, Turkey. That trip was an experience of a lifetime, but I suspect this one will be something else entirely.

I will be taking two classes: Cross-cultural Communication and Digital Photography. I am thrilled to take both — which usually isn't the case when it comes to my feelings of school. However, not only will these classes be in Paris, the topics of courses are going to be super interesting. I bought my first digital camera a month ago for the photography class and I was immediately hooked. I have hardly been able to put the camera down since! I've always been able to look at the world and see what was beautiful, but now I can look through a lens and capture the moment with something other than a cheap camera phone.

I will be in Paris for 5 weeks, July 1 – Aug. 5, spending every Monday and Wednesday in class, each Tuesday and Thursday on field trips, and three day weekends traveling and experiencing the surrounding culture. I have already signed up to go to Germany, Switzerland and Normandy. I was told not too long ago that a cousin of mine died in the Normandy Invasion at age 22, so I look forward to seeing his grave when I go on the tour there. It will be really crazy seeing my family's name on a tombstone on the other side of the world.

It seems like everyday for the past six months I've been planning this trip and I can hardly believe I will be on the plane next Thursday! I want to travel when I “grow up." I want to meet people of all different cultures and help to ease the differences in order to help two cultures work together for a common goal — something like that anyway — and I think that the Cross-Cultural Communication course will help push me towards that. Art is a beautiful visual experience that I enjoy. It is amazing how a person can take what they have in their brain and transfer it to canvas, paper, clay, bronze, film, sculpture, architecture and so on. I’ve been interested in photography for a while now. I have a small collection of film and Polaroid cameras. I have less experience with digital, however, I’ve taken a lot of time to become more familiar with the camera I will be taking with me abroad. I can’t wait to take pictures and create a story with them.

I am really excited about this trip! I can't wait to travel and meet new people, learn about another culture and enjoy the nightlife as well. This will be an amazing experience and I can't wait to share my journey through this blog.

Paris… here I come!!

Returning to my first love...

2009-09-18T10:13:00.007-04:00

Hello! My name is Jay Prosser. I’m in my fourth year at Valdosta State. I’m dual majoring in history and French with a minor in international studies.

I’m originally from Atlanta. I came to VSU because it was, quite honestly, the furthest point I could get from home and still pull the HOPE scholarship. At first, it seemed like I would go four years and out with little excitement. Then the honors director suggested I study abroad. The summer of 2008 brought my first taste of international jaunts when I left for Paris for the summer. I spent five weeks falling deeper and deeper in love with the country and the culture. I came back convinced that I had to return, for a year this time.

I planned and was accepted by International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) for a yearlong study in Grenoble, France. Grenoble is to the southeast of Paris in a region known as the Rhône-Alps. It is nestled at the base of the French Alps and serves as the base for all the busses that run to the ski resorts in the mountains.

This blog will hopefully follow all the exploits I have in Grenoble - from the jazz festival in late fall to the wine tastings in early January to the film festival in May – all designed to keep me involved and make me explore. I want to come back from Grenoble nearly fluent in French and knowing that I truly immersed myself in the culture.

Getting to this point however, was not easy.

The ISEP process is long. It takes nearly half a year to complete your paperwork and receive approval from the Program. Once this is accomplished, you have to work with the Consul General for the Republic of France. Located in Atlanta, the Consulate is in charge of issuing all visas for the southeast United States. They have their own list of requirements necessary for a visa to be issued.

After a hectic summer, it was all taken care of though. I was finally cleared and ready for a year in France.

Mostly ready anyway.

* As part of the International Student Exchange Program, Jay Prosser is studying abroad in Grenoble, France for the 2009-10 academic year.

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-05T15:00:00.004-04:00

As our time in Lima came to a quick end, none of us wanted to leave our new home. We had to meet the group at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday so we could get transport to the airport. A bunch of us thought it would be a novel idea to not go to sleep that night and instead catch some zzzz’s on the plane, but that was a huge mistake! We all felt horrible and tired all the way home, but somehow we made it back safe and sound after a whole day of traveling. I was so happy to be able to leave the airport with my parents, and soon after, I was reunited with my puppies! After a long day, my bed and all of my pillows never looked better!

I never thought I would have experienced culture shock coming back to the states, but sure enough, I did. Even though I was only gone for a month, it felt like my world had been turned upside down. So many things had changed, happened or gone by that I felt like I was left behind. I did not have a problem switching back to English; however, I still dream in Spanish pretty frequently. The one thing I hate is that I’ve become so cheap. In Peru I could buy whatever I wanted for pennies on the dollar. Unfortunately, here there is no bargaining and I’m suffering from sticker shock! I also miss the Peruvian food — it was to die for!
To anybody who is thinking about studying abroad…. do it! This trip was amazing, and there are many other wonderful trips that Valdosta State offers as well. It doesn’t matter where you go, because in the end, it’s all about the new experiences you will gain. That alone is priceless. These study abroad trips are worth every single penny; so don’t let the price stand in the way. Peru really opened my mind and allowed me to expand my horizons. I have learned so many important life experiences that will stick with me forever. The most important thing I learned was that we are so blessed to have access to so many things here in the states. I no longer take things like clean water, sanitation and toilet paper for granted.

I would really like to say thank you to my host parents Oscar and Julia. They welcomed me with open arms and are the sweetest people I have ever met. They will always be my Peruvian parents! I would also like to say thank you to Dr. Amy, Dr. Marcos Goldfarb and José for making all of the plans and arrangements. This trip was really a once in a lifetime experience.

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

It All Comes to an End in the City of Lights

2009-08-03T16:56:00.003-04:00

Our last weekend is here! And what better way to spend it? We are in the City of Lights — Paris! This was the weekend I had been waiting for our entire trip! We got to spend five days and four nights in this wonderful city.

On Friday, we got to Paris around 12:30 p.m. and went to check into our hostel, the FIAP, before heading out to a very quick tour of the Louvre. The first thing I saw were the Victory Wings, which ended up being my favorite statue in the Louvre (of what I saw). I really liked the history behind it. I learned that it was over 3,000 years old, and at one point in time it was in over 300 pieces.

It was eventually put back together and is now sitting in the Louvre.

Then, we went to see the famous Mona Lisa. Honestly, it was kind of a let down. It is very small, and kind of boring. The only reason it is famous is because it was stolen and not found until three years later. On one side of the room is this tiny painting (Mona Lisa) and on the other side of the room is a HUGE picture that takes up the entire wall. But at least I can say I saw it. I also took time to see the Venus De Milo and the inverted pyramids. Afterwards, I headed back to our hotel and ate dinner and planned out the rest of my weekend.

Saturday, a couple of us decided to do a bike tour of Paris. We signed up for the

morning/afternoon and night tour with Fat Tire Bikes!

We had so much fun on the one in Munich that we just had to do it again in Paris. That morning we met at the Eiffel Tour and then headed to the bike shop. We started our tour by stopping at an old military school, which is still used as a military school. We also saw a monument dedicated to world peace. The monument has the word “peace” written all over it in over a hundred different languages. The creator of the monument says he isn’t going to finish the monument until there is world peace. I think he may be waiting a while. We ate lunch in the Royal Gardens, and then finished our afternoon tour at the Louvre.

Later, we met back up again at the bike shop for the night tour. First, we took a 25-minute bike ride over to Notre Dame.

Then we stopped for ice cream at one of the most famous ice cream parlors in the world. I had chocolate! It was amazing! Then we stopped by the building where Marie Antoinette was kept before she was beheaded, and headed back to the Louvre. Then we rode our bikes to the pier where a riverboat cruise was waiting for us. Our river cruise lasted about an hour, and served complementary wine. After the riverboat cruise, we headed back to the bike shop and it was almost midnight before we made it back to our hotel!

Well, I can definitely tell you that my bottom was hurting on Sunday! All the bike riding took a toll on my body! That morning, we went to the Eiffel Tour again. This time, we took an elevator ride up to the second floor. We couldn’t go up to the very top because it was too crowded. The view from the second story was plenty beautiful and is much higher than you think it is from the ground! For lunch, we went to our weekly American food fix, Hard Rock Café. That afternoon, we toured around the Sacre – Coeur, an old church that sits high up on a hill in Paris. You can see all of Paris from the top of this hill. We also went to Montmarte, a little town square next to Sacre-Coeur where a lot of local artist try to sell their paintings. I ended up buying two beautiful canvas paintings to take back to my apartment. I walked around the square three times trying to decide which ones I wanted! That night, Kent and I went to see the Lido. It is basically a French version of an American Broadway show with plenty of lights, costumes and stage sets to please anyone! Then we headed back to the hostel to get ready for our day trip to Normandy.

On Monday, Kent and I had to get up early to catch a train to take us to Bayeux. It is about two hours from Paris. Our tour guide met us at the city center (which is really small). Our first stop on our Normandy tour was Pointe De Hoc. We got to see many of the old bunkers and debris that was left over from the battle. We also saw a monument that was built in honor of the fallen soldiers during those battles. Our next stop was the infamous Omaha Beach. It looked like a normal, happy beach. There were lots of families sitting on the beach, just playing and having a wonderful time. It was very hard to imagine that such a horrible battle took place at the beach. Afterwards, we headed to the American cemetery. We learned that there are over 9,000 men and women buried at this location. It eemed like all of the white marble crosses went on for miles and miles. It was a very sad place to visit. It really makes you proud to be an American. It also made me realize how lucky I am to be an American. Our last stop was between the American and British invasion sites. This was the best view of Omaha Beach. Our tour guide also showed us two German guns that were still in the original bunkers from the battle. After our tour, we caught the train back to Paris and began packing our stuff up to come back to America!

Being able to have the opportunity to have this experience was an absolute blessing. I would recommend studying abroad to everyone! There are so many memories that I have made throughout this trip that I will never forget! I have so many new friends that each made an impression on my life that will always be with me. I will never forget the people that I was able to share this experience with. I would definitely recommend to any one thinking about doing a study abroad trip to do lots of research before you go. That way, you will know about all of the sites you are going to see. It will make the experience that much better. I would also recommend doing a bike tour while oversees if one is offered in the area you are traveling to. The bike tours in Munich and Paris were the most fun things I did throughout the entire trip. I absolutely loved Germany and would love to go back someday! Maybe I’ll take a cruise over there so I don’t have to fly!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe,Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Back Stateside and Missing Germany Already

2009-08-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

So it feels a little weird being back stateside after five weeks of not only visiting Germany, but also making it my home. A part of me is glad to be home — to see my family and friends — but the other part of me also misses my friends that became as close as family from Germany. The one thing that is going to take some getting used to is the fact that I do not have something to do every second of every day. For example, yesterday I literally paced around my house for an hour because I was so bored, and neither the Internet nor television interested me.

My last few days in Germany were great. I went on a day trip to Belgium (Brussels and Bruges) by myself, which was nice, almost to prove I could travel internationally by myself. Bruges was beautiful, filled with tourists and a little redundant, but I didn’t hate Bruges (those who have seen the movie with Collin Ferrell will understand). Monday and Tuesday were full of classes, studying and stress for a lot of people. I just had to finish some projects, show up and present them. The last couple of nights there, the hotel made us some great meals and the mayor of Konigswinter, the town where we were staying, actually joined us for a little while at the hotel. At night, we went down to the Rhine River with a bottle of wine and tried to delay the inevitable: leaving this beautiful country.

This trip for me has been the most exciting, fun and memorable thing I have ever done. I have met people that will be my friends forever; I have seen places that most people never get to visit in their lifetime; and I have built a connection with the country of Germany. I know that sounds a little odd, but you can believe me when I say that this is only the first trip of many that I will take to that part of Germany. I really wish everyone could experience what I have the past five weeks. If anyone ever gets the opportunity to visit any European country, do it. Do not hesitate, because you will not be disappointed.

I am forever grateful to the European Council for working with me to make this trip happen and being patient with me. I am having a hard time putting all my feelings, thoughts and emotions into words right now, which is something that I am not used to. I am still processing everything, and I probably will be for a good while.

I talked to one of my friends from the trip today, and her and I are in accordance: we’re catching the first plane back. This is what a trip like Bonn, Germany will do to you. There are really only three words that can sum up my trip:

I miss Germany.

* Lee is participating in a study abroad program in Bonn, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's European Council and International Programs.

Machu Picchu - the Belly Button of the World

2009-08-03T16:04:00.003-04:00

Amazing, magnificent, superb and brilliant don’t even come close to describing what I’ve seen this past week. Last Friday, we finished up the last day of our three-week class, and got ready for our “mini” vacation. Early Saturday morning, we boarded a plane from Lima to Cusco with lots of anticipation. After arriving that afternoon, we headed off to our hotel to rest for a bit. Here the altitude was around 11,000 – 12,000 feet, which was a huge change from sea level. Most people had headaches and occasional nausea, but nothing stopped us from enjoying every minute!!!

Cusco was the capital during the Inca Empire and is called “the belly button of the world” because it was in the center of Inca territory. Here you can see clear Inca and Spanish influences on every single street. Many building foundations still have actual Inca stones forming the foundations. The streets are also very narrow and cobblestoned as well. Cusco was a gorgeous city to explore and learn about. We stayed here for three days visiting many different ruins, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Our tour guide, Gary, was very knowledgeable and explained everything to us in detail. I wish I could have recorded everything he said because it was so pertinent and interesting. After lunch on our first day, Gary took us to three or four different ruins, one gold-plated cathedral (literally I’ve never seen more gold in my life) and one working monastery.

On the second day, we woke up extremely early to catch a train to Aguas Calientes where we would take a bus up to Machu Picchu. It took us over 4 hours to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu; however, when we finally arrived it was well worth it. Machu Picchu sits at about 8,000 – 9,000 feet above sea level, which made hiking up to the ruins a bit easier. It is also part of the Peruvian jungle sitting near the Amazon basin, so as you can imagine how amazing the view was! After trekking up to the ruins, we were overwhelmed with the absolute beauty of Machu Picchu. Words cannot even explain what we felt or what we saw. The only thing I can say is that you have to go see it in person. Machu Picchu has truly earned its right as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. One of the surreal aspects of the ruins is that there is no Spanish influence here whatsoever. The conquistadores never discovered this sacred place, so it has remained untouched and perfectly preserved.

On the third day, we took it a little easier as we were all very sore after hiking around Machu Picchu. We took a bus around the Sacred Valley, where we were able to witness gorgeous views of snow-capped mountains, fertile valleys and unique little villages. This was a wonderful little excursion to be able to take in the beauty of nature. At the end of the day, we had to pack up our hotel room and get ready for a 9-hour bus ride from Cusco to Puno in the morning.

We took off for Puno very early in the morning in an effort to arrive by dinnertime. I can honestly say I’ve never been happier to get off a bus in my life after that trip! However, the bus was a really nice way to see the Peruvian countryside. While traveling on the Altiplano, we had some amazing views of the mountains. In this area we were at an altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level, so it felt like we could literally touch the clouds!

The next morning we all geared up for Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is famous because it is the highest navigable lake in the world sitting at 12,500 feet above sea level. Our first stop on the lake was the famous floating reed islands. These islands are home to local indigenous groups. We had the amazing opportunity to actually go onto the islands and see how they live. I was shocked at how many uses the natural growing reed has in this culture. The reeds are used for everything from building boats and houses to the actual island itself. After touring the floating islands, we got to ride on one of the small reed boats. This was one of my favorite things because it was so calm and peaceful! Later on we got back on our boat and went out to the island of Taquile, where we hiked up to our lunch location that had a magnificent view of the lake. Following lunch, we hiked a bit more up to the main square where there was a festival being held. There were many local people dressed up in gorgeous clothing dancing around in a circle. It was really a sight to see!

After our mini vacation was over we got ready to fly back to Lima. Nobody wanted to leave! We all had a once in a lifetime experience that we will remember forever!

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

Shoutouts and sandwiches

2009-08-03T11:41:00.002-04:00

This week we went to Machu Picchu — AMAZING. Of course, the air is so thin because the altitude is so high that just walking up a flight of stairs, leaves you breathing like a 500-pound chain-smoker with asthma… it’s great really. It is still totally worth it! We had the best tour guide ever — Gary somebody — so if you go to Cusco look him up. Sorry I don’t know his last name, but how many "Gary" tour guides can there be in Peru right?

We also hit up the sandwich stands on Saphie street. I recommend the pollo juevo and queso sandwich… SO GOOD. We also saw about a thousand other ruins. I feel terrible for not remembering all their names, but trust me, ruins are really cool and everyone should see some. Lago Titicaca was next in Puno after the best nine-hour bus ride I have ever taken (I’m being sarcastic in case you can’t tell). But nine hours on a bus not included lake Titicaca is insane. There are manmade islands that people live on, they make them out of reeds and live there, incredible really.

I got some requests for shout-outs because there are a few dorks on this trip so here goes:

To Dustin - MAAASAAAAAGGGGE

To Tyler - you are the best dancer I have ever met. I would really like to take lessons from you, no really.

To John - bloodbrain

No one else requested one so no one else gets one, but I love you all the same! Anyway this trip is really crazy, but really awesome. I felt like I have done nothing but run around like a crazy lady since I got here and I couldn’t be happier about it. In fact, I don’t even want to go home, which actually has nothing to do with the fact that we begin traveling at 2:30 a.m. and don’t finish traveling until around midnight by the time we make it home to Valdosta. I just really want to stay here that bad!

Peru is really a diverse and beautiful country, just don’t tell anyone from Chile or Bolivia that I said so!!

* Katelyn is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

My last week in Karlsruhe...

2009-07-27T11:01:00.002-04:00

I can’t believe our last week is here. It seems like we just got to Karlsruhe!

On Monday, our train didn’t get into Karlsruhe until 5:30am! I had to be in class at 8:30am. Needless to say, I was very tired! After our usual classes, I went took a much needed nap! That night I went to the computer lab until it closed to work on my international marketing paper. I was determined to finish that paper because I didn’t want to have to worry about it anymore this trip.

After classes on Tuesday, Lauren and I decided to take a trip to a nearby city called Baden-Baden. It is known for its luxurious spas. People all over the world come to Baden-Baden to enjoy a day at the spa. We went to a spa called Caracalla. It had three huge pools with jets, fountains and massaging showers, two saunas with aromatherapy jets, tanning beds, drying lamps, and a massage area. We took full advantage of everything they had to offer! I also had a 30-minute back massage — it felt amazing! Afterward, we went to a local restaurant and had dinner.

We took a field trip to Strasburg, France on Wednesday to tour the European Parliament. It was a very beautiful city. The European Parliament was a very interesting place. When we first arrived, we were given a presentation about the European Parliament, through which we learned about the history of the parliament, the member countries, representation in the parliament, and some of the rules and regulations regarding the parliament. We were able to sit in on a session, but had to use earphones to hear the debates in English. The earphones had over twenty different languages playing. We could also see the interpreter box from where we were sitting. While we were listening, they were discussing their relationship with China.

Thursday was packing day! I didn’t realize how much stuff I had acquired over the past three and a half weeks. We had our last classes that morning, and then Sarah, Dr. Droms and I decided to do some last minute souvenir shopping in Karlsruhe. I found a cute little cuckoo clock magnet for my refrigerator back home. I wanted a real cuckoo clock, but they were so expensive! My mom was born in Frankfurt; she still has the cuckoo clock my grandmother gave her from Germany. For dinner, we had our last Doner Kabab sandwich. We basically lived off those sandwiches while we were there.

That night I packed and packed and packed! It took me almost two hours to pack all of my stuff back up! It was a very strategic process! We were lucky enough to have the faculty at the university take the luggage that we didn’t need in Paris to Frankfurt on Wednesday morning before our flight back to America. It was really nice not to have to worry about carrying all of our luggage around Paris!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe,Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Rome is AMAZING!!!

2009-07-27T10:49:00.004-04:00

We started the trip by taking a 12-hour train ride from Karlsruhe to Rome. I am absolutely scared of flying and after taking the plane last week. I decided that I wasn’t taking another plane anywhere, unless it was headed back to America! We left Karlsruhe around midnight on Thursday and arrived in Rome around lunchtime on Friday. The train was very uncomfortable on the way there! We paid for the cheapest seats on the train, thus the uncomfortable ride. I was sitting between two random people on the train and had nowhere to lay my head for 12 hours! We definitely learned our lesson and upgraded our tickets on the way back from Rome to beds. (They were a lot more comfortable!)

As soon as we got off the train, we headed to the Colosseum. I love the Colosseum! This was the site I wanted to see the most out of all of our weekend trips. My favorite movie of all time is the Gladiator. Being able to see where so much history took place was almost surreal. I couldn’t believe that the Colosseum has been able to survive longer than 1900 years! We took a tour through the inside and saw where the Romans use to keep the trap doors for the animals to come out to attack the gladiators and learned some interesting facts about gladiators from our tour guide. Most people think that all of them were forced to be gladiators (slaves, captured homeless people, prisoners, etc.), but some made a choice to pursue the lifestyle because they were looked upon as heroes if they were successful (not killed). For some reason, many men volunteered to fight in the battles to become heroes of Rome. I don’t know of many people who would volunteer for that today!

After the Colosseum, we took a tour of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Our tour guide for these sites was a local history professor who was very knowledgeable in the subject. We learned all about the ancient history of both of these places. It was a very weird/cool feeling to be thinking that Caesar had walked where I was walking. Later, we went to the Pantheon. This was built as a temple to all of the gods of Ancient Rome. In the center of the dome-shaped ceiling, there is a huge hole cut out that is the only source of light for the building. It was really neat to see all of the paintings, architecture and burial sites of past kings in a building, which is central to the hearts of many Romans.

Afterwards, we enjoyed some real gelato! It was so good! If you got pineapple, it actually tasted like a pineapple! If you got peach, it tasted like a peach! It was seriously the best ice cream I’ve ever had — way better than any ice cream in America. That night we went to see the Spanish steps. It was so pretty at night. There are all sorts of lights, music, food and drinks, making it a perfect spot for “people watching!” It was the perfect end to a very fun day!

On Saturday, we went to Vatican City, which I learned is actually the smallest country in the world! When we decided to tour St. Peters Basilica, we all had to make sure that our shoulders and knees were covered before we went inside. They are people at the front of the building checking to make sure everyone is in proper attire to enter. We walked around inside the basilica then headed up to the top of the basilica. Because the elevator only goes halfway up, we had to walk over 300 stairs to get to the top, but the view was well worth all those stairs. It was a beautiful view from the top. Next, we went to see the tombs of all the previous popes. There were popes buried in tombs dating back to the year 1200! We also went to visit the Sistine Chapel. The artwork inside the chapel was gorgeous. Michelangelo was truly a master at art. All of the paintings were breathtaking! That night we went to see the Trevi Fountain. It was huge! Legend has it, that if you throw a penny over your shoulder into the fountain you will have good luck. I had to try!

Sunday was our last day in Rome. We didn’t really have much time to look tour around because we had to catch our train back to Karlsruhe that afternoon. For lunch, we ate at a little café that served over fifty different kinds of pasta! I tried the spaghetti carbonara. It had bacon, eggs, pasta and cheese in it. Sounds kind of gross, but it was really good! Then, we caught our train back to Karlsruhe.

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe,Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

A Cold Day in July...

2009-07-23T17:15:00.003-04:00

So I'm sitting here working on my final paper only one more day left of class! It is sort of bittersweet because obviously. I'm stoked to be finished with class, but that also means that it is almost time to go home, which I am NOT excited about. But I'm trying not to think about it; I'm just concentrating on spending what time I have left with all the friends I have made here in Peru and finishing this paper!

I think the people are what I will miss most about Lima. We leave for Cusco on Saturday morning (which by the way is spelled Cusco not Cuzco, spelled with a "z" it means little dog in Quetchua, which is offensive, obviously). So Macchu Picchu is on the horizon, as well as Lake Titicaca, the belly button of the world according to Incan legends. It is supposedly like 20 degrees in Puno and might snow. It's so crazy to be somewhere that cold in July. I heard a rumor that it's an all-day bus ride to Puno, where Lake Titicaca is, so that should be fun. But anyway, I'm about to get back to my paper. I'll let you know how Cusco and Puno turn out!!

* Katelyn is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

Amsterdam, Bikers and the Holocaust

2009-07-23T08:58:00.003-04:00

With a week left in the trip, there is no slowing down. It has been go-go-go for the past four weeks and it seems it will be that way until we get on the airplane next Wednesday. But before I get all sentimental, I should recap the past week.

Monday thru Thursday was as normal as it has been the entire trip. Five hours of classes Monday and Wednesday with field trips every Tuesday and Thursday. The school work has kind of crept up on me, seeing how I was up until 5:30 this morning working on presentations for both of my classes (but the good news is that they are done and only one more project to do!). But the highlight of my week — the Mecca for most college students — was our weekend trip to Amsterdam.

Everyone hears Amsterdam and automatically thinks of legal drugs, sex and debauchery. I am not going to lie, there was plenty of that to go around, and I kept a comfortable distance from the three. This does not mean that I didn’t have a great time, so don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of place to get into trouble in Amsterdam, but the city offers so much more. From the Ann Frank House to the Heineken Experience to the Dam Square, Amsterdam opens its arms to tourists of all shapes, sizes and fantasies. It is a beautiful city, dissected with canals and a haven for bikes. I thought the bikes/bikers were one of the coolest things about The Dam. There were thousands of bikes, chained together as if they were huddling to stay warm from the port breezes.

The funny thing about the bikers, however, was that they have no consideration for your bodily safety. One of my friends actually got run over by a biker, and I was cursed out for not moving out of the way quickly enough (they speak English very well in Holland). We went in two factions, a group of seven, who went one night before I did, and me and one of my other friends that I made on the trip. The other group booked their hostel right after the orientation in May at a place called Amsterdam Cribs. This was no hostel; it was an apartment that a local guy rented as a hostel to the younger crowd. The hostel that I was in was I bit less luxurious (to say the least). But both nights I spent the night on their couch.

So I’m not going to lie, the Red Light District was a place that I wanted to check out. To be brief, it lives up to all the hype; anything you want, you can get.

Tomorrow we go to Dachau, a concentration camp outside of Munich for our last field trip. I have been in a Holocaust class for the past few weeks, and it has opened my eyes to a history that I was not versed in. This trip, for me at least, will provide the slightest glimpse into what it must have been like to spend a moment in the camp. I believe only those who were there will ever understand what it was like, even if all the books on the topic were at one’s disposal. This should be a catalyst for an interesting blog afterwards.

* Lee is participating in a study abroad program in Bonn, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's European Council and International Programs.

Penguins, Sea Lions and Bird Poop…oh my!

2009-07-20T14:27:00.004-04:00

This past weekend our group visited three very different landmarks on our excursion. Our main destination was Ica, a smaller town about three hours south of Lima nestled in the Atacama Desert. For those who do not know, Ica and the surrounding areas were pretty much devastated by the large earthquake that occurred in 2007. Thankfully, you can see signs of re-growth today.

En-route to Ica was our first destination — The Ruins of Pachacamac. This archeological site was once inhabited by several different groups (Early Lima, Huari and Inca) and used for religious purposes. Here the Inca built the Temple of the Sun, which was used to worship the sun god Inti. Luckily for us, the temple remains for all to admire. All of the ruins in this area were really spectacular and in decent shape. For me, the ruins asserted that there really were people living there before conquistadors came in and took over. You can learn about different cultures like these in history books, but until you really see the actual thing for yourself, it’s just not the same.

After Pachacamac, we continued our very long ride to Ica (thank goodness it was a private bus)! We arrived at our hotel just in time to grab lunch and get settled in our rooms. Later on that afternoon we went screaming through the dunes in dune buggies. It was like one long, crazy, scary rollercoaster that wouldn’t stop. This was every thrill seekers dream!!! The dunes are indescribable with the Andes Mountains in the background. First of all, they are HUGE and there are tons of them. I’m not quite sure how our driver didn’t get lost because everything looked the same to me (like one big sand box)!

Our driver found some really tall dunes to ride down, waxed up the sand boards and got us ready. You could either ride down on your stomach or your feet, but most of us chose our stomach! In order to go down on your stomach, you lay down on the board with your arms tucked under your body and your feet spread apart so you don’t flip over. The first time I did ok….except for half the desert that ended up in my pants! The next hill was a bit bigger and that’s when I received my sand burns. It turns out that I got going too fast and my arms slipped out from under me and started to drag on the sand all the way down the hill (OUCH)! Needless to say, my forearms look a little nasty right now! Once everybody was done sliding down the dunes, we rode over to one of the highest points to watch the sun set over the horizon. It was truly beautiful. In the end, the experience was so worthwhile! This was one of the best experiences of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

The next morning we woke up super early to see Las Islas Ballestas. These Islands are a chain of big rocks off of the Peruvian coastline commonly called “The poor man’s Galapagos or The Peruvian Galapagos.” The crashing waves have created numerous arches making the islands unique and interesting. Many animals, such as Humboldt Penguins, Sea Lions, Peruvian Boobies and Peruvian Pelicans, call the Ballestas home. There are also gazillions of other birds that claim this island habitat. Because there are lots of birds, there is a lot of bird poop or guano, which is a very important, profitable resource/export here in Peru because it is sold to farmers who use it as fertilizer. To the occasional tourist, guano is not so appetizing because is smells atrocious!

All in all, this was the best weekend yet. I wish I could do everything all over again because it was so much fun! Now if I can just get past this last week of classes, I’ll be in Machu Picchu in no time!

Lots of Love,

Stephanie

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

Survival Tips for Traveling by Taxi in Lima

2009-07-17T10:32:00.005-04:00

I thought for this week's blog I would do something useful, so here are some hints for taking a taxi in Peru.

1. Before you step to the curb, know where you are going and about how much it should cost to get there. Remember, there are no meters in these taxis — you must "haggle" with the taxista to find a price that makes you both happy.

2. Step to the curb and wave your hand, about three taxis will pull over, so don´t worry if you don't like the first one because there will be another and another and another. DO NOT jump in the taxi right away. You must first ask the driver through the window if he knows the place you are going. There is a chance he will tell you he does even if he doesn't, but I can't help you there! Anyway if he knows ask him how much. Since you are from the United States, he is most likely going to tell you something ridiculously pricey. Don't be afraid to say no. Negotiate and if he doesn't cooperate, go to the next one.

3. After settling your price, you can get in the taxi. If you are in the front seat, put on your seatbelt. If you are in the back, its a good idea but not required. Also LOCK THE DOOR. This is to prevent the door being opened and someone grabbing you or your bag at red lights.

4. I forgot to mention if a tiny little car pulls up that says tico on it anywhere don´t get on it unless you have to! It is a tin can on wheels. Tin cans and normal-sized cars, plus high speeds equal unhappy passengers.

5. Pay attention to where you are going, watch for familiar buildings etc. just to be sure the taxista really does know where you are going.

6. Do not be surprised if the taxi driver does any of the following:

a. Drives down the middle of the road,

b. Honks his horn incessantly,

c. Drives as fast as he can,

d. Squeezes past and in between other cars.

He is only driving down the middle of the road to make sure that if one lane opens up he can get there without having to completely change lanes. He is honking his horn at other drivers that cut him off and pedestrians who try to cross in front of him. He will also honk because you are coming to a crossroads with no stop sign or red light. The horn will alert the drivers coming from the crossroads to maybe stop or to accelerate, so that he has to stop. Either way, everyone is blowing their horns. I'm also pretty sure that they occasionally just do it for fun.

If he is driving as fast as he can, you can be sure that not only have you just gone over a speed bump, but another one is coming up. They use the space in between speed bumps to practice going from 0 to 60 and back to 0 in short distances. Also don't be alarmed if he squeezes between cars and buses. The drivers here in Lima act a lot like children in line at the ice cream shop — they are all trying to get there first. But, this is a perfectly normal behavior, so don't worry.

7. When you reach your destination pay, check all of your belongings to make sure you didn't leave anything before you get out. EXIT ONTO THE SIDEWALK NOT INTO THE ROAD. They do not stop for pedestrians here.

Well, I think that is everything you need to know for successful taxi travels in Lima, Peru. I deeply apologize if I left any questions unanswered and promise to do better next time! By the way, some of these tips come from the Peruvians themselves and some of them are my own insight — in case you were wondering how credible they are.

* Katelyn is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

A Late Introduction...from Lee Johnson

2009-07-14T10:49:00.003-04:00

We arrived in Germany in late June, and I was prompted to do a blog around the same time. The problem that arises with a blog while studying overseas is balance the time to both write the blog, keep up with the work load for school and to experience all that this great country has to offer. So if you notice this is the first one in almost three weeks and this is not due to the fact that I am lazy, but the fact that I have not found the time, or the energy for that matter because traveling and taking in the local sites have taken its toll on my energy level. But here I am, early on this great German morning waiting for breakfast to be served. So without going into great detail, because it would take at least 10 pages to go over everything, but I will do my best to sum up the first three weeks without becoming long-winded.

The first weekend was awesome, in short. I know that the previous statement is a very

simplistic adjective to describe the first week, but to be honest, I know no better. The first three days we were here we took tours of Bonn, Aachen and Trier; all of which blew my mind not only by their beauty and culture, but also by how friendly the people are. I had my stereotype of Europeans before I came and to be honest, right now that stereotype is completely shattered. The cathedrals, the “shopping malls” (which are more like open-air outlet malls to be very general), the restaurants and the beer gardens all blew my initial expectations of this country.

Before I get to far, I should preface this with details about my program and why I am here, and possibly a little about myself. The European Council has many trips overseas, and I chose the Bonn, Germany trip, mainly because it gave me the best opportunity to explore not only Germany, but the various countries that border the city, locally called Deutschland.

About myself: I am a senior journalism major at VSU and I chose to come overseas this summer because I felt that at no other point in my life I would have the opportunity to experience something like this. All I can say is it was the best decision I have ever made.

We are staying in a little town 45 minutes outside of Köln call Königswinter. Imagine Helen, but a little smaller with better food and drinks. The traditional German architecture is apparent, as the town has a rich history in tradition. It is located on the Rhein River, and I have spent countless hours reading on a bench perched over this prominent Westphalian feature. The hotel we are staying at hosts many people (by this I mean not only American students, but tourists who are mainly from Germany). Not only does this provide a little entertainment, but also a chance to immerse ourselves into the language and culture. If I could spell German, I would share a few phrases, but that is not a reality for me.

So far, we have visited Munich and many local cities (Bonn, Köln, Linz, Remagen). I plan to visit Amsterdam this weekend. To travel to different cities is a bit expensive, seeing how the Euro is 1.4 dollars as of the last time I went to the ATM.

I feel like I am getting a bit long-winded, so to sum up the trip and the country right now, I would have to use one word — unique. To me, this word encompasses many other words: beautiful, friendly, delicious (as it comes to food and drink), and proud (especially in Bavaria … it’s kind of like the Texas of Germany, but with better beer and lederhosen). To be honest, I will be a walking advertisement for this program for the years to come and will be wishing that I can come on this trip every single year. I wish right now that I could upload some pictures, but unfortunately the Internet at the hotel we’re staying at is sub-par and I am lucky enough to be able to put this up. But I hope everyone who reads this will come back to search the Photobucket site that will be up as soon as I return stateside.

I am hoping sometime this week that I will catch a few moments to write down some unique experience to share with the VSU community. One thinks college is a hard enough place to budget time; come on a study abroad program and time is like money, literally, and for the next two weeks I am as frugal as they come.

* Lee is participating in a study abroad program in Bonn, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's European Council and International Programs.

Touring the Audi Plant

2009-07-13T15:32:00.004-04:00

On Monday, we had our usual marketing class. Everyone was so tired from traveling all weekend. Some of the girls who went to London didn’t get back until almost 5 a.m. on Monday morning because of flight and bus delays! After we got out of marketing class, many of us took a quick nap before heading to lunch and our German class. After German class, some of us decided to go walk around the city. We ended up getting some ice cream from an amazing little ice cream shop in the shopping square. The ice cream here in Germany is way better than any ice cream I’ve ever had back in the states. It’s so much creamier here! After that, I spent most of my afternoon at the train station. I am absolutely scared of flying. After last weekend’s flight from London and back, I refuse to get on another plane, unless it's heading back to the states! So, I basically had to figure how to get to Rome and back this upcoming weekend at the train station. I’m going to have to take a 12-hour train ride to Rome, but it’s worth it to me to not have to take a plane!

On Tuesday, we had classes and lunch at the hostel. After class, I went to the computer lab to catch up on some schoolwork for about three hours or so. That evening, some of us girls decided to straighten Dr. Droms hair for the night. It was quite an event! It looked so good! All of us girls had fun getting ready for our night out together. Our entire group was invited by Dr. Lembach, the Director of International Programs at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (our host for the trip), to a biergarten party at a local biergarten. We all got dressed up, and we were looking good for the event! Some German students also came to join us for dinner and drinks. They will be coming to VSU next semester to take class and study abroad at our campus. It was really nice to be able to meet some of these students and tell them all about our city and our campus. They seem really excited about coming over to America. We all exchanged names and numbers, so when they do make it over to the states, we can meet up and show them around.

On Wednesday, we had our second weekly field trip for the international marketing and management classes! We were invited once again by Senator Aurenz, who is on the board of directors for Audi, to tour the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. It was about a 1.5 hour train ride from Karlsruhe, but was definitely worth the trip. We arrived at the plant around 10 a.m. Senator and Mrs. Aurenz greeted us and advised us to study hard, get a good job, make a lot of money, and then buy an Audi! We toured the production facilities that make the Audi R8s and it was amazing. Did you know that 80 percent of the R8s are made by hand? Only about 20 percent of the production process of an R8 is by robots. This means that each and every R8 is truly unique. You can have anything you want put into these cars. They will specialize the car to fit the consumer’s needs. Of course, the price tag increases with each specialization request.

It was so cool to see how the assembly line works in a car production company. For the Audi R8s, each station has exactly 29 minutes before the car parts move on to the next station. We also learned that each and every Audi car is sold before it is ever made. This makes it so the company does not spend a lot of money in storing product that hasn’t been sold. We later moved on to see how the Audi A6s are made, which is a much different process. A robot is responsible for about 80 percent of the A6 production. During the tour, we basically just watched a robot twist its little steel hands and rotate in all different kinds of ways to put the car together. These cars can also be specialized according to the consumer’s preferences.

After touring the plant, we were treated to lunch in the Audi Staff Restaurant. After lunch, we took a bus to a local wine vineyard for a wine tasting and buffet. We were given a quick tour of the wine cellar, and treated to a wine tasting of some of the different wines produced in the cellar. We tried five different wines, ranging from white wines, to blush wines, to red wines. We were also served dinner at the wine tasting. After we had our bellies full, we went to catch the train back to Karlsruhe.

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

A Weekend in London

2009-07-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

Yay! Finally, a place that speaks English! Don’t get me wrong, I have loved being able to use some of the German language I have been learning recently, but I’m not going to lie, being able to talk to people with no language barriers was amazing! London was an amazing trip. I wish I had more time to explore its all around history and beauty. There is so much to do in London, and there is absolutely no way to see it all in only two and a half days!

On Friday, the first place we went was to Kensington Palace. This is the place where Princess Diana and Prince Charles lived for a short period of time. I am a huge fan of Princess Diana. My grandmother was from England, and of course, she was a huge fan as well. I can remember receiving gifts from England that had Princess Diana on them when I was young, including a tea set (the English love their tea) that featured likenesses of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in celebration of their marriage. I also received many calendars, pictures, stamps and postcards with Princess Diana on them. I have always thought she was an incredible woman with a huge heart. She is a role model for many people around the world still today.

Kensington Palace had eighteen of the dresses that she had worn while she was alive inside the palace. There was also a make shift memorial outside of the palace because her birthday was July 1. We explored around the outside of the house and its gardens, which were stunning! After the palace, we decided to take some fun, candid pictures in the ever-so popular red phone booths, and then headed to do some shopping at Harrods — one of the largest department stores in the world! It sits on over four and a half acres of land with 330 departments within the store. It's every girl’s dream shopping store. You can find almost every brand/designer name in the world in this one store! It was also the first store ever to install an escalator.

After a little shopping, we went to visit the Princess Diana memorial fountain. It was located in a park close to Kensington Palace. It is in a beautiful garden where people are welcome to put their feet in the fountain to cool off and relax. We later decided to check out the London Eye. It is basically a huge, modern ferris wheel (www.londoneye.com) that gives riders an amazing view of the city of London. Built in 2000 for the millennium celebrations, it was so popular that the city of London decided to keep it up for tourist and their citizens. You can see for miles when you get to the top of the eye. It takes about thirty minutes to make one whole revolution around the wheel. You can get spectacular pictures of the Parliament building and the Big Ben. Afterwards, we decided to get some dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. We heard that the ethnic food in London was really good, so we gave it a try — it was really good!

On Saturday, we decided to take an open top bus tour around the city of London on the “Big Bus Tour.” It took us to see all the major attractions in the city including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married), the London Eye, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Royal Courts of Justice. It also included a river cruise that offered excellent views of the Big Ben and London Eye. We also got to see the Shakespeare Globe Theater and the Millennium Bridge. After that, we stopped by the first ever Harley-Davidson shop in Europe and then headed to dinner at the first ever Hard Rock Café. I had pork nachos that were out of this world good! We also got to tour their “Vault” where we saw all kinds of famous memorabilia from people, such as Elvis, Madonna, B.B. King, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beatles, Tom Petty, Prince and Kurt Kobain.

After dinner, we went to get a t-shirt for Kent’s sister from Wimbledon. When we got there, we were told we could actually get in to see Venus and Serena Williams play in the women’s doubles championship for only 10 pounds, so we jumped on that deal! It was so much fun! I mean, how many people can say they’ve been to Wimbledon! It was definitely one of the many highlights of our trip!

On Sunday, we had to pack and prepare for the trip back to Karlsruhe, but we didn’t leave without having a little fun first. We went to Buckingham Palace at 10 a.m. to see the Changing of the Guard and ended up sticking around until 11:30 a.m. to see the entire ceremony (with the band). For lunch, we ate at a local café that served England’s famous fish and chips. They were very good! Then we headed back to the airport to travel back to Karlsruhe.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend! It was a wonderful experience and I will definitely be back to visit London!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Back in Karlsruhe

2009-07-13T12:24:00.004-04:00

This week in Karlsruhe was an amazing week! We did so many fun things around our hostel and the city.

On Monday, we had class, as usual, and lunch at the hostel. During lunch, everyone sang happy birthday to me (my birthday was actually on Sunday, June 28). Ms. Droms and Dr. Ware had bought me a cupcake from Starbucks and put a candle in it for me. It was so sweet!

It really meant a lot to me! For dinner, we went out to a local restaurant for Tiara’s birthday, and later, we all came back to the computer lab to start studying for our daily quizzes and case studies. We wanted to get as much done that night as we could, so we wouldn’t have to worry about it all week!

I’m slowly starting to pick up on some key German words! Two of our favorite words to say are “danke,” which means thank you, and “bitte,” which means your welcome or please. These words are very important for anyone to know if they are planning to travel to Germany. However, being able to understand the German language when Germans are speaking to you is very tough. They speak really fast! I really wish I would have taken a German language class before I came over to study so I would be able to speak and understand the language a little better. Luckily, many of the Germans I have interacted with know some of the basic words in English, so that makes it easier to communicate.

On Tuesday, we had classes and lunch at the hostel. Afterwards, a couple of us decided to check out the Karlsruhe water park named the Europabad. It was so much fun! They had four indoor pools, one huge outdoor pool (with plenty of chairs to lay out on), two super fun water slides, a lazy river and a sauna. It only cost three euros to stay for two hours! We definitely stayed the entire two hours and we want to try to go back sometime again before we leave! After the water park, we all went to eat at a one of our favorite local restaurants, the Doner Kabab. It is so good! They serve all kinds of sandwiches, pizzas and wraps. Then we all came back to our hostel and passed out because we were so tired from playing at the water park!

On Wednesday, we had our first weekly field trip for the international marketing and management classes! We were lucky enough to be invited to tour the L’Oreal plant in Karlsruhe, thanks to Senator Aurenz and his wife. Senator Aurenz owns a company in Valdosta called ASB Greenworld, and he is also on the board of directors for the Audi plant in Germany. His wife has connections with executive directors at the L’Oreal plant in Karlsruhe, and this yielded us a wonderful experience at the L’Oreal plant. Senator Aurenz and his wife have been loyal friends and supporters to the Langdale College of Business for many years.

Our group received a complete tour of the plant. We started in the room where they actually make the products (shampoo, make-up, creams, etc.), then we saw how they bottle it, label it and package it all up. The machines they are using to do all of this are unbelievable — so correct, exact and precise each and every time.

After our tour, they served us an amazing lunch. It was, without a doubt, one of the best meals I’ve had since we’ve been here. After lunch, we were served coffee and they answered all the questions we had for them. When the tour was over, they gave all of us incredible gift bags with all kinds of products for girls and boys. All of the products were labeled with German words, so we came back to our hostel to look up what the words meant to figure out what products we were given. It was like a scavenger hunt for German words! During our visit, we had tons of fun and learned a lot as well. We were all really appreciative of what the L’Oreal plant did for us. They really showed us a wonderful time. For the rest of the afternoon, I basically just ran errands. I mailed some postcards, grabbed some Starbucks, and ate dinner at the hostel. Most of us went to Scruffys for a little while, then headed back to the hostel to get some sleep!

On Thursday, we did the usual class thing then everyone started to pack up for their weekend trips. I was packing for my trip to London with Kent, April, Tiara, Gail, Lauren, Danielle and Ms. Droms. We left Karlsruhe around 5 p.m. and took a train to Baden Baden; from there we took a bus to the Baden Baden/Karlsruhe airport. We got there about three hours early, but we didn’t really have anything else to do, so it was okay. Our plane left at 9:45 p.m. and arrived in London around 10:25 p.m. London time. They are an hour behind Germany. So, the flight really took about an hour and forty minutes, not just forty minutes. When we got to the airport, we took a bus from the airport to the city of London. When we finally got there, we checked into our hostel, the Bestplace in Waterloo, and went to sleep!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe,Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

The Fast-Paced City Life of Lima

2009-07-13T09:30:00.008-04:00

Hi everybody, it's me — Katie.

I'm here in Lima, Peru, where the weather is cool, the language is FAST, and the food is amazing!! I'm from a small town back home, so this fast-paced crazy city life is a little overwhelming at first. But, I'm getting there! Lima is a beautiful city with lots of old architecture and statues — there is SO much history here.

The people are very understanding with language blunders, which is good because I have made a few. I told a man that I had fat eyes, which was not at all what I was trying to say. We straightened things out and had a good laugh about it, so it was worth it!

We are learning the city by walking around and taking taxis and buses. I must say if you are ever in a foreign country, try to take a taxi because it is something you will NEVER forget! Here in Lima I live with a retired professor and his wife. There are three other college girls living here, but I have my own room and bathroom, which makes me pretty lucky. The girls are so nice and are helping with my Spanish. It's so exciting that everything is starting to click into place and the Spanish is spilling out of my mouth faster all the time. It's a weird feeling to hear a foreign language and realize it doesn't sound so foreign anymore, but that's what I'm here for right?

Everything is so busy here, but I guess that's mostly just how things go outside of my quiet little life. I'm learning so much about how different parts of the world work. It's a very different life here, but I am loving every minute and trying not to miss anything. I will let ya'll go for now, but there will be more to follow!!

Katie

* Katelyn is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

Montezuma’s Revenge

2009-07-13T08:40:00.005-04:00

Hello, again! Our group finally arrived in Lima, Peru very late Saturday night and headed off to a local hotel to grab a few zzz’s. Sunday was a very busy day, filled with interesting first experiences. My first impression of Lima is that it is a HUGE city filled with crazy taxi drivers, American fast food restaurants and the sweetest people you will ever meet. Everybody here welcomes you with open arms. My host parents are Oscar & Julia. These are the wonderful people who really make this trip special. We live in a cute duplex apartment with my “host sister” Amber who is also on the trip.

Monday was the first day of classes at “La Universidad Cientifica del Sur.” We were originally to be at “La Universidad Nacional de San Marcos;” however, it was changed at the last moment. Because it is a satellite campus, it has only three tall buildings. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we take a bus to the main campus, which is 40 minutes away, to take part in a speaking class with other native students. They try to improve their English and we try to improve our Spanish.

Living in Lima is very different than living in the United States. It really makes you so appreciative of what you have and what you have access to. Not many people have cars, so everybody takes taxis. We have to negotiate a price depending on where we are going, because they do not have meters. The more people you pile into a taxi the cheaper it is. On average we can fit 5 to 8 people in one small taxi including the driver (disclaimer: I don’t recommend more than 6). Lima is also full of McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Papa John and KFC restaurants. I’ve eaten at a Pizza hut and it’s very similar to the restaurants in the U.S., yet at the same time a bit different. However, I highly recommend the local authentic food — it is amazing. Here you can eat a huge three course meal for only eight to ten soles, which is about $2.66 to $3.33 American dollars. Lima is an up and coming culinary capital of South America. There is a huge blending of Peruvian, Japanese and Chinese cultures. One thing that remains truly Peruvian is the Pisco Sour! This cocktail is AMAZINGLY tasty and my beverage of choice! I wish you could get these back in the U.S. because there is no other comparison.

Although the food is amazing, you have to be very cautious of where you eat. If you eat at a bad restaurant, Montezuma’s revenge will hunt you down and find you!!! I unfortunately have been laid up in bed for the past three days from a horrible bout of food poising. I would not wish this on my worst enemy! My host mom has been so sweet by making the best homemade chicken noodle soup, so I can recover more quickly!

Until next time!

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

T-Minus 46 Hours and Counting…

2009-07-06T09:36:00.003-04:00

That title pretty much sums up my life right about now. Currently, my to-do list is stretching miles long with no end in sight. Now is the time where a maid would come in VERY handy….oh wait…I just paid my little sister to do all my cleaning and laundry for me!!! Yay!!! Now the only thing left up to me is homework. For my Latin-American Literature class, I was assigned three papers and an extensive reading list. So far, I have two papers done and most of my reading completed; however, I still have one paper left that I have to finish before arriving at the airport (and of course I saved the worst one for last).

In these few precious moments that I have to reflect on the past few months, I feel a sense of calm. I am ready to go and experience a different way of life, yet there is still this lingering anxiety, anticipation and nervousness about the trip. I have been well prepared by my very capable and amazing director Dr. Aronson Friedman, which makes me feel much more at ease. She has worked long and hard putting this trip together for many, many, many months now, so I just want to say thank you to her! I have high expectations about this country and this trip, as I have heard many wonderful things said about the past study abroad program to Peru.

I hope to have some sort of Internet access set up as soon as possible after we arrive. I’ll update everyone then as to my first impressions and experiences!

Lots of Love,

Stephanie

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program in Lima Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

First Weekend Trip (Munich)

2009-07-06T09:26:00.006-04:00

Hello again! Well, we finally had our first class with Dr. Droms. She is seriously one of the best teachers at the business school, and being able to have her as a teacher for International Marketing in Germany is amazing!

In Dr. Droms class on Thursday, we basically discussed the many cultural differences we have been experiencing since we arrived in Germany. We also talked about how the marketing techniques were different between Germany and America. One of our assignments over the weekend was to eat at a McDonald’s on our weekend trip. Dr. Droms wanted us to see if we noticed any differences. While there were no major differences in the McDonalds between America and Munich, there were some little variations. First, they offered a shrimp burger and real potato fries. Something I’ve never seen in the states! I tried the bacon cheeseburger, regular fries and a coke. It was exactly what I would have got back in the states. However, their large coke is a lot smaller than our large coke. I was expecting a big coke, and I got like a medium size in my opinion. Customers also have to pay for condiments and the straws are not wrapped like they are in the states.

I am also taking a German Language and Culture class with a professor from Germany. Everyone is in that class. In our first German class we learned the alphabet — it was pretty fun. We did have some German students who were laughing at us though. We probably sounded like we were in kindergarten! It was funny!

After class we went to pack to get ready for our weekend trip to Munich. We left on the train from Karlsruhe heading to Munich at 6:06pm (the Germans are very precise)! We arrived in Munich around 9:30pm. We checked into our hostel, and decided to hit the town. We just walked around and explored the city for a little while. The next morning, Friday, we woke up early and caught a train to Fussen. It is a two and a half hour train ride from Munich. We went to see the Schloss Neuschwanstein, which is the castle that Cinderella’s castle in Disney World is modeled after. King Ludwig built it back in the 1800s. Once we got there, we had to take a bus to get up the side of the mountain. When we finally made it to the castle, I was captivated by its beauty! It was absolutely gorgeous! There really are no words to describe how beautiful the castle and the forest surrounding it looked. The pictures just don’t do it justice!

After we left the castle, we headed back to Munich. We decided to eat dinner at the world famous Hofbrauhaus. It is one of the most famous beer halls in Germany. It was one of the most popular places where Hitler use to give speeches.

Saturday, we caught up on some much needed sleep and then headed to the Brandhorst Museum, a new museum that just opened up about a month ago in Munich. It included many paintings from Andy Worhol and other famous contemporary artists. It was a VERY contemporary/modern museum — very interesting — something you would never find in Valdosta! After we left the museum, we headed to Mike’s Bike Tour, a five-hour bike tour around Munich. It was the most fun thing we did all weekend. I would strongly recommend anyone going to Munich to take this tour. The tour takes you all around Munich to show you all the major sites in Munich. Here’s is a list from his website (www.mikesbiketours.com) of all the places we went during our tour:

Marienplatz (Old and New Town Halls, churches, Marketplace)
Hofbräuhaus Beer Hall am Platzl
National Theather - Opera House
The Residenz of the Wittelsbach Family
Odeonsplatz
Hofgarten (the back yard of the Residenz)
Saatskanzlei (Governor´s offices, formerly The Bavarian Army Museum)
Schwabing (Leopold Strasse)
The English Garden (about 1/3 of it)
Chinese Tower Beergarden
Surfer´s Bridge
Prinzregenten Strasse (National Museum of Bavaria)
Friedensengle (Peace Angel Monument)
Maximilianeum (Bavarian Parliment)
The Isar River and the Lukas Kirche
Deutsches Museum
Isartor (Eastern gate of city wall from 14th century)

After the very informative, enjoyable tour, we were so tired that we decided to head back to the hostel. The next morning, Sunday, we woke up, packed all of our stuff up, and headed to the Dachau Concentration Camp Museum — our final stop before heading back to Karlsruhe. The camp was one of the first to be opened and was one of only a few to last throughout the entire war. It was really sad to know that thousands of people lost their lives in harsh, inhumane conditions where we were standing. The camp had a huge museum that took about an hour to go through. We also toured the bunkers, old prisoner cells, the gas chamber and the crematory. It took about two hours to go through the entire camp. After touring the camp, we hopped on a train headed to Karlsruhe. It was nice to get back to see everyone, share pictures, and tell stories!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Finally in Germany...

2009-07-06T08:52:00.004-04:00

Hey! We finally made it to one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is absolutely amazing here! I have only been here for a couple of days, but I can already tell that I will definitely be back!

We left the Atlanta airport on Sunday night around 7 p.m. We ended up getting to Frankfurt, Germany around 10:00 am Monday morning, Germany time. After we got to Frankfurt, we had to take a train to Karlsruhe. VSU assistant professor Courtney Droms and Dr. Fred Ware made us stay awake the entire day to help us get over our jet lag. We went down to the Europaplatz to eat lunch in a local mall. After lunch, we went to look for fans, money and towels (things we didn’t pack because of the weight limit on our luggage). Later on that evening, we had dinner at the hostel. The food was surprisingly good! It was different, but really good.

After dinner a couple of us went to a local Starbucks to get a taste of home! After Starbucks, we found a local Pub, Scruffy’s, where we enjoyed a couple of drinks before heading back to our hostel. I don’t know where I found all of the energy to do all of that during the day! I was definitely running off of adrenaline!

On Tuesday, our German Language and Culture teacher met us at our hostel at 10 a.m. to give us a tour of Karlsruhe. We went to a local castle and explored the burial site of the founder of

the city, Karl. Afterwards, our entire group decided to plan a spontaneous trip to a nearby city called Heidelberg. It only took us about 45 minutes to get there by train. We toured a castle called Schloss Heidelberg. It was huge! It was way bigger than the castle in Karlsruhe. We had to walk up over 200 stairs to get to the top! It was well worth it! We spent all afternoon exploring the castle. We then took a short walk over to one of the nearest restaurants to eat dinner. Then we headed back to Karlsruhe. We all went straight to bed. We were so tired!

Today, Wednesday, we had an official welcoming from the mayor of Karlsruhe. He gave us a speech on the history of Karlsruhe and showed us a video of things to do in the city. We

learned there was a water park somewhere in the city, and I can’t wait to go! This afternoon we have been running errands and getting ready for our first weekend trip to Munich! We leave tomorrow afternoon after our first class!

I can’t wait to get back to tell you all about the fun things we did in Munich! I can already tell that this is going to be a trip of a lifetime! I have already started to form close friendships with the people on this trip. We are like one big happy family having the time of our lives in one of the coolest places in the world!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

One week left!

2009-06-24T12:37:00.002-04:00

Hey! It’s Mallory, again. I can’t believe it is almost here! It is exactly one week until we leave the Atlanta airport and we are on our way to Germany. I feel like I have been planning this trip for months, and it is finally time to have fun! I have been so busy these past few weeks booking and planning our trips for the weekends. We get four full weekends to do whatever we want in Europe. We get out of classes every week on Thursday afternoons and we don’t have to be back for class until Monday mornings.

We are planning to go to Munich the first weekend, London the second weekend, Rome the third weekend, and Paris the fourth weekend. We have been using Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) to book our flights to London and Rome. Ryan Air offers some really cheap flights! We booked our round trip tickets to London and Rome for about $100 a trip. We will be taking the Eurail (www.eurail.com) to get to Munich and Paris. We are allotted 8 days on our Eurail passes, which were included in our study abroad packages, so these trips won’t cost anything!

We have also already booked our hostels in each city. We will be staying at the Euro Youth Hostel in Munich, which was recommended to us by the study abroad group that went last year. They said they absolutely loved it! I hope we get the same experience they did! The hostel we booked in London I found on www.hostels.com. It’s called the “Bestplace in Waterloo.” It had very high approval ratings and the previous customer comments looked pretty good. When we go to Rome, we will be staying in another hostel that the group from last year recommended, the Alessandro Downtown Hostel. It is located in the downtown Rome. It is very close to all the major attractions we hope to visit while we are there. Dr. Ware and Dr. Droms booked the hostel we will be staying in while we are in Paris. It is called the Fiap hostel (www.fiap.com). Dr. Ware has been to Paris many, many times at knows the area like the back of his hands. He is such a knowledgeable person when it comes to Paris and I can’t wait to get there!

Well, the next time I “blog” will be when I am in Germany. Only one week left!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Meet Mallory Harris

2009-06-24T12:30:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! My name is Mallory Harris and I am so excited to be leaving for Karlsruhe, Germany in less than a month! We leave Atlanta on June 21 and come back July 22.

I am currently a junior pursuing a degree at the Langdale College of Business Administration in finance. While studying abroad, I hope to become culturally aware of the many different societies that are in this world.

I plan to travel to Munich, London, Rome, and Paris. All of these cities are unique and diverse in their own special ways. I look forward to tasting the different foods, hearing the different languages, and experiencing the very different and diverse cultures. Karlsruhe, Germany is centrally located to all of these cities, which will provide me with an even bigger opportunity to experience Europe.

I also hope to be given the opportunity to learn some of the different language while I am abroad. Being able to communicate in different languages is a very important and a valuable asset to any person, particularly those in the business community. Studying abroad will not only be a trip of a lifetime, but an incredible learning experience. I plan to take full advantage of this educational opportunity!

* Mallory is participating in a study abroad program in Karlsruhe, Germany, organized by Valdosta State University's Langdale College of Business Administration and International Programs.

Meet Katelyn Toler

2009-06-24T12:26:00.005-04:00

Hi, my name is Katie and this summer I will be studying abroad in the Peru program. I am an upcoming senior at VSU. I hope to graduate next May with a Spanish Degree and an ESL endorsement so that I can teach English as a second language. I am applying to the Peace Corps and hope to get placed teaching English in South or Central America.

I’m pretty stoked about this trip because it will be the first time I have been out of the country for such a long time. I have been to Costa Rica and Mexico. We will be living with host families while in Peru and I am excited to be experiencing another culture so closely. I hope to improve my Spanish greatly and to learn a ton about their customs, beliefs, etc. We will be going to see Machu Picchu and travel around to see the country.

* Katelyn is participating in a study abroad program in Lima, Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

Meet Stephanie Brearley

2009-06-24T12:03:00.005-04:00

Bienvenidos! Hi, my name is Stephanie and I’m a Junior here at Valdosta State University. I am majoring in Spanish and loving every minute of it! This past Spring I decided to finally sign up for the summer 2009 Study Abroad Program to Lima, Peru and surrounding areas. I am so excited to be able to explore the different cultural aspects of this wonderful country!

Our group will have the pleasure of studying at one of the oldest universities in the America’s (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos) and staying with a local host family for three weeks. After that, it’s time to discover one of the seven wonders of the world (Machu Picchu), Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Pisac Indian Market, Puno and Lake Titicaca. Needless to say, we will be having one jam packed, adventure filled month. Although at times I really wish we would be staying longer, I plan of making the most out of every moment there. Until then, I must simply wait patiently until July 4 when our plane will at last leave Atlanta.

For anyone who may be following these postings throughout my trip, I will be writing weekly (most likely more). I will also be posting pictures so you too can have a small window into my world!

With much love…Stephanie

* Stephanie is participating in a study abroad program to Peru, organized by Valdosta State University's International Programs and Modern and Classical Languages.

The end of an Adventure

2008-07-14T11:35:00.008-04:00

By Ryan Chapman

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got 'till its gone…” I think back to the Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton remix of this song as I laid in Frankfurt, Germany’s airport floor waiting for the Lufthansa Airline strike to end.

I thought back to all of the sights I saw, people I met, things I had learned, and fun times Russia and Study Abroad offered. As the song played yet again in my head, I realized it was not describing my Russian experience at all.

My initial goals for going to St. Petersburg, Russia, was to try everything and partake in as many experiences as I possibly could. I kept the time I was sitting in the dorms to a minimum, as I always tried to make the most of time seeing the city, talking to Russian people, eating at local restaurants, and learning the Russian Language. I never left Russia with a “wishing I had of done…” feeling. I truly felt I got the most out of my Study Abroad experience.

As the song in my head grew more annoying (especially the parts where Vanessa Carlton sings, “Mmm bop bop bop, Mmm bop bop”), I tried to figure out what exactly I took for granted over the last 31 days. Then it hit me, America!

Arriving in the states near July 4 was absolutely great. I have never been the type of person to sleep with American Flag undies on, but after being gone from my country for a month it was great to be back at a time of semi-unity for our country.

I had taken America for granted. If you think about it, it’s quite easy to do. I hear so many Americans say they despise our country for various reasons. While it is certainly each person’s right to be able to criticize our country, I feel like if more people were to travel abroad and have other countries to compare America with, than many people's mindsets would be different.

(From left) Ryan Chapman, Caitlyn Mobley, Lillie Steele, Kyla Rodgers and (front) Stacey Oksam.)

Study Abroad has been a great experience that I would recommend to everyone. I hope my blogs have helped anyone interested in studying abroad become well informed of the positives and negatives of traveling. If you have any more questions about my experiences or about Study Abroad in general feel free to contact me at rkchapman@valdosta.edu.

My Experience Abroad

2008-07-11T14:54:00.001-04:00

By Nakita Dziegielewski

Now that I am back in the beautiful U.S.A., it is now time for me to reflect on what I have learned and gained from my trip abroad. This self-reflection is necessary in order to see what I have taken away from this trip. This self-reflection is good because it allows me to see what personal view or attitudes, if any, have changed from being away. It is also necessary because self-reflection will allow me to see what I would/could have changed in order to make my Russian adventure and future adventures successful and enjoyable.

One thing that I have most definitely learned about studying abroad is that immersing myself in another culture was a lot harder than it looks. A person cannot just do one thing to become apart of a culture, but many. From what I have experienced, the essentials that are needed in order to be totally immersed include: learning the language (the most important in my opinion), adopting the clothing, hair, etc. style, knowing the cuisine and actually eating it, knowing the traditions, and in the Russia, the superstitions, and knowing the basics of what drives and motivates the culture. All of these aspects are what allows someone to totally become apart of Russian culture.

I realized from my experience that I didn’t have all of these essentials mastered, but I did try to incorporate them into my everyday life in Russia. I tried to communicate to the best of my ability. I tried to shape my clothing style to that of the Russians, but more times than not, I was not terribly successful in that department. I did eat the local cuisine, and I somewhat knew the basics of Russian culture. Even though I didn’t master the essentials, I still feel as though I was able to be a part of Russian culture and I was able to gain insight from a culture so different from my own.

Now when it comes to self-reflection on changed views or attitudes, I would say that only a few views or attitudes have changed. One is that my experience abroad made me appreciate the U.S. even more. I have always valued my country, but I have made judgments on the faults that our country houses. Now, that is not a bad thing by any means, as U.S citizens we need to recognize our countries faults. But after visiting Russia, I have become much more aware about how much our country does do for its citizens, and I have become much more appreciative of the United States of America. While this trip has provided me with new perspectives, overall my views and attitudes have not changed from this trip.

Lastly, when it comes to self-reflection on things that I would have changed in order to make my trip better, my number one answer is language. I never realized how not knowing a culture's language would tremendously influenced the outcome of my trip. I believe that my experience abroad was great, but I know for a fact that it would have been better had I know the language fluently. I knew the basics, but it definitely wasn’t enough. I hated that I couldn’t bargain at the market in Russian and that I couldn’t have full, detailed conversation with the locals. Besides the language there is nothing else I would change.

My month abroad was filled with mostly positive (and some negative) experiences, but it was an amazing experience overall. I have learned so much about Russian culture, and I have learned a lot about myself. Will I ever visit Russia again? I’m not sure, but I do know that my traveling to foreign lands has just begun.

A Midnight Train to Moscow...

2008-06-30T09:45:00.010-04:00

By Ryan Chapman

Excitement filed the air the entire day as we prepared to go on our midnight, 8-hour train ride to Moscow, Russia’s capital. To the best of my knowledge, St. Petersburg has a population of 8 million, while Moscow houses 15 million, quite a large difference.

Talks of staying up all-night and partying on the train to Moscow left the group’s mind as soon as we entered our 20 square foot room shared by four people. While the midnight train wasn’t everything the group dreamed of, we made the best of it, shoving 12+ students into a room smaller than a jail cell, just riding and reminiscing on the good times we shared in our short time together.

(Lillie Steele, Ryan Chapman, Jason Duffy and Trisha Thibodaux)

Once we arrived in Moscow, we realized just really how humongous the city is. The underground metro had more train lines than colors I can see, although that is not saying much since I am color blind…

Now, I sit writing my blog on the second night on this three-day excursion and I want to bring everyone’s attention to a harsh reality of foreign travel. So far, I have spent 27 wonderful days in Russia, and each day my trust for the Russian people continues to grow as my guard over myself slowly slips away.

This morning, I went shopping for souvenirs with three friends at a Flea Market. They eventually grew tired and went to the room, while I continued to shop. After buying a snazzy Russian tracksuit, I walked by a shoe vendor, who let me try on some Pumas. He gave me a bag to put my tracksuit in as I tried on the shoes, but when he wanted 6000 Rubles (or $240), I tried to leave. He bargained a bit then told me he would go to the ATM with me, which didn’t sound to safe at all. I noticed his tone being more forceful as he grabbed my wrist the more I refused. I could since the situation getting more and more unfavorable, when 3 other vendors moved towards the one exit in the tent.

(Stan Mcclellan, Irina Mcclellan and Ryan Chapman)

I knew I had to act before things got even worse. I stood up and got my merchandise back from the vendor, while giving him his shoes. Once I had my stuff, I tried to walk away, but yet again the man grabbed my wrist, this time with more force. I spoke what Russian I had learned with a clear tone, saying I wasn’t looking for business, no matter how cool the Pumas looked!

Another step and another wrist grab, this time the most forceful, I had enough at this point. I felt alone, surrounded by Russians, and was able to only speak the basics of the language. Any hope of reaching my friends was gone also; they were back in the room by this point, so it was time to react. I broke the wrist grab using a neat technique I picked up from the 2-years of Taekwondo I took in high school, then pushed him back, while tripping him. Next I V-lined out of the place and jogged it out until I was in a more crowded area. All was safe.

I cannot stress the importance of never letting your guard down in a foreign place. I have and still do love Russia and all my time here, but as a foreigner, the one time you get into a comfort zone you let your guard down and become susceptible to pick pockets, overly assertive venders or things much worse.

Even after one negative experience, I would still recommend study abroad to everyone. There are hundreds of life changing experiences that overshadow the very few negatives I have encountered. I just want to give each reader a fair look at the good and the bad of my experience.

(All photos by Lillie Steele)

Finishing Up

2008-06-25T11:33:00.004-04:00

By Nakita Dziegielewski

So, I can’t believe that my stay in St. Petersburg is coming to an end. Yesterday was our last day of classes and in seven days, I will be getting on a plane headed back to the states. I can’t believe how fast time flies. Although I’ve been here for almost a month it seems like I just got here yesterday.

I have seen and done so many things, but I know that I have only seen a little of what St. Petersburg has to offer. I have accomplished most of things that I had wanted to. I went to the Idiot Café (more than once), ventured several times through the Hermitage, and in a way became apart of Russian culture.

Even though my time in St. Pete has been short lived, I will carry so much more away with me then I ever thought. Memories made with the friends that I have met here, and things that I have learned about myself. Even though in some ways I am ready to see the States again, I still can’t get over the fact that my last day in St. Pete is only seven days away.

Paka for now!

Russian Night Life

2008-06-25T10:35:00.006-04:00

By Ryan Chapman

After any person subjects themselves to five hours of straight techno music, they begin to question who they are, where they came from, and what their sexual orientation is. I just asked myself the first two questions…

Nightlife in St. Petersburg is amazing. I have spent today recovering from the last two nights of partying. The first night was a citywide party where 200,000 citizens of St. Petersburg came together and to celebrate the graduation of all the high school students. I remember my high school graduation and do not recall anyone closing streets and having free concerts in my honor. Here it is much different, the largest street of St. Petersburg, Nevesky Prospect, is closed and drunk citizens and high school graduates alike litter the streets in celebration.

Last night, I went to the infamous Red Club. Being highly recommended by my Russian friends, the group of 11 of us went out with high spirits. Five hours of techno later, I forgot any form of dance I had learned in America. Dancing to techno is an experience that everyone should have once; flailing madly with the never-ending beats was an unforgettable time. Once the night was ending, the club’s private room opened up and to our surprise it was an American music dance room. I had never been so happy to hear Britney Spears music in my life…

With all the Russian culture surrounding us, I took a sojourn today to partake in some great American pastimes, McDonalds and Pizza Hutt. I thought back to the old Sylvester Stallone movie, Demolition Man, where in the future, the only restaurant is Taco Bell, which turns out to be a 5-star restaurant. Pizza Hutt and McDonalds in Russia are elaborately decorated, containing tons of modern furniture and designs. The quality of food also tasted a lot better, especially at Pizza Hutt, where the pizza was not covered in grease.

Its good to know that even in a foreign country, you can still find little footprints of our country’s culture, even if it does contain 50 grams of fat…

One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth

2008-06-23T10:27:00.008-04:00

By Nakita Dziegielewski

I just got back from one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Staraya Ladoga. Today, all of us went on a field trip to this beautiful town to learn a little Russian history, have a picnic, and bask in the Russian sunlight. Our trip to Staraya Ladoga has by far been the most picturesque and relaxing day that I have had in St. Petersburg.

We left around ten in the morning, making a few historic pit stops along the way, and finally arrived at our picnic destination around two in the afternoon. This town is not only beautiful, but is very much apart of Russian history and culture. It is known for being the first capital of Russia, and provides an inside look at how things were done in old Russia. The town itself is dated back to the eight and ninth centuries. On our trip, we were actually able to go inside the restored fortress that is located in the ancient town. It contained historical information regarding the formation of the town and of the fortress. The view from the top of the fortress was amazing.

Another aspect of the trip today was the picnic. We cooked kebabs on the grill and relished in the amazing view that Staraya Ladoga had to offer. Today was the perfect day as well because the sun was out and we had a constant breeze to keep us cool. We also had our Russian tutors come along with us. After all the eating was done, some played frisbee, volleyball or badminton, and others just walked around the countryside. I could have spent the whole day there, but unfortunately we had to leave. You know, if I could, I would spend the rest of my time in Russia there. The countryside has my heart.

One other thing that made this trip even better was the little snack that I had before entering the fortress. There were these two guys outside the fortress setting up this table with fish, head and all. So we went over to investigate and found out that these fish had just been caught and smoked today, and were ready to eat. At first, I was a little hesitant to spend money on a fish that still had its head everything attached and was laying out in the open air, but the aroma of the fish tempted my friend and I so we split a fish. When we got it we had to pull the skin back and just the meat straight out of the body. It was amazing — the best fish that I’ve ever had. My friend and I pretty much devoured the whole thing. It was so fresh, and smoked just right. The picture might tell otherwise, but listen to me when I say that if you ever venture to Staraya Ladoga you must, must find the guys that are selling the fresh, smoked fish and buy one. You will never go back to regular fish again.

Paka for now!

My First Solo Adventure

2008-06-23T10:25:00.004-04:00

By Nakita Dziegielewski

So, I know they always say that it’s never safe to go anywhere alone when your in a foreign country that you don’t really now, but today I didn’t listen to that safety tip and I went on my first solo adventure.

It wasn’t very far, just to main campus and back, but it was still my first Russian solo adventure. Before I came on this trip I wrote down goals that I wanted to accomplish while abroad, and one goal in particular included going on an adventure on my own. I made this goal because I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. I wanted to see how far I could go on my own. I didn’t want the safety net my fellow study abroad friends and directors provided. I wanted to truly see if I could, in a sense, mix in with the Russian culture on my own. Like stated before, my adventure only consisted of a walk to main campus, but it was a big step in pushing me out of my comfort zone.

You see, the campus isn’t directly next to IMOP (my dorm). It’s about the distance from Centennial Hall to VSU’s main campus. So, I walked all the way there by myself. Upon arrival, I didn’t just turn around, but I got on several walking trails and ended up in several different places on campus. The campus is kind of wooded, so it provided me with an even stronger sense of a true adventure. After about an hour of walking on campus trails I found this bench and sat and just reflected on my goal accomplished. I sat there for about thirty minutes resting my feet and watching the interactions that happened around me, relishing in the fact that I just did something in Russia all on my own. After my rest, I headed back to the dorm for dinner, where I again got to eat amazing Russian cuisine.

The two things that I loved most about my solo adventure was the fact that I was able to accomplish one goal that I set out for myself, and I got to see a softer side of St. Petersburg.

Paka for now!

Getting into the Russian Groove

2008-06-20T10:22:00.006-04:00

By Ryan Chapman

Whoever said 70 percent of all communication is non-verbal, never went on a date with a girl who speaks zero English. I would have to say about 12.5 percent of communication is nonverbal, and that’s on a good day.

Armed with my Russian-English Dictionary, pen and paper, and four Russian 1001 classes beneath my belt, I went on a date with Liza a Russian girl who speaks no English.

The date started off a disaster, I ran out of Russian phrases within 34 seconds, and then desperately searched my dictionary to form sentences to keep spirits high. Next we resorted to drawing pictures to communicate ideas, unfortunately I’m no artist. When my stick figures came out looking like hot dog buns, I thought the evening was doomed.

Luckily her bi-lingual friend met us and we went to a café. Once a medium of communication was established, the date went great! One of the best first dates I have experienced. It was great how humor could be translated from one another using an interpreter.

After being in Russia for two weeks I’ve started getting into the groove. Of course, I still obviously stick out in public, but I am starting to feel more at home. One interesting thing I have noticed about Russians is that they are not friendly. You will never see two strangers greet each other or even make eye contact when in public, but despite the cold appearance of Russians, they make great friends.

Roman and Jack (his real name is Youginnie but prefers Jack around Americans) are two of my Russian friends. These two guys are amazing. They buy us drinks, negotiate cheap cab rides for us, and bend over backwards for us Americans. It was difficult at first trusting two random Russians, who we met on the street. I think the secret to it is to never trust anyone fully. Now I don’t mean to sound like Donavon from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “Don’t trust anyone.” It’s just the fact that there are serious incidents of foreigners getting kidnapped and robbed by people they trust. So far everyone in the Study Abroad group has been lucky with the people they have interacted with.

One really cool tradition I have took part in here is football. The nights Russia plays football, the entire country goes crazy. I have been to two different bars on football night and each time it is like a holiday. The entire country seems to come together for the 90 min of the game — its great. I can’t begin to describe the energy in the bar when Russia scores a goal. It’s unlike anything I have seen. I think back to my time in the States and am jealous. I can never remember Americans coming together in such unity over anything. While it was just a sports game, I couldn’t help but think how we as Americans were lacking in any activity that brought the entire country together.

So far, we have spent 16 days in Russia. I would say about half of the 35 students are missing home in one form or another. I am definitely not in that group; I absolutely love it here and don’t want to go home anytime soon!

(Pictures contributed by Lillie Steele)

The Full Russian Experience

2008-06-16T12:40:00.005-04:00

By Ryan Chapman

When I first boarded the plane to go to Russia, my mind spaced with thoughts of the villain from the new Indiana Jones movie slicing a soviet Sickle and Hammer into my chest with her sword. Not exactly, but I was completely clueless as to what awaited me. After spending a day and a half at airports dealing with layovers and intercontinental flights, I was quite relieved when I finally arrived in St. Petersburg.

The first two days consisted of tours around St. Petersburg. The sights I saw were unlike anything I have ever seen in my life. The architecture was so elaborate and beautiful, nothing I had seen in America could compare. One day I spent 15 min just staring at a building that housed a Pizza Hut, because the elaborate carvings in the building were so unlike anything I was used to.

The most impressive things I have seen so far were some of the churches. As I wonder throughout St. Isaac’s Cathedral I think back to reading the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, wishing I were able to interpret the countless carvings, pictures and elaborate ceilings into some grand conspiracy theory about the origins of religion. Unfortunately, I can’t. I’m a Physics major and know little of art history.

The breathtaking cathedrals may be wonderful, but the breathtaking women of Russia have the upper hand. The Russian people are amazingly beautiful. The style of clothing here is quite unlike anything I have experienced in America. One interesting thing I have noticed is about 30 percent of the Russian men I have seen have mullets — quite strange. Some of the students and I play a game called Count the Mullets, where we sit back on the Metro and count how many mullets we see on our way to downtown. We got 34 yesterday!

Tomorrow, I go on my first Russian date. I wanted to partake in every possible thing I could here in Russia, from day long tours to trying Russian food and from going to operas to going out on a date with a girl who speaks no English. It should be fun. I’m brining a translator to help keep things interesting.

Of course, Russia isn’t all pleasure. I did come here to take a class, RUSS 1001: Beginning Language. So far the class is kicking my butt! Russian language condensed into 12 class days is not an easy task, but at least it is just 12 class days!

So far I have been in Russia 11 days and already know I will not have enough time to fully learn the culture and explore all of St. Petersburg. What I do know is that I will try to utilize every day I can to go get enveloped culture and live this once in a lifetime experience to the fullest.

Meet Ryan Chapman

2008-06-16T11:22:00.005-04:00

Academic Year: Senior
GPA: 3.1
Expected Graduation: December 2010
Degree Objective: Physics
Other: AFROTC Cadet, Wing Commander for Fall 2008

Hometown: Warner Robins
High school: Houston County High School 05'

Academic achievements; university highlights:

- University Honors Program
- Air Force ROTC Scholarship
- USAF Inactive Reserve
- Deans List
- POC of the Quarter Fall 2007
- AFECA Scholarship
- Rising Eagle Award from Field Training
- Honor Flight Ribbon from Field Training
- AFROTC Cadet of the Month February 2007
- Cadet of the Semester, voted by peers
- Ordained Minister in Church of Universal Life
- Local and National Society of Physics Students
- Peer Vote Award: Most Inspirational POC
- Who’s Who Among Americas College Students
- National Conclave for Arnold Air Society

Volunteer Work
- Ashley Street Cleanup
- Valentines for Vets
- Red Cross Blood Drives
- Humane Society Clean Up
- VSU Freshman move-in day and Visitation Tour Guide
- Christmas in the Desert
- Relay for Life
- Second Harvest Food Bank

Program chosen: St. Petersburg, Russia
Leave date: May 29, 2008
Return date: July 1, 2008

I chose this program because… I was in search of a change of pace in my life and Irina, the program director, was cute and gave me chocolate!

When I have free time I plan to… enjoy the St. Petersburg nightlife, visit all the historical sights and meet the locals.

The courses I will take include… Russian Language and Culture.

I am most excited about… being submerged in a culture that speaks an entirely different language and having to survive.

Before I leave the country, I will definitely… find the best spots to go visit, clubbing and eat!

This program will help me reach my long term goals because... it will help me understand other cultures and make me more open-minded!

Meet Nakita Dziegielewski

2008-06-12T15:08:00.009-04:00

Academic Year: Sophomore
GPA: 3.7
Expected Graduation: 2010
Degree Objective: Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies
Employer: OASIS Center for Advising
Hometown: Dalton, Ga.
High school: Northwest Whitfield High School

Academic Highlights:
United Way Youth Volunteer Award
Visionary Award
Dean’s list

Program chosen: St. Petersburg, Russia
Leave date: May 29, 2008
Return date: July 1, 2008

I chose this program because… It will give me the opportunity to immerse myself in an Eastern European culture; while also allowing me to take classes that I can use for credit. St. Petersburg, Russia will also provide me with a cultural adventure that I have yet to experience.

When I have free time I plan to… Travel within the city. I already have a list of places I want to see and restaurants I want to eat at!

The courses I will take include… Russian 1001, St. Petersburg in War in Revolution, and Russian Language and Culture.

I am most excited about… Being thrown into a culture that is so different from my own, and interacting with the people.

Before I leave the country, I will definitely… Eat at the Idiot Café.

This program will help me reach my long term goals because... I eventually want to work for an NGO/Non-Profit in Eastern Europe, and the trip to St. Petersburg, Russia will benefit me greatly by exposing me to Eastern European life. This trip will also allow me to immerse myself in Eastern European culture, and assist me in deciding if international work is what I truly want to do.

A Russian Adventure

2008-06-12T14:52:00.009-04:00

By Nakita Dziegielewski

St. Petersburg has been amazing so far. The “historic heart” of St. Petersburg is so beautiful with all its palaces, cathedrals and museums. So far I have been to the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the Hermitage, Pushkin, Catherine’s Place and the Russian bayna. My favorite places thus far have been Pushkin, Catherine’s garden and the Russian bayna. For those of you that don’t know what a bayna is it is like the American version of a sauna with a little twist. First you go into the sauna, stay in there until you can’t stand it, and after you can’t take it any longer you go and jump into a pool of ice cold water. Sounds crazy, but it is so amazing. It helps with circulation and detoxifies your body. Definitely something that I recommend to everyone that visits Russia!

I loved Pushkin! It was nice to see a softer side of Russia. Pushkin is located on the countryside of St. Pete and also houses Catherine’s palace and garden. It was so different to see the countryside of Russia. The historic heart is filled with beautiful architecture, but the outskirts are filled with large apartment style buildings. The country was a nice contrast. Catherine’s garden (below right) was amazing! It’s full of long, winding trails, tall grass and wildlife. I could of spent hours there, but unfortunately we had to leave by a certain time.

Classes have been great so far. I like my Russian language class. In only one week I have learn so much. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert at communication yet, so I love the fact that body language is universal! It has come in handy more times than one. One thing that I have become an expert at is the metro. I love it!! I was so happy the other day because I was able to get to Nevsky Prospect without having to look at my metro map. I don’t even need it now, but I still carry it with me just in case. I still can’t figure out the bus and trolley system, but I’m not that worried because I don’t ever use it.

An aspect of Russian culture that I have fallen in love with is the food. It is amazing. Every breakfast, lunch and dinner I am served with a hot serving of Russian culture and I love it. The food is so fresh and good. I just can’t get enough.

Paka (goodbye) for now!!