March 2022 – Journals from Abroad

March 28, 2022

Embracing It!

Bonjour bonjour!

The past few weekends consisted of embracing different aspects of life here in southern France and I couldn’t be more excited to share.

First, I decided to take a quick weekend getaway trip to a coastal town an hour away from Aix, La Ciotat! As I’m a Seattleite myself, it felt like a breath of home when I arrived in that small town. It was a warm and slightly breezy afternoon as my two friends and I stepped out of the train. Sea salt filled the air, the colorful red, yellow, and blue sail boats bobbed on the crystal clear water. Our air bnb located in a small walk way right next to the harbor amid the bustling day and night life. Multiple pubs, restaurants and antique shops lined the walk of the entire harbor with laughs and shouts echoing right outside our air bnb.

Overcast skies sale boats lining the image and choppy water from the wind. — Cloudy Sunday morning of multiple sale boats drifting around while docked.

Red dining chairs and table surrounded by a couple trees in the middle of a cobble stone square and tan buildings — We stopped for a quick picture in this beautiful hidden square in La Ciotat. Cafes and shops lined the outskirts.

We enjoyed a casual and cozy night after a wonderful dinner on a beach front restaurant watching a movie and enjoying each other’s company. The next day we woke up to head back to Aix, and there was a market with fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, clothes and more waiting for us as we stepped outside. It was cloudy and windy that Sunday morning but we didn’t mind, as we walked along and enjoyed the sights of a friendly small town market. We spent the day wandering the town as we waited for our train and spent the short ride home happy and ready for the next adventure in store.

Alleyway of tan buildings and small potted plants — The alley up to our air bnb.

The next trip was this past Saturday for my history class “France during the Occupation” which focuses on France and the occupation of German soldiers during the second World War. This field study took us to the town of Eygalières, a beautiful small town that is located in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny, a slight breeze, and got up to 71 degrees °F. The people all around us seemed to be enjoying soaking up every ounce and minute this town had to offer. Laughs and smiles and the occasional curiosity at a big group of American students walking through town. (I mean, I know we would be curious!)

3 students and a professor walking down a paved road lined with tall trees and sunrays peeking through — My history professor pointing out some classmates an olive tree grove to the left as we walked to town.

A small bell tower on the right, rocky ground, sunny and bright blue skies overlooking the small french town below. — Our class hiked to the top of the hill overlooking Eygalières.

Both of these towns had a different atmosphere but one thing remained the same, the smiles and laughter of the citizens was contagious. I am so lucky to say I’ve been able to experience this slow-paced and happy culture. I’m so fortunate to embrace the people, the food, the music, and the nature around me every second I’m here.

A tiny storefront with greenery grown around the front crawling the stone building covered in sunlight — A beautiful storefront on our walk up to the top of the hill, through the heart of the town.

Until next time, À bientôt!

Emma Libby

March 28, 2022

Paddy’s Day

Hello from Galway, Ireland!

March here has been a whirlwind of activity from everything like assignments, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, a dance showcase, and many local adventures. When it came to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, I was a bit lost on what to do for the holiday. We asked our roommates from Ireland what the day usually consisted of, and they filled us in on all things Paddy’s Day. We started the day out by donning our green clothing and set out for the parade through the city center.

three girls wearing green st. paddy's day — Paddy’s Day green

The Parade was packed with people celebrating and displayed a beautiful blend of cultures who had Irish pride. We got to see some traditional Irish musicians play on floats, folk dancing, and all of the cool clubs and businesses that participated in the parade as well. After the parade we headed to a place to grab a bite to eat before the night got busy and exciting.

irish flags waving on the streets — St. Patrick’s day parade

Later that night we went out to a couple of different pubs to celebrate the holiday with drinks and dancing. This exciting day had everyone in a festive mood and allowed us to feel closer to Irish culture by getting in on the celebration.

green disco ball reflecting all over the street and buildings — shop st. with paddy’s day disco balls

Another fun thing that happened in March was the dance showcase. My roommates and I dance back at Linfield in the showcases that are put on every year, and this semester we were missing the feeling of being a part of something like that. Zell found that open classes were offered through NUIG, and we signed up right away. When we went to the classes, we found out that they were holding a showcase at the end of the four weeks. This month worked hard on learning our routines and participating in dance at NUIG.

group photo with colorful lights — dance showcase

I unfortunately was not able to perform due to an old injury acting up, but I was able to watch Zell and Haley perform in the showcase and have a wonderful time working with the other dance students. It was very cool to still be able to do something we love from Linfield while we were abroad.

row of colorful houses and ocean view — Galway bay

Lately the weather around Galway has been wonderful, and we have been filling the days with walks to the beach and studying outdoors.

view of ocean with clouds and rocks — Salthill walk

Finals are in our near future now, but we have had the best time this month in Galway.

Best,

Isabel Brown

March 28, 2022March 28, 2022

Luck of the Irish

I survived Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland! What I learned from the experience is that most Irish youth would describe St. Paddy’s Day as just a reason to drink all day. So truthfully, it wasn’t that much different from the celebrations in the states, except that I could partake.

Most of my roommates went to spend the first half of the day in Dublin, but McCall and I opted to stay and enjoy the festivities that Galway had to offer. We started off the holiday by attending the annual parade in the city center. It was the first parade in two years due to the pandemic and we could definitely feel everyone’s excitement for its return buzzing all around us.

A surprising amount of people were dressed up in green and sported fun, gimmicky props which made the day feel even more festive! As for the parade, it mostly consisted of marching musicians, youth sports teams and local advocacy groups. Overall, it was just exciting to people-watch both the parade participants and those in the surrounding crowd.

We continued celebrating later that day by hanging out at a pub and beer garden. McCall and I were joined by one of our roommates, Kieran, and also Gabbie and Nathan, two of my friends from the states who had arrived in Galway that day. We spent the rest of the night meeting and befriending locals, a few of whom have even studied abroad in California!

This past week I finished some of my classes and started working on my final essays; so crazy, I know! In my free time throughout the week I was also able to show Gabbie and Nathan around Galway.

Gabbie and Nathan's first Guinness — Gabbie and Nathan’s first Guinness

To cap off this month, I will be going on a class field trip to three different castles. I will highlight that trip and the castles we visit in my next blog!

Best,

Laney Green

March 28, 2022

First Week in Chile

After getting all settled in with our host families and figuring out our class schedules, it was time to do a little exploring. All of the international students at our university get assigned tutors to help them through the process, and honestly, I don’t know what we would have done without ours. On Thursday, the 18th, they helped us get our schedules sorted out, and afterwards, gave us a tour of the university so that we would know where our classes were. This took up most of our morning, and since nothing was planned for the afternoon, our tutors wanted to take us through the “Centro” of Chillán which is essentially the most “hustle-and-bustle” that you can find in this small town.

We walked about a mile from the university and chatted with the tutors, getting to know them a little better on the way. Their names are Juan Pablo, Edward, and Gillian, who all are studying English at the University. It’s really been a win-win situation because they have been helping us with our Spanish and we have been helping them with their English.

Before we got to the Centro, we had to stop to get some food. Juan Pablo urged me to try a “completo,” which is essentially a Chilean hot dog with your choice of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and avocado. This was easily the biggest hot dog I have ever eaten, and probably one of the messiest too, but every bite was worth it. We finished eating pretty quickly since we all were hungry, but we stayed at our table and chatted for at least an hour afterwards. The thing about Chile is that no one really seems to have set plans. They take every day as it comes and they aren’t stressed about how long anything will take or worrying about what else they have to be doing. The people here genuinely enjoy connecting with each other, even if that means staying out much longer than what might be considered “normal” for people in the U.S.

We arrived at the Centro after we were done, and the street was lined with stands where vendors were selling jewelry, pastries and other handmade knick-knacks. Past this market was the plaza where you can find a famous Catholic church in Chillán, called Charles Borromeo Cathedral, as well as a statue of Bernardo O’Higgins, who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence.

The next day, we went downtown again with the tutors to get a few things sorted out with our visa documents. Once we were finished there, they took us to get our first, “mote con huesillo,” which is a special Chilean dessert/drink made with wheat and peaches. We also enjoyed candy that can only be found in Chile, which was fun to try.

That wasn’t all of the activity that the first week held in store. Isabel and I are lucky enough to have host families that are actually also family. My host mom, Ana María, is the sister of Isabel’s host dad, Ricardo. Due to this, our families do a lot of stuff together. One of the main things is the family vacation house in San Fabián, about an hour-and-a-half drive east of Chillán, in the Andes Mountains. Each of our families has a house side-by-side, with a cabin-like feel and incredible view of two mountain peaks.

After staying a night in the cabin, our main activity in San Fabián was driving through the Andes Mountain trails to get to one of Ricardo’s favorite spots to eat lunch and chat. We stopped a few times along the way to take pictures of the beautiful views. After we ate, we played dominoes and card games on a picnic blanket before heading home to Chillán.

To think that it has only been a week since we got to Chillán makes me so excited for all that is in store for Isabel and I on this incredible journey. The dialect is already becoming more familiar, and it’s beginning to sink in for us that we will truly be living a Chilean life filled with spontaneity, fun and family time for these next four months.

Nos vemos,

Jordan

Charles Borromeo Cathedral, known for its unique dome shape

(From left) Edward, Gillian, Isabel, myself and Juan Pablo enjoying lunch at the completo stand

Statue of Bernardo O’Higgins in the plaza

Myself and Isabel enjoying the incredible view of the Andes Mountains in San Fabián

Myself, Paulina my host aunt, Isabel and my host cousin Ignacia playing dominoes

March 25, 2022

Arriving in Chile

Finally being on a plane headed to Chile was one of the most surreal experiences I have had in my life. For two years, I have been anticipating and planning for this trip, and with COVID restrictions ever-changing, it sometimes felt like I would never arrive. But there we were, Isabel and I, navigating the Santiago airport to go through customs, collect our bags and somehow locate our shuttle bus to get to our hotel for the night. We had been traveling for almost 24 hours, from 10pm last Monday night until 10pm the next day, with a layover in Mexico City in between. We had absolutely no concept of time when we finally crashed in our hotel room. All we knew was that we were in Chile and that this was only the beginning of the trip that already felt like a dream.

The next morning, we met Florencia Casanova Luna from the English program at the Universidad del Bío Bío, our new university for the upcoming semester. She picked us up and drove us four hours south to Chillán, a region in Chile where our host families live. When I arrived at my host family’s house, I had no idea what to expect. My host mom had messaged me that they were excited to have me, and I had a picture of what they looked like, but other than that, I didn’t have any other information.

First, I met my host sister, who is also named Florencia, and my host brother, Joaquin, who was nice enough to lend me his room for my stay. He immediately reminded me of my own brother at home, with posters of classic American rock bands hung up all over his walls. I didn’t mind that they were still there, it felt like a part of home.

Later, I met my host dad, Mauricio, and my host mom, Ana María, along with my other host brother, Vicente. They were so welcoming and kind, and wanted to know all of the interesting things about me, my family and my life in the United States. We sat down for “once” which is a meal that Chileans have between their lunch and dinner between 8:00 and 9:00pm. Sometimes this meal even replaces dinner if it goes on for long enough. Usually, there is bread served with butter and ham, or marmalade if you would rather have that, as well as avocado toast. This particular once lasted longer than normal, as the family members were getting to know me, and vice versa. This first meal with them is truly something I will never forget. The new dialect of Spanish that I had never heard before was both overwhelming but also incredibly interesting.

I have already learned and absorbed so much, even though I have mostly found myself sitting and listening instead of participating in most of the conversations. The Chilean dialect is so much faster and more complicated than any other I have heard because they have their own unique slang terms and speak at a much more rapid pace. I’m constantly taking in new information and my family helps me out by explaining as many slang terms as they can and slowing down their speech. I can only imagine how much my Spanish is going to improve by the end of this experience.

Ciao for now,

Jordan

Isabel (left) and I (right) posing for a photo at the airport before we say goodbye to our families — Isabel (left) and I (right) posing for a quick photo at the airport before we say goodbye to our families

March 21, 2022March 22, 2022

Daily Life in Southern France

Rebonjour!

My last blog covered travels, so I figured the next one should focus on the bulk of my experience abroad, Southern France!

Alleyway on a bright blue sunny day. Surrounding tan buildings with two parked cars on either side of the cobblestone street. — A snapshot of a small walk to another building 5 minutes away to the main school building for a wine class at the end of the day.

The weather here in Aix is a stark contrast to that of McMinnville Oregon. It rarely, if ever, rains and is warm and dry. There is a great wind that is known as the Mistral winds that come from the coast. Some days it’s a nice gentle breeze, and others it nearly knocks you off your feet with one step outside.

Tall white pillar fountain on the right, bare trees on the left pointing up to the blue sky with a busy market underneath. — One of the many town squares with a monumental fountain in the middle during a market day.

Walking street lined with restaurants and shops under a blue clear sky. — A picture of the Cours Mirabeau, a main street that is lined with restaurants and shops with fountains in the middle.

Fresh fruits and vegetables lined up under the sun for the food market. — The food market, always filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and honey.

Let’s take a look at a daily schedule of mine. I currently live with my host mom about a 30 minute walk away from the middle of town and school. If it’s a particularly nice day, I wake up a little earlier so I can enjoy my walk down to class. There are actually African Ringneck Parakeets living in downtown Aix, they flit above your head on your walk down as bright green flashes. After arriving downtown depending on if I have a morning or afternoon class I grab a bite to eat. If it’s the morning I go to my favorite boulangerie and grab a pain au chocolate and a beignet with some coffee. It’s become such routine that the lady that works mornings has memorized my order and now we talk a bit when she makes my coffee.

Bright yellow flowers surrounded by other bouquets in a market setting. — The flower market in town a mere 5 minute walk from the food market.

I then head to class for an hour or two and grab lunch in town. Sometimes hitting the market and strolling through the vendors and smelling the fresh flowers. Each day I still take in everything like it’s my first time. The architecture always blows my mind and the historical rich town and culture is a constant dream. The locals that have gotten to know me wave as I pass their shops and/or restaurants. The happiness here in the community is overwhelming. Sometimes I stumble into a new street or corner I haven’t seen before and there is a new fountain or church with beautiful art carved into the stone. Most of the time it feels like I have walked on to a movie set and I have the amazing opportunity to soak it up and live in it every day.

73 year old woman wearing a white and orange apron holding out a skillet with a freshly made crêpe. — My host mom Josette proudly held her crêpe out for a photo for the blog. She has been hosting students for 20 years!

At the end of the day I have to make it back to my homestay for dinner at 7pm. Due to the one mile hike to go back up to the homestay and after a long day of walking the town, I take the bus for a 15 minute ride back home. There are times our host mom will cook crêpes for dinner and they are a thousand times better than what you can get on the street.

I’m so thankful for this experience and I hope this gave you a little peak at the wonderful every day life of a study abroad student in Aix en Provence.

À bientôt!

Emma Libby

March 16, 2022March 18, 2022

March madness

It feels like so much and so little has happened this month and it’s only and already the third week. I guess that’s the magic of Ireland, or just my inability to keep track of time while here. Either way, it’s already been quite the month and the main event (Saint Patrick’s Day) has not even happened yet. Nevertheless, I will take you through this month’s adventures so far.

The last weekend of February and the first week of March my family came to visit me. It was pretty crazy that all three of them made the trip out here and it was such a fun experience getting to show them around my new temporary home. I gave them a walking tour throughout Galway which included a trip to campus and the Salthill beach and diving board.

My parents rented a car for their time in Ireland, so we were able to drive to the countryside of Connemara and hike Diamond Hill. I have completed this hike once already with my roommates in the pouring rain, but this time around it was clear and sunny which made for an entirely different hiking experience. In comparison, I preferred the blue sky over the wind and rain, but the landscape is beautiful regardless.

Also within the first week of March McCall and I played for the NUIG Ladies Club team in the National League final. We went into double overtime and eventually penalty kicks before we came away with the trophy! It was so fun playing soccer with such a welcoming group of women, and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of a first place victory for our school.

Other than more school work and some local exploring around Galway, that pretty much sums up the first three weeks of March! I’ll be back to report on my full Irish St. Patrick’s Day experience soon.

Best,

Laney Green

P.S. Mask restrictions have lifted here (as did Oregon’s soon after) and it is so weird!

March 14, 2022

Dublin Adventure

Hello from Galway, Ireland!

This month we have been doing a lot more exploring around Ireland including a trip we took to Dublin for Zell’s 21st birthday. We were able to get a hotel room in Dublin and train tickets there to have a fun long weekend celebration. The first thing we did when we arrived in Dublin was check into our hotel.

ducks, seagulls, and other birds in water. trees around the shoreline — Dublin Park

After the hotel we headed straight to the museum of archaeology. We were delighted to find that the museums in Dublin are completely free, and we spent all the time we could exploring and learning about Ireland’s diverse archaeological background. It was cool to see the things we have been learning about in our Irish, medieval, and Viking archeology classes in person. We got to look at the famed bog bodies, Viking age materials, and many intricate pieces of jewelry among other artifacts.

Outside architecture of the museum of archaeology in Dublin — Museum of Archaeology

We found a wonderful place to eat that night and then crashed at the hotel. The next day was Zell’s birthday, so we headed out to Dublin Zoo! The zoo was amazing, and it was well worth the hour walk to get there. There were many really cool animals, and we were blessed with great weather for our entire trip.

Red panda walking down a log in its enclosure — red panda at the zoo

After the zoo we headed to the art museum and wandered around until it closed for the day looking at artwork, furniture, and clothing from all around Europe.

window overlooking a courtyard with art building viewed through it — Dublin art museum

We found a perfect place for birthday drinks, dinner, and dessert that night to end Zell’s 21st.

Three drinks on a table with smiling girl on opposite side of the table — bday drinks

The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and visited Trinity college to see the book of Kells in all its glory. The library was stunning and seeing the book of Kells up close was a surreal experience.

library shelves and marble busts — Trinity College Library

After the library we took a long walk back to the train station where we read our books until it was time to board out train back to Galway. We had an amazing adventure packed weekend in Dublin, and we are already planning our next visit there for a concert we are seeing in April.

Best,

Isabel Brown

March 9, 2022March 9, 2022

Carnaval Break

This last week was Carnaval break, and we had a whole week to relax and participate in various festivities. Carnaval happens in many countries around the world and each place has its unique traditions.

In Ecuador specifically, there are various cities that attract a ton of Ecuadorians due to their different ways of celebrating. In almost all the cities, people go out on the street and throw water and foam at their family, friends, and even strangers. I personally went to the Ecuadorian coast with another American girl and our Ecuadorian friends. We traveled 5 hours from Quito and finally arrived at the beach. The area we stayed at was full of college students or young adults from Quito. For the next few days, we spent our time swimming in the ocean, dancing, and drinking coconut smoothies. It was super relaxing and fun to be able to meet other students and forget about school for a bit. After this trip, I had exactly 24 hours to go home and wash my clothes and pack my bags for the trip I would be taking to Galapagos.

The trip to Galapagos was organized through a tour guide recommended from San Francisco who arranges trips to several locations solely for international students. We started the trip by flying to Baltra and taking a small boat to the biggest Island Puerto Ayora. While on this island, we went to the Charles Darwin Research station. Here we had the opportunity to learn about Darwin’s life, his theories and see a ton of tortoises. From here, we explored the island and went to Tortuga Bay which is considered the most beautiful beach in Galapagos. The next few days we spent time on several beaches where we snorkeled with sharks, turtles, sea lions, and several beautiful fish. It was amazing how close you could be to sea lions, iguanas, and birds wherever you went.

One of the most surprising things to me was how small and local the islands felt. Big companies aren’t allowed to go in so everything feels very authentic.

Overall, I loved spending my break on the beach, and although both locations were very different in terms of activities, both were unforgettable and amazing.

Un abrazo,

Salma Galvan

Photo of the gate at Galapagos airport — Arriving in Galapagos

Photo of the shore in Galapagos with boats in the background — Island shore

Photo of a giant tortoise with two girls posing behind it — Galapagos Tortoises

6 students hugging on a boat with a huge rock in the background — Amigos en Galapagos

Photo of an airbnb complex where the pool, palm trees and other buildings are visible — Ecuadorian Coast

March 9, 2022

International Student Life

One of the best parts of being an international student is that you not only meet people from your host country but from around the world. In Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the international programs are very well organized and there’s a lot of support that is offered to its students. One of the best parts of academic life is that you have the ability to choose between having classes with international students and local ones.

Sometimes it depends on your Spanish ability, but other times it varies based on what classes sound most interesting. In my case, I have 3 classes with local students and one class with international ones. I think this is a great mix because it allows you to improve your Spanish and meet people from different groups and origins. Other than the access to special cultural classes, there are also other trips and activities for international students to be a part of. There are smaller activities like clubs or outings around the city, but there are also larger trips that the international office organizes or recommends. Specifically, they organize a trip to Tiputini which is a biological base in the Amazon jungle. Through this trip, you have the opportunity to see the university’s biodiversity station and enjoy several activities in nature. In addition to this, they recommend a trip to Peru and Galapagos during the mid-semester break where you go on an organized trip with other international students.

One of the activities I’ve been able to participate in is making traditional Ecuadorian food with professional chefs from the Gastronomy faculty. Through this activity, I was able to join 10 other international students in watching a cooking demonstration and cooking various dishes. On this day, we arrived at the gastronomic part of the campus where we put on our aprons and were given instruction. After a brief introduction, we were able to cut up vegetables, meat, and fruit, in order to prepare the ingredients. In total , we made a warm fruit drink ( colada morada), empanadas de Morocho and a fish and shrimp ceviche. Everything was delicious and it was amazing how organized and quick we were able to make so many things.

Un abrazo,

Salma Galvan

Pictured are students in aprons cutting up veggies in a kitchen — Cooking Class

Photo of the several pots cooking both fish and fruits — Cooking Class

Pictured is a bowl of fish and shrimp ceviche — Ceviche Ecuatoriano

Pictured is the gastronomy classroom with students sitting at desks being instructed — Learning from the Chefs

Pictured are empanadas being fried in oil — Empanadas

Pictured is one of the most beautiful buildings on campus, it's white and has a dragon on the top of it — Dragon Building