February 2023 – Journals from Abroad

February 28, 2023

The “Ghosts” of Study Abroad Past, Present, and Future

Hello! Long time, no talk. I am back after a midterms-induced hiatus to bring you yet another blog post.

5 years ago, a high schooler from Denmark found his way to my high school in Oregon for a year abroad. In the years since, Johan and I have managed to keep in touch over Snapchat and other forms of social media. So, when I knew that I would be spending a semester in Europe, he was one of the first people I told. We quickly crafted a plan for him to come spend a weekend in Galway, and I got to hang up my tourist cap and become the tour guide.

a cafe table with two mugs full of coffee and two plates, each with a lemon meringue tart — coffee and a lemon meringue tart to fuel our city exploration

bins full of stuffed animals — “artist’s alley”, or the vendor’s area of Akumacon, the University of Galway’s annual anime and manga convention

a canal with rows of buildings on each side — one of the canals that feeds into the Atlantic Ocean

We spent most of Friday and Saturday exploring downtown Galway. We went to the cathedral, strolled down Shop Street, stopped at an adorable café, walked the nature trail that runs by the University of Galway, popped our heads into Akumacon (the anime and manga convention held at the University every year), and eventually found our way to the Galway Museum and its accompanying visitor’s center. At the visitor’s center, we asked about fun things to do and the employee pointed us to a pamphlet about the Aran Islands.

a nature trail with rees on either side — part of the nature trail that runs alongside the university’s campus and the Corrib River

an old stone building with an arched gate in the middle — an old building we found on our walk

a river, on the opposite bank are ruins of a stone castle — We spotted Menlo Castle from across the river!

24 hours later, we were on a bus headed 45 minutes west to the town of Rossaveel to catch a 45 minute ferry to the island of Inis Mór (Inishmore), the largest of the three Aran Islands. Upon arrival, we headed to the only supermarket on the island to grab sandwiches and coffee. What we should’ve grabbed in addition to our lunchtime spread was cash from the ATM, as many of the stores on the island only take cash, and the supermarket closes early on Sunday. But, hey, at least we know for next time!

two people sitting on a ferry. The person on the left is a young woman wearing a teal jacket and a yellow shirt. The person on the right is a young man wearing a brown shirt — Selfie on the ferry to Inis Mór

On the way out of the supermarket, we were stopped by a man running a bus tour offering us seats. As the only other method of island transportation was to rent a bike on a windy, cloudy day for the same price, we happily obliged. This was perhaps the best decision we had made that day. We were able to bounce around the island faster than by bike, were given opportunities to get out and explore sites at our own pace, and got to learn history and current events about the island from an Aran Islands local.

Some of my favorite fun facts from the tour include the following: Inis Mór (and the Aran Islands in general) is one of the few remaining places in Ireland with native Irish speakers, and all schooling on the island is done in Irish; that the islands iconic rows of stone walls were built simply because there were so many rocks on the island that nobody knew what else to use them for.

a graveyard full of tombstones with crosses and low stone walls — our first stop on the tour: one of three graveyards on the island. Some of the tombstones date back several hundred years

a stone pillar framed within a stone arch — another shot of the cemetery

Our main stop of the tour was at Dún Aonghasa, a semi-circular ring fort located at the top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. At the bottom was a visitors center, detailing the site’s history and excavation efforts made by archaeologists. Dún Aonghasa dates back to 1100 BCE, and, as an anthropology major at Linfield with an interest in material culture studies/archaeology, it was perhaps my favorite stop of the day.

a gravel walking trail, with a rock wall on the left and trees on the right — the start of the walking trail up to Dún Aonghasa

a rocky uphill path with stone walls on either side — What the walking trail to Dún Aonghasa eventually turns into. It was a fun puzzle to figure out the best route up and down the hill

a young woman standing on a gravel path. She is wearing a teal jacket, yellow shirt, jeans, and sneakers — When I told my friend I was blogging my study abroad experience, he insisted that he take pictures of me so that I would have content. This is the result 🙂

a stone wall with loose stone piles just beyond it — the outer wall of Dún Aonghasa

rocky terrain at the top of a hill with the Atlantic Ocean in the distance — a view from the top of our climb to reach the fort

As with most places where tourism makes up a large portion of an area’s economy, the Aran Islands have many a shop for tourists to visit, including cafés and restaurants, bigger stores selling Aran sweaters and touristy knicknacks, and small shops selling handknit/crochet pieces and art from Aran Island locals. We visited in what is considered the tourist off-season on a Sunday, which means that many of these shops were closed, but it also gave the entire trip a more “authentic”, cozier feel. We ended the day with dinner at a bar, accompanied by the two other people on our bus tour from the day, who were university students studying abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

traditional celtic style art of a woman holding a stick, positioned on the side of a white-walled building — traditional art on the side of one of the shops on the island. I purchased an art print from a local artist in a similar style from here 🙂

a yellow building and a road — a picture captured from the end of our day on the island, including the rare sight of blue sky and some sun

the top deck of a ferry during sunset. The ferry is flying the flag of Ireland — we braved the cold of the top deck on the way back to watch the sunset on the ferry

Being able to reconnect with an old friend and experience this little corner of Ireland together has been one of my favorite parts of my study abroad experience thus far. But, there is still ample opportunity to make even greater memories in my time here. So, this blog post is dedicated to the “ghosts” of study abroad experiences past, present, and study abroad experiences yet to come. Dickensian puns aside, I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes me next 🙂

Until next time,

Katie

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023

Birthday Blues

The day before my birthday I got up at 6 am and had my boyfriend drive me to the airport. I then proceeded to ball my eyes out as we said goodbye. Having never been on a plane before I threw all my focus into surviving the next 15 hours. Going through TSA was made to seem like the most daunting task I would face. However, I sped right through it and went off to find my gate. The first flight was to Vancouver, Canada. I was told the plane would be a small prop plane and I instantly became worried about the sturdiness of the aircraft.

Passport with 2 plane tickets inside. — Anxiously awaiting the first flight.

The first plane ride was shaky but once in the air, we became more steady. I had a window seat and got to look out as we rose above the clouds. I took a short nap before I arrived in Canada.

plane window with clouds outside. — First Peak At The Sky Above The Clouds.

Next up was the real task as I had a 12-hour flight ahead of me. I was thankful for the inflight meals as I had not eaten before the airport. I quickly became jealous of the girl next to me as she slept for most of the trip. Unable to get comfy I was awake for most of the trip and stared at the flight map.

Flight map. — What Did I Get Myself Into?

I arrived in Korea later than intended and my only goal after my 14-hour flight was to lie down in my bed. With Orientation the next day I went to be at 9 pm Korea time. Going to bed so early meant I woke up way before my alarm. The best part about waking up early was that I could talk to my boyfriend again. When you get thrown into a new country by yourself things can be scary. I kept my boyfriend on the phone as I got the courage to finally leave my room for the first time. Having someone on the phone to support me helped greatly.

I went to the 7-11 near my apartment to buy a snack and then headed toward the university. Naver Maps (the Google Maps of Korea) said the walk would take 26 minutes. I got to the building the orientation was but I was 2 hours early. Unable to get inside as the doors were locked I sat on the curb outside. Which was unfortunate for me in that I was only armed with a thin sweatshirt. As people began to gather out front a girl came up to me to ask if she was in the right spot. We became orientation buddies and I learned that she was from France. After the orientation, we went to one of the school’s cafeterias and had lunch together.

Pamphlet of Yonsei rules and a map. — The Map Will Come in Handy.

I miss home a great deal but I am hoping that with time and new friends, things will get easier.

Gracie

February 22, 2023

Breaking Past Boundaries

!Hola Desde Quito!

I am back and more enthusiastic than ever! During these past few weeks away from the blog, I’ve been able to find a good balance between university life and exploration, which has been a huge stress relief! Sometimes, it can be very challenging trying to prioritize travel, especially when there are other obligations, but so far, I don’t have a single regret. Not only have I been able to explore more of Ecuador’s natural beauty, but I have also had the opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone while showing my adventurous side.

One of my first adventures since my last blog was taking a spontaneous trip with a group of exchange friends to visit the Historical Center of Quito. This was a very fun experience, as we were able to go at our own pace and choose how to go about our exploration. Our first stop of the day was to “Centro de arte contemporaneo”, which is a museum that showcases various forms of contemporary art. Overall, I really enjoyed this museum and what it had to offer, especially the exhibits portraying climate preservation and Indigenous artwork. In the museum, there was also an option to travel to the top level, where there was an amazing view of the residential area of the Historical Center. I, along with my friend Nati, also probably had a bit too much fun in the kid center, where we made a colorful piece of art; try to guess which side belongs to which artist!

This is an artwork found in a contemporary art museum. It is of a giant face that is made of other smaller faces. The material used for this artwork is metal — One of many artworks found in the “Centro de arte contemporaneo”

This is another artwork found in the contemporary art museum. It is of a wire person attached to leaves, birds, the sun, and the moon. This artwork is an Indigenous piece. — An Indigenous artwork

This picture shows a sky view from the contemporary art building. It is composed of many buildings, bright blue skies, and puffy clouds — Sky View from the art museum

This is a photo drawn by Nati and I. It depicts the sea, but with birds, a ship, Ariel, and an airplane. — Nati’s and I’s masterpiece

After our time at the “Centro de arte contemporaneo”, we traveled to the nearby church “Basílica del voto nacional”. This church was outstanding! Not only is the architecture gorgeous, but it also has a unique feature of letting the public climb to the top of its towers. This was a bit scary for me, as the main method of climbing is using a single staircase that exists on the outside of the building. However, after some self-convincing (along with friendly support from my friends), I was able to climb to the top and have never felt more proud! From this position, I had a great viewpoint of both the residential area and the nearby mountains. It is also interesting to hear how loudly some residents play their music, as I was being serenaded to “Funky Town” almost 400 feet above ground level.

Pictured is the front of “Basílica del voto nacional”. This church is grey, has many towers and is surrounded by blue sky. — The front of the Basílica

Pictured is the inside of “Basílica del voto nacional”. In the church is very tall stained glass and lots of gold decor. — The inside of the Basílica

Pictured is another stained glass window as light is shining through. This light is brightening up the colored portions of the stained glass

Light going through a stained glass window

Pictured is a sky view from one of the “Basílica del voto nacional” towers. Here, there are many buildings, a green mountain, blue sky, and white clouds. — Viewpoint of Historical center from Basílica’s tower

Pictured is me smiling in one of the towers. Behind me are the two tower clocks of “Basílica del voto nacional”. Both towers appear grey and have giant clocks that read different times. The behind sky is blue with some clouds — Me after climbing the Basílica tower

On another separate day in February, another group of friends and I took a trip to “Museo de cera ‘Alberto Mena Caamaño’” for our Ecuadorian culture class. Here, we learned about the history of Ecuador’s independence, leading up to its formation as a singular republic. This museum illustrated the history through information boards and wax figures, which I thought was very intriguing! However, there was one part of the museum that mimicked a graphic war scene in a dungeon, which was a little too gory for my taste. My favorite fun fact from this exhibit centers around the resemblance that Ecuador’s flag shares with Columbia and Venezuela. At one point, these countries made up the republic of Gran Colombia; when this republic disbanded, that led to the formation of each country, resulting in similar flag patterns to that of Gran Colombia.

Pictured are wax figures depicting the early history of Ecuador's fight towards independence. Here, there are four wax figured men in an office thinking about their next strategical move — Wax figures depicting Ecuador’s early fight for independence

Pictures are glass figurines of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Jesus is laying on the ground while Mary and Joseph are in awe of him. — Glass figurines of Mary and Joseph

Pictured is a wooden carving of Ecuador's shape. The photo has a few historical figures painted onto the sign — Cool carving of Ecuador

Pictured is me smiling with three of my friends. We are all outside of the Wax museum's courtyard — My friends and I after visiting the wax museum

Probably my favorite excursion in Ecuador thus far has been hiking mount Pichincha! This mountain trail takes about 4 hours to hike up (as it is very uphill), and about 1.5 hours to hike down. In order to get to this trail, I had to take a teleférico, which resembles a cable car traveling above ground. I will not lie; this part was a bit scary, as heights are something that I try to avoid. This trip, however, is about pushing my boundaries, which has now given me a very memorable experience. On the car ride up, I realized that I had forgotten to pack snacks (silly me), so I ended up buying a sandwich at a nearby cafe. The hike itself was very interesting, as it transitioned from a mountain path to a form of safe rock climbing to a giant sand hill (which was my least favorite part). Even though doing this hike in white Nike running shoes was a very bad idea, it was definitely worth it, as the viewpoint was outstanding! I also enjoyed the quality bonding time I had with the group I went with, as I definitely made new friendships on this trip!

Pictured is view of Quito from the Pichincha trail. All of the buildings are very faint, as it is a very far away pciture. — View of Quito from early parts of Pichincha trail

Pictured is part of the Pichincha trail. It is a dirt path with wild grass growing along it. Further parts of the trail are visible on the terrain with bright blue sky and clouds — Trail of Pichincha

Pictured is me smiling as I am near the top of the Pichincha trail. Beyond me are a lot of rocks and far away mountains with a cloudy sky — Me close to the top of Pichincha trail

Pictured is my friends and I after hiking the Pichincha trail. In the photo, we are all smiling with the trail, mountains, and sky in the background — Us ready to take on Pichincha

!Chao!

Cassie Klagge

February 1, 2023

The Definition of Walking Distance

What do you consider to be “walking distance”? How long are you willing to walk to reach your final destination? My friend and I frequently have this debate, and my definition has traditionally been rather short (5-10 minutes), where his is rather long (45 minutes to 1 hour). A lot of this has to do with where we grew up (rural area where I could walk 45 minutes from my house and barely reach the edge of town vs. an incredibly walkable city where an hour gets you everywhere you could need to go).

a road and two stone arches — more scenery outside my apartment

stone ruins of a castle; 2 partially standing walls — Terryland Castle, which I pass on my walk to campus

I’ve been thinking about this debate a lot while I’ve been abroad. I am very fortunate that Galway, like most European cities, is incredibly walkable. But, it has meant that my definition needed some massive updating. It takes me 15 minutes to walk from my student accommodation to campus for classes every day. 30 minutes to go downtown, 45 minutes to an hour if you want to wander to places like Salthill Beach or the outer edges of Galway City.

a dome and arches inside of Galway Cathedral — The interior of Galway Cathedral

an arched doorway with a red door — The entrance of St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church downtown

a white building with a blue door and a blue shuttered window — more fun architecture of downtown

ruins of old stone walls — Ruins of the Hall of the Red Earl, hiding down a little alleyway downtown

While my change in definition sounds rough, it has yielded some pretty wonderful results. By walking, I’ve been able to take things at my own pace and explore the city. For example, I’ve found restaurants and shops and street performers on pedestrian-only side streets that aren’t accessible by car.

I also have the ability to stop and photograph things I think are cool without worrying that they’re going to disappear out of view. I don’t have to worry about paying for parking. I can catch up on new music and podcasts to pass the time while I walk, consistently “close my rings” on my iPhone’s fitness tracker, and the list goes on.

a picture of board games displayed on a table — a board game/ttrpg store downtown (they also sell delicious nerdy themed donuts) 🙂

a wooden sign with arrows pointing to different places as depicted in works of literary fiction, including wonderland, narnia, neverland, and diagon alley — a sign at a local bookstore

So, if you ever want to update your definition of walking distance, I highly recommend traveling to a walkable city and exploring for a while. You might be surprised at how many little things you see that you might not have otherwise 🙂
Bye for now,
-Katie

a sailboat in a lock during sunset — a sailboat in a lock near the mouth of the Corrib River

a picture of a river and a row of houses — where the Corrib River meets the Atlantic Ocean

February 1, 2023

Exploring The Depths of Ecuador (And University Life Too)

Hola desde Quito!

In my last blog, I mentioned something about “fun surprises”. Well, I was in for probably the “most fun” of these surprises when I learned that the start of classes was pushed back a week due to a university-wide cyberattack. Upon hearing this news, I felt super relieved, as this meant that I had an additional week to become adjusted to Ecuadorian lifestyle and to improve my Spanish before heading onto campus. This additional week would also serve as a great opportunity to become acquainted with other international students and to explore the natural beauty of Ecuador without having the pressure to focus on academic obligations. Us international students were very blessed as USFQ had arranged a full week of fun activities, such as paying soccer/volleyball, learning traditional Hispanic dances, watching a preservation documentary about the Amazon, and visiting geographically unique locations.

Pictured is me smiling and looking eager, as I am ready to take on Ecuador! — My eager face as I enter my first full week of being in Ecuador.

Pictured are two of my international friends, who are holding hands and rhythmically stepping, are trying to learn the steps to Salsa dancing. — Two of my international friends learning Salsa.

Pictured are about thirty international students that are grouped together to take a group photo. — Just a small portion of the USFQ international students.

Of these activities, my personal favorite was traveling to Mitad Del Mundo, which translates to “middle of the world”. Its name is a direct translation of its geography, as it is located exactly on the equator. Although there are other locations that also lay on the equator, Ecuador’s elevation is significantly higher, making it the closest landmark to the center of Earth. As a science major, it was extremely interesting learning how physical forces behave differently at the center of the equator vs. other locations! To “prove” this behavior, we did many interactive activities that dealt with gravity and balance. My personal favorite was trying to balance an egg on a nail, even though I was very much not successful. I was very ambitious to be successful, however, as I wanted both bragging rights and the “egg master” certificate. I may have not gotten the certificate, but I did get my passport stamped there, which was both an unsuspected and pleasant surprise.

Pictured is me holding an egg. In this photo I am trying to balance this egg on a lone-standing nail. — My trying to balance my precious egg.

Pictured is one of my friends who was able to balance an egg on a lone-standing nail. In the picture, she is giving a thumbs up as her egg is supporting itself on the nail. — What it looks like to actually balance the egg and become an egg master.

Pictured is a very tall museum building that is made of stone. On top of this museum is a big circular ball, which is one of the most popular attractions at Mitad del Mundo — One of many learning centers present at Mitad del Mundo.

While visiting Mitad del Mundo, my friends and I also visited Museo Iniñan, which is an interactive museum meant to illustrate the traditional lifestyle of Amazonian and Andean indigenous tribes. My favorite part of this museum was being able to tour previously inhabited indigenous houses, which were present many years prior to the exhibit’s construction. I also found it very interesting how guinea pigs were commonly relied on to determine personal health and spiritual energy.

Prior to knowing this, my tour group was asked to walk into one of the traditional houses, where, to none of our knowledge, there were guinea pigs present. Since they didn’t make any noise throughout our duration in the house, it meant that we had good energy, which I will definitely take as a compliment! Lastly, I found the animal species of the Amazon really interesting, but a bit scary. At this museum, they had a replica BABY tarantula, which is by far the biggest spider that I have ever seen; I don’t know if I ever want to see a grown Amazonian tarantula!

Pictured is a replica of an Ecuadorian indigenous tribe member. The statue is wearing a long white skirt and holding a shrunken head. — Replica of an Ecuadorian indigenous tribe member

Pictures is an exhibit showing the diverse wildlife that is native to the Amazon. Some notable animals include a very large baby tarantula, and extremely narrow fish, and an anaconda. — Some of the Amazon’s diverse wildlife (including the baby tarantula).

These past few weeks I have really enjoyed getting to know my international peers! On Sundays, a group of us get together to play soccer in La Carolina. This has been a very enjoyable experience, as I’ve never really played soccer before, even at the recreational level. One of the guys (Jack), has been helping me learn, which has been so beneficial! After about two weeks of practicing, I think I have improved so much! I even scored my first goal this past Sunday, which felt so good! My personal favorite thing to do on the field is play defense, as I just really like stealing the ball. Hopefully I can take these new soccer skills back to the U.S! I will say, however, the thought of leaving my friends behind in May is already so sad to me!

Pictured is me and 6 of my international friends. We are sitting in a mall and enjoying some bubble tea and ice cream — My friends and I enjoying some sweets

As it is the end of January, I have completed my first week of classes! I have never felt so overwhelmed, proud, and content in one week. The main thing that I struggled with was determining whether my classes were too easy or too linguistically challenging for me, as all of my classes are in Spanish. Due to this, I have switched most of my schedule around to accommodate for each of these areas.

For the most part, I am now content with my schedule, but I am still a little stressed, as I haven’t yet attended three of the four classes that are currently on my schedule. It has also been a little intimidating trying to talk in classes that have native Ecuadorian students, as they are very linguistically advanced in Spanish! However, all of my encounters with native students have been very positive and I plan to talk to more natives/try to form friendships within the next coming weeks! Heading into February, I feel a little uneasy, but very hopeful that everything academically will work out!

Pictured is me taking a mirror pic in my bathroom. I am showing off my first day of school outfit, which is just a black top and white pants. — First day of school fit!

Pictured is my university's on-campus pond. In the photo, there is the pond itself that is surrounded by many palm trees. — The on-campus pond at USFQ

Chao,
Cassie Klagge