A Royal Treat

Today, as the eyes of the world turned to Buckingham Palace and Kate Middleton, as she stunned the world with her grace, all I could think about was that brilliant wedding scene from The Princess Bride. You know the one...

Congrats to the royal couple!

A Sticky Situation

On my ski trip over the spring holiday, I had to deal with the YUCK factor of special red wax, that extra goopy, extra stringy mess that makes you want to just scratch fish scales into even your best pair of racing skis. I ended up carrying along dog hair, pine needles, and more dirt that you could ever imagine on our afternoon outing.

But, just like most things in life, it could have been MUCH worse...

How about getting a lemming stuck in your klister? 

Guest Spot: Lucia Loeb

For the final Guest Spot, I've choosen to highlight a good friend from Humboldt State, Lucia Loeb. Lucia and I both joined the women's rowing team in August of 2008, our first semester at HSU. We were often assigned to the same boat, and we spent countless hours together during our first two years at university, from early mornings on Humboldt Bay to bus rides and plane trips to competitions. She is currently in Viterbo, Italy.

Where did you study in Italy? 

I studied at Università degli Studi della Tuscia for the first semester. I knew that four months was not enough to immerse myself in the culture so I managed to stay longer by Au Pairing for a family. I live in the region of Lazio, which is about an hour from Rome.

Why did you choose Italy?

It is a combination of things that attract me to this country. Partially the obvious factor that attracts many women to Italy; the beautiful men (which is a stereotype I find not always true). It is also my appreciation for art, particularly Italian art. It is all of the stereotypical things such as nude beaches, gelato, pasta and pizza. Although I do not condone stereotypes, the food part has proven to be quite true. It is the language too; I believe it is the most beautiful one I have heard in my twenty years so far. Italy is also part of my heritage. Although I am mostly German, partially Irish, French Jewish and probably more. In fact, I am only one forth Italian. Both of my grandfather's parents came from Italy, but I never met them and I never met my grandfather. Maybe it is the unknown mystery that draws me here. Maybe it's not really important to figure out the steps leading to my fascination with Italy. The only thing that matters in this moment, as I write this, is that I am in Italy.

What were your expectations before you went abroad?

Coming here, I tried to let go of all expectations, but of course this is impossible. Coming to Italy I expected everyone to be friendly, guys to be more forward and more nude beaches. I think all of these things are indeed characteristics of Italy but the main thing that I, and many other Americans, overlook is that Italy is a fairly new country and that each region differs tremendously. Understanding this important fact would help foreigners understand that stereotypes of Italian culture are definitely not true for all Italians or all of Italy. In fact, it may be quite the opposite.

What were the biggest challenges for you? What surprised you the most?

One of the biggest challenges in the beginning was trying to fit in. I wanted so badly to fit in and be Italian, so I avoided groups of Americans, spoke as much Italian as I could, copied their motions and tried to wear similar clothes, which my wardrobe did not allow. It was weird being part of the minority for the first time in my life (although I am aware that Americans are not a marginalized group in any country). Still, it is definitely a different experience having everyone stare and judge us when we would walk by, especially the girls, who didn't seem to want to talk to us at all. I think this is what surprised me the most- I came here with the idea that Italians are all warm and open and friendly, but this depends on where you are regionally and under what circumstances. In the beginning, I made all of my judgements based on the people in my town, but as I traveled and met more Italians I found variations throughout the country. Over time, I learned that if you go to the same shops and start seeing the same faces everyday they will welcome you in with a big smile.
Another huge challenge for me was the language, not so much because it was hard to learn or that I was nervous to speak, but because all I wanted to do was speak Italian. Part of the reason that I split away from Americans was so that I could learn the language faster, but in the beginning I had to speak mostly English because I came here not knowing any Italian. I started to improve my language skills as the months went on, and by only speaking Italian, it isolated me in many ways. It was frustrating when Italians would speak to me in English, but I have realized that they were not being rude but maybe they really did want to practice and learn. Then I was able to relax a bit and think of it as a trade, a little English and a little Italian and everything would be just fine.

What was the biggest lesson that you got out of your time in Italy?

It is important to look at a person for who they are and not judge them based on cultural stereotypes. At the same time, it is important to recognize what the cultural differences are between your own culture and the culture you are living in. In Italy, the first thing I will say is that many Italians don't feel Italian. Instead many people may identify themselves based on their city or region. Rome differs from Napoli just as much as New York differs from San Francisco, if not more. Each region and city has its own cuisine, its own dialect and there are even different languages. Despite these differences, there are some things that are true throughout the country. The mindset and pride about food is a big one. Another thing that Italians share is generosity, in the sense of hospitality and sharing food. I feel, in general, Americans are more greedy with their money, and even after six months of being here I am still like that- it is hard to break habits of a culture we were raised in.

What suggestions would you have for people who are thinking about studying abroad?

Study abroad!! It is such an important and eye-opening experience. Do whatever you can to put yourself out there and make friends with locals. Be independent and don't cling onto what is familiar to you- after all, you are abroad for a reason. This being said, I have found it is also important to have at least one friend from your own culture. In my own experience, I felt it was really important to learn the language. A lot of Americans in my group said that they wanted to learn but did not put in the effort. This was really hard for me to understand and at first it was hard not to judge them for this. I was able to come to terms with the fact athat maybe they came to Italy for different reasons than I did (like art, traveling, partying, eating, etc) and that language was not on the top of the list. Meeting people and building a community was important and this meant communicating in Italian. I would have felt like an ignorant American if I did not put in the effort that I did to learn the language. Knowing the language helped me to learn a lot more. If you have the chance of studying for more than one semester, do it. By staying longer, I feel like I have learned so much more and I have really built a community here.

Thank you, Lucia!

Did you miss the others?

Here is an introduction to the Guest Spot Project.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Jan Havlas and his experience in Norway.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Mary Centrella and her experience in Mexico.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Mirjam Blaum and her experience in Norway.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Hannah Stutzman and her experience in Guam.

The Parents Come to Visit!

I had a great time with my parents the last two weeks, and there is almost too much to share, but I'll give it my best shot!

Not only did we explore the city, we hit the ski trails and participated in the Norwegian tradition of an "Easter" hut trip. For our final days, we jumped over to the western coast and did a bit of fjord cruisin'.

I still had some school commitments that kept us in Oslo for a few of the days during their visit, which was a perfect opportunity to visit museums and see the city sights. On top of that, we jumped on the chance to be part of the "Tourist in Your Own City" day, which provided a free Oslo Pass to anyone that showed up at City Hall! 

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Oslo Opera House on a sunny day!

A mural inside City Hall

Norwegian Folk Museum

Replica of the Fram, the world's strongest polar vessel

Spring is coming fast here, but I really wanted to take my parents on a ski hut trip! I've had such a blast skiing this winter, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do together. I chose a hut further north in Nordmarka, Sinnerdammen, in hopes that the snow pack would be in decent shape. There was major meltage, and the trails were far from perfect, but we still had fun!

The final portion of the trip was what I was really looking forward to! I've spent a relatively small amount of time on the west coast of Norway, and the dramatic landscapes over there are part of what makes Norway so famous! We took the infamous Flamsbana railway from Myrdal to Flam, a sleepy town at the head of the Aurlandsfjord. This is one impressive engineering feat: the railway decends over 800 meters in only 20 kilometers! It took over 20 years to complete and each of the 6 tunnels were dug by hand. Even if you aren't impressed by the technical info, you will be impressed by the view.

This place gets swamped in the summer time, when huge cruise ships plow in everyday and unload thousands of tourists, so we were thrilled to take the off-season hours and a little rain if it meant avoiding the congestion. We stayed at the Flam Marina Apartments and seemed to have the whole place to ourselves. I had told myself that before leaving Norway, I had to jump in a fjord. I knew that Flam was my best opportunity, especially since it was just a short run from the fjord to a hot shower! 

Flam brought a calmness that we all appreciated. Dad fished in the fjord right off the back deck, Mom had a porpoise-watch station (fully equipped with binoculars), and I enjoyed drinking cup after cup of tea, enjoying one of the most beautiful views in the world. 

All of the time that we spent on the fjord was incredible. I'll let the pictures do the talkin':

We took a ferry all the way from Sogndal to Bergen, a 5 hour fjord trip that took us along the Sognefjord out to the outlying islands near Bergen. Not to disappoint, Bergen upheld it's title as the "Rainiest City in Norway," with over 250 rainy days per year! We hit the fish market, Bryggen, and the funicular to the summit of Fløyen Mountain. It was much easier to navigate the city and make decisions with just three of us, compared to the last time I went to Bergen.

 

 We took the train back to Oslo, and only had a few more days to kick around Oslo, most of which we spent in the sun...

Well, if the snack hut is closed, we'll just nap on the tables.

It was a hugely successful trip, and such a fabulous change of pace to share my Norwegian life with people I care about from home. I'm so glad that my parents were able to get a glimpse of Norway and that I was able to share some new experiences with them. Thanks again for visiting, Mom and Dad!

Guest Spot: Hannah Stutzman

I met Hannah during my first year at University. Although we weren't roomates, we shared a flat in the student residences (Wahoo OACS!).  She was always galavanting around Humboldt County on one adventure or another (I am having flashbacks of a chicken that she brought back to the dorms after visiting a local processing plant). Her curiosity about the world continued to grow- Hannah headed off to Guam this past August for a year abroad. To find out read more about her experiences on Guam, check out her blog, and look under "Guam Updates."

Where do you study in Guam? 

The University of Guam.

Why did you choose Guam?

It's still technically a part of the U.S. and the university is accredited, but it's the furthest away I could get (physically, culturally, and environmentally) from what I had experienced before. Guam is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, below Japan & to the east of the Philippines.

What were your expectations before you went abroad?

I remember trying not to have any high expectations, because after moving around a lot, I've learned that my expectations are seldom met in the beginning. When I came to Guam with few expectations, I had no problems! Imagine that... The other exchange students were very unhappy at first. But once they goth through the first few weeks, everyone was happy. In fact they didn't want to leave when it came time (they opted to stay for one semester, while I had signed up for two). One thing that we had all thought was that we'd be right next to a beach, where we'd go swimming everyday. That didn't happen. We were located on the top of a giant limestone cliff, above rough waters filled with sharp coral. The nice beaches were on the other side of the island.

What were the biggest challenges for you? What surprised you the most?

One of my biggest challenges was learning to share. I had a local islander roommate. Islanders share, and it's sharing at a whole new dimension. My stuff would randomly disappear and show up in the neighbor's room. It wasn't stealing- they just borrow stuff without asking and don't bring it back right away. Borrowing the laptop was really what got me, though. I would find myself getting angry every time someone asked to borrow it, which was multiple times per day. Eventually, I got over that, especially now that I live with an islander family who I love dearly. Literally, whatever is mine, is theirs. And I don't mind! It's a beautiful thing.

What was the biggest lesson that you got out of your time in Guam?

One of the biggest lessons I'm learning is to just let things go (the islander lifestyle, nei?!). At first, the fact that nobody else was stressed, high-strung, and on-top of things freaked me out a little- especially when it came to getting paperwork done and in the right place. I feel like I really had a mini-epiphany: I decide what my emotions are. If I want to get stressed and angry,  I can and I will, but I can also decide to just let that stress and anger go. And with the aid of willpower, it works. Amazing! Yay for the islander chillaxing lifestyle; don't worry, be happy.

What suggestions would you have for people who are thinking about studying abroad?

Just do it. As long as you have the finances and you're curious about life, then studying abroad is for you. If you can't afford to fly to some exotic place, just keep in mind that there are lots of interesting and new places to explore under the National Student Exchange (the program that I'm currently in). You can find out more from your school's exchange coordinators. SPEND TIME WITH THE LOCALS! Don't just hang out with other exchange students. Get out there and meet people from wherever you are. Learn about the culture, try new things. Get away from school and see what the environment is like. Meet people from completely different backgrounds from your own- expand your world view!! Give your exchange experience some time. You will probably get homesick at some point, but homesickness is NOT the end of the world. You may want to network and make connections to locals in your host before you leave, if possible. That way, you can get to know people before you end up in a foreign country and you'll feel a little more at home once you get there. 


Any other comments?
I wouldn't change my decision to go on exchange for the world. I feel that I have grown so much: spiritually, mentally, emotionally, academically, you name it.


Thank you, Hannah!

Did you miss the others?

Here is an introduction to the Guest Spot Project.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Jan Havlas and his experience in Norway.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Mary Centrella and her experience in Mexico.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Mirjam Blaum and her experience in Norway.

Guest Spot: Mirjam Blaum

I met Mirjam in Oslo this past Autumn. We traveled to Fjærland together in September for the hiking and glacier trip, then both attended the "Sleep in the Woods" hut trip in October. It was really fun to get to know Mirjam this fall, and I wish she could have stayed another semester!

Where is your home university?

I study at Universität Bamberg, Germany.

Why did you choose Norway?

I chose Norway because I wanted to study in a Scandinavian country. I also wanted to know more about the politics, the welfare state system and the education system of Norway, which are highly esteemed in Germany and around the world.

What were your expectations before you went abroad?

Before I went to Norway, I had heard that the people were really good English-speakers. But while I was there, it still surprised me how many people spoke nearly fluent English! I think that Germany and the German people should take this as a very good example to follow. I was also impressed by the Norwegian people and their closeness to nature- it is just great how they go hiking during the summertime and cross country skiing during the wintertime- not thinking about good or bad weather conditions. Being in the Norwegian nature makes you feel free! 

What were the biggest challenges for you? What surprised you the most?

The biggest challenge I had was probably the fact that I lived in a flat with 14 other people and in a really small room with another person. But even that I was really afraid of (sharing a room and a flat), and it was a great experience.

What was the biggest lesson that you got out of your time in Norway?

Sometimes it is just important to be brave- otherwise you would miss so many experiences.

What suggestions would you have for people who are thinking about studying abroad?

Just be brave and go abroad!! It will be one of the best experiences you will ever have!

Thank you, Mirjam!

Did you miss the others?

Here is an introduction to the Guest Spot Project.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Jan Havlas and his experience in Norway.

Catch up with Guest Spot: Mary Centrella and her experience in Mexico.

Guest Spot: Mary Centrella

Mary and I share the same hometown of Jackson, Wyoming. Both distance swimmers on the Jackson Hole High School Swim Team, we spent a fair amount of time side by side- in the pool and on countless bus rides criss-crossing the state. She is in her third year at the University of Wyoming. 

Where did you choose to study?

Cholula in Puebla, Mexico.

Why did you choose Mexico?

I chose Mexico because it is our neighbor and there is so much immigration from Mexico to the US that I thought it would be really interesting and helpful to understand that.

What were your expectations before you went abroad?

I expected to have trouble learning the language and I hoped to become fluent in Spanish. I also expected to meet a lot of different people and learn about the world.

What were the biggest challenges for you? What surprised you the most?

My biggest challenge was something I didn't expect. I had so much trouble accepting the culture there. I was surprised by how kind and amazing most of the Mexicans were to me. The Mexican people really made the trip for me.

What was the biggest lesson that you got out of your time in Mexico?

I learned that embracing the present is more important than anything and friends and family are what matter most. I also learned to relax a little and enjoy life more. And I learned to be thankful for things I never thought of. 

What suggestions would you have for people who are thinking about studying abroad?

I think I focused too much on "seeing EVERYTHING" and traveling, but, when I look back on it, the best times that I appreciate most were those spent just relaxing and chatting with people. Don't get too focused on trying to do everything.

Any other comments?

Studying abroad is SO important. It helps us see how the world works. I had done a fair amount of traveling before I studied abroad but I realize now that traveling is not how you "get" a culture. You have to live there to understand the people and the country and the culture. I will never regret any aspect of my study abroad, except that it ended.

Thank you, Mary!


Did you miss the others?
Here is an introduction to the Guest Spot Project.
Catch up with Guest Spot: Jan Havlas and his experience in Norway.

Smedmrykoia

I'll let the photos speak for themselves this week- It is quite clear that this was a great hut trip!