finland

Public Health Abroad: Finland and Estonia – Part 2

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Day 7 marked the halfway point of our study abroad program. In the morning, we took a bus to the Estonian Open Air Museum, designed to resemble a real-life rural village in the 18th century! This was one of my favorite parts of the program. This museum included 14 different farms to show aspects of village life. I saw cottages, a teepee, a giant windmill, a church, and more. One path lead to the seashore where my peers collected seaglass and waded their feet in the water. I really enjoyed this opportunity to be immersed in nature.

Cottages were primarily made of wood and hay, both of which are extremely flammable!

The group had a guided walking tour of Old Town; Joosep was a wonderful human encyclopedia as he showed us to spots we had not been to before. He taught us what the colors of the flag of Estonia meant: blue for the sky, black for the dark forests and the dark times Estonians have been through, and white for purity and hope for a brighter future.
2018 marks a special year of celebration for Estonians because this is the 100th anniversary of their independence as their own republic, free from endless rule by different countries.

The symbol represents 100 years AND 20(18). Great design.

I boarded a tram by myself to a nearby cat cafe. I have never been to any cat cafe before, and I wanted to see if cat breeds differed in Estonia. When I went to Nurri Cat Cafe, only five other people were present, with about 10 cats in the room. I did not see any unfamiliar breeds. My time at the cat cafe was very therapeutic for me. Although I did not get to pet the cats much, I enjoyed eating my pesto pasta and watching the cats interact with one another. I even witnessed the cats at dinner time (6 pm) and they each pounced their tiny paws over to their own bowls to feast.

Two cats were perched on top of the table where I was sitting. It takes a while for cats to get accustome to you and be comfortable with you approaching them to pet them.

Day 8 meant traveling to another city. We hopped on board a train from Tallinn to Tartu! Tartu has 99,000 people as of this year. This sleek train got us there in less than two hours; I napped the majority of the time. After setting down our belongings, we had a quick walking tour and lunch.

The Town Hall is a landmark of Tartu. Bells ring from the hall each day. The fountain of kissing students is in the lefthand corner of the photo; the fountain was erected in 1998.

We spent an hour at the KGB Cells Museum, which showcases the basement of a building that was used to house prisoners! Men and women alike were put together in a cell. Cell walls were so thick that no noise could be heard between rooms. Rooms lacked lighting and ventilation, and often had as much as 30 to 40 people within such a confined space and with just four beds!

For the rest of the day, I browsed around souvenir shops in Tartu. We were conveniently located right across from a University of Tartu building, and right by the town square. Tartu sidewalks are very wide and can fit three to four people in a row. After popping into a small bookstore, we went to the Botanical Gardens, which was founded in 1803. It is such a beautiful place and I would have liked to see the greenhouses but we were running out of time. Nevertheless, the grounds were great and the garden included a pond. We saw people taking photos for graduation and weddings here. For dinner, the class ate at Meat Market, which does not solely serve meat.

A classmate took a beautiful portrait photo of me in the gardens.

Gardens are a valuable part of any city. People need green space for not just oxygen but for stress relief.

Day 9 was a free day for everyone. Two friends and a program coordinator/graduate student accompanied me to the Upside Down House that was about 30-45 minutes away on foot. We crossed the river and went into the outskirts of the city of Tartu. The house was built upside down AND on a slant, so it was disorienting and dizzying. The house included a sauna and that was neat!

This house stood out from its surroundings in remote Tartu. There was an abandoned aircraft hangar in proximity, and also a designated walking path among some trees. Buses do run along the street but not frequently.

 

This photo can confuse people at first glance! There are actually some Upside Down Houses around the world, such as Germany and America. (I had no idea they existed in my own country!)

Nearby was the Estonian National Museum, which is a tremendous facility where we spent a few hours looking at artifacts related to Estonian life. We paid 10 euros as a student discount and could access the entire building. We received cards encrypted with a technology that allowed us to swipe the card over a screen connected to an exhibit/piece. The screen would then automatically translate to English. This is so innovative and I hope that museums elsewhere in the world could incorporate this! I enjoyed viewing prehistoric and Metal Age tools. Estonia has been inhabited by people for the last 11,000 years! My favorite exhibit hall was the one featuring Uralic people, a people I had no knowledge about beforehand! They lived between Scandinavia and the Ural Mountains, so were primarily in the forests. They carved symbols into trees and their tales often involve bears and other woodland creatures. The exhibit showcased a people and facets of their lifestyle, but this was just one small sliver of Ugric studies. Also in the museum was an exhibit about 19th century clothing. Women’s clothing was preserved more because not only were they more beautiful and colorful than men’s clothing, but they also reflected diversity among different regions of Estonia. I learned about the usage of headpieces and necklaces. I am glad to have visited this museum! The facility was marvelous.

After our fun free day in Tartu, I worked on a homework assignment that addresses how walkable the city of Tartu is. Now that I have been to the more touristy areas of Tartu and the more remote parts, I was able to come up with a convincing argument for how well-designed the city is so that people can enjoy it whether they walk or use a wheelchair. Sidewalks have ample space and curbs/ramps have good inclines. When you get to the less-inhabited parts of town, some sidewalks are harder to tread on, but it still is pedestrian-friendly. After returning to the hotel, I got dinner and dessert with other friends and then about half of the class played games in one of our rooms.

(Please see my assignment on the walkability audit of Tartu here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EG8vBf1EuKn0Uz01klxOo9fXyKOzhBr_r0CJsku_0Hg/edit?usp=sharing)

I was also able to complete another homework assignment comparing cigarette sales in America, Finland, and Estonia. Throughout the program, we were expected to observe how cigarettes were sold (where and for how much money) and what the packaging looked like, including what information or graphics were put on the warning labels.
(Please see my work here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kR8W4sjJjBN53qEh1lHJvOIS9BMUfnb9Uz_z770khhs/edit?usp=sharing)

For Day 10, the class visited the Ahhaa Science Centre, which reminds me of COSI in Columbus! I love science centers and this one has four floors! The ground floor had a LEGO town of Tartu and exhibits related to water. It included tech spaces, a play area with giant building blocks, music/acoustic space, and tanks with real fish in them. In a dark room were lifelike animatronic aquatic creatures such as dinosaurs with fins and a whale shark. There are some steps leading up to a balcony that had ant farms and an incubator for chicks! This was the highlight of the science center for me. I love baby chickens. The chicks were either a day old or two days old, and some eggs were close to hatching!

FUN FACTS: Jellyfish have existed even before dinosaurs roamed the planet. A group of jellyfish is called a bloom.

FUN FACTS: Whale sharks are the largest fish. They are giant but gentle and eat plankton and small fish. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, not bone. Female whale sharks are actually larger in size than male sharks.

On the second floor of the science museum were glass jars containing human and animal body parts and embryos so visitors could learn about anatomy but also body anomalies. For example, there was a goat skull with four horns. The third floor had interactive activities testing health, from grip strength to memory to balance to processing speed. (I performed poorly on all of these, and despite appearing healthy, I have to make dramatic changes to my lifestyle and actually exercise in order to be fit).

When our group returned to our hotel, we met with another tour guide who took us around the University of Tartu. The different buildings are within walking distance; sometimes it seemed like a hike. She also led us to cathedral ruins. One interesting part of our tour was going into an attic of the main building of the university; this attic served as a lock-up for students who misbehaved and did not conform to student conduct. Students could be sent to this room for cheating or for disrespecting a woman on the street. Punishment could mean just a few days in the lock-up to a month! There was no supervision for the lock-ups, but students were still expected to serve their sentences and actually be in that space.

The attic can become humid and balmy in the summers but leave people trembling in the winters.

After our tour, we had another group dinner in a restaurant that looks like a wine cellar.

On Day 11, we traveled to Parnu, an even smaller city with 40,000 people. It is a summer resort town so it is more heavily populated during that season than others. It is located by the water so people frequent the beach. The water is shallow for an extended distance before it gets deep. Our hotel was a resort & spa in one, and we were able to use the sauna, pools, gym, and spa. I did not take advantage of these amenities but I did go outside to the beach to dip my toes in the water and step in the soft sand.

Our other completely free day was Day 12. I went to the mall by myself, and the trek was not scary as one might perceive. Parnu is tiny and quiet, and I do stick out as a foreigner among the mostly blond(e) Estonians, but I was safe. The walk from the hotel to the mall was about 20 minutes, and it was pleasant. The mall was actually a complex made up of about three tall buildings. One building had a grocery store and a few beauty stores. Another building had most of the clothing stores and restaurants. After making a few purchases, I headed back to the hotel and stopped at a woman’s home business, where she operated a beauty & hair salon. She offered manicures, pedicures, and hair styling. After getting a manicure, I had lunch at an eco-gourmet cafe with some friends.

On Day 13 (May 31), we had a short visit to the University of Tartu-Parnu to learn about their Spa & Wellness management program. The program director and a graduate student explained that the program is offered at a master’s level and it encompasses not just spa design, but also financial accounting, visual communication, and even the history of wellness.

The two-year program offers not only a strong theoretical foundation for students, but also opportunities to put the skills and knowledge into practice!

After the informative presentation, the group packed up and took a charter bus to Tallinn. From there, we boarded the ferry to return to Helsinki. Once we were all checked into our hotel, the program officially ended. Students were free to go back to the United States after the experience, or continue to explore Europe. Some of my peers stayed in Europe and traveled to multiple countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, and England. My intention was to go straight home, but I had a stop in Iceland on my way to Cleveland. That 50-minute stop transformed into a 48-hour detainment in that country, but thankfully I finally made it home to America! What matters is that I am home safe and sound.

Our group had reserved seats that gave us up-close views of the Gulf of Finland!

I appreciate this opportunity of a lifetime because of the myriad of experiences and memories. I also am more well-informed about Finland and Estonia and am better prepared for future international travel. To my surprise, I was independently exploring and still survived.

I would like to thank the Office of International Affairs for executing this program, for providing me with a few scholarships, and for assisting me when I was temporarily stranded in Iceland for two days. I am glad that OIA has emergency hotline in place for students who find themselves in difficult situations. Thank you to @osuglobal for liking my photos and featuring one of our class photos on the Instagram page!

Thank you so much to Dr. Wallace and Amanda Jovanovich for coordinating the program’s activities and guiding us throughout Finland and Estonia. It was a wonderful class that had structure but still plenty of free time for us to explore. Thanks for showing us a part of the world that many people do not visit.

Thank you to the Office of Diversity & Inclusion for your scholarships and support for my study abroad. Thank you to my family and friends for your never-ending support as I navigated this adventure with equal amounts of trepidation and excitement.

Thank you to Finland and Estonia, for everything you have to offer to the world. Thank you to Iceland for also being a wonderful country. Everyone I met was friendly and willing to help.

If it were not for STEP and for the three other scholarships I received, in addition to some grants and gifts from loved ones, going abroad would not have been a possibility for me. I would not have fathomed the idea. I am forever grateful for this chance to take part in the Public Health Perspectives: Finland and Estonia program. I truly hope that other first-generation college students and first-time travelers such as me will have opportunities to study abroad as well. The Ohio State University’s education abroad office offers ample resources for interested students, so take the leap and venture into the unknown.

Go Bucks!
Xoxo
Melinda

P.S. To see hundreds of photos taken along the journey, my comprehensive PowerPoint will suffice! It may take a while for it to load, and this could mean refreshing your page to view the entirety of it. It runs close to 300 slides!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZadYR7-uztv6jY9-VD06o8QwYZijtWDAhAiN8taGPN0/edit?usp=sharing

P.P.S. Here are some photos of my stop in Iceland:
While I was there by myself for two nights and a day, I was not able to do much to lack of funds. I walked around to the seashore by my hotel and was captivated by the water. I saw some species of birds frolicking around. The Elder duck is common in the area. Although I wanted to step down and get closer to the water, I was wearing flats and also did not want to slip on a wet rock and get injured. I even saw a bright mustard-orange lighthouse that was used before and is now sitting stoically overlooking the horizons.

This was the plane I boarded from Helsinki Vantaa Airport to Reykyavik Keflavik Airport.

 

From my hotel room window, I saw a gorgeous sunset and could see edges of the water that surrounds the island of Iceland. Also, the country gets so much sunlight that the sun does not set until close to midnight.

This location was breathtaking and I am eager to return to Iceland.

Public Health Abroad: Finland and Estonia – Part 1

And then I realized adventure was the best way to learn.

For my first time traveling abroad, I participated in The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health’s Public Health Perspectives in Finland and Estonia! This education abroad program counted as my STEP project, which is a transformational experience done after my sophomore year of college. I explored the two countries of Finland and Estonia with the College of Public Health! In both places, I studied public health initiatives as well as the education systems and cultures. It was an informative ‘education vacation.’ I applied to the program in January and was informed of my acceptance a week later. Fifteen students participated in this year’s program, and we met twice during the school year in orientation sessions to prepare ourselves for travel.

Prior to travel, we also attended a week-long on-campus course called PUBHLTH 3189.04, which counts for three credits, and is graded A-F. This course was from May 9th to the 15th and provided us in-depth information about Finland and Estonia, from the history and cultures to the health challenges these countries have dealt with. I enjoyed this course because not only was I able to get to know my peers better, but I also gained considerable background knowledge before stepping foot into Europe for our field experiences. The class involved individual presentations as well as group presentations. We had an actual exam that was completely essay-format, so that we were not tested on memorization but on analysis and critical thinking. Right after our exam, I hurried to pack up my belongings and a classmate drove me home to Cleveland on her way back to Boston. I am touched by how I barely knew this classmate yet she offered a ride home (her route home involved passing through Cleveland, so it was not a trouble to her at all).

Just from what I witnessed in the class alone, I could tell that my peers are incredibly bright and passionate about health. Not all of us are public health majors; some are biology, biochemistry, and biomedical science. One is a data and analytical science major. The class is divided into two parts: the on-campus class (65% of our grade) and our in-country travels (35% of the grade). For Part 2, we need to pay attention on our field trips and create 10 Instagram posts in addition to completing five Instagram assignments.

During the couple of days back at home, I prepared for the trip. I packed one suitcase and stuffed my backpack until it puffed out to maximum capacity. On May 18th, 2018, my parents drove me to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. We went at 5 pm, after I scarfed down Chipotle, my last meal in America for a while. After baggage check, I exchanged $300 US dollars for euros, and this came to about 219 euros, I believe. The coins and paper money were shiny and colorful. My parents hugged me and left, and I proceeded through the security check. I was seated by my gate almost two hours early, so I began journaling. When I boarded, I did my best to sleep on the plane. There was a stop in Iceland, when I ran into another classmate who’s in the program with me. Then I was on my way to Helsinki! We arrived in Helsinki, Finland, at 1:50 pm. Everyone else except for one person had already made it to the city and were out exploring. After checking in, we took a bus into the actual city to look around as well.

Helsinki Cathedral was opened to the public in 1852 and is an evangelical Lutheran church! The public can walk around inside the lovely church, which is actually painted shades of gray, not white.

This square has so much space for pedestrians. It’s common for tour buses to line up all around the perimeter.

The sidewalks in Helsinki are much wider than American sidewalks, and there are also designated bike paths next to sidewalks. The bike paths are colored brick red. I also noticed a plethora of cultural restaurants such as Nepalese, Indian, Lebanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurants. My friends and I explored the town square of Helsinki, including a cathedral and an outdoor marketplace, and then Stockmann mall. We took a train back to the airport, and I admire Helsinki’s train system. The train was very clean, modern, and efficient. Helsinki is the capital of Finland and it was indeed bustling, as I expected; the population is about 600,000.

The train system in Helsinki is well organized, just like the rest of their transportation.

After spending one night in Helsinki, our group went to Petajavesi for a few days and nights. Some of us played a Finnish card game called Musta Maija on the 2.5 hour bus ride to this rural municipality, which has a population of almost 4,000. We were in Central Finland. We stayed at Kumpunen Family Organic Farm, and it was very tranquil and beautiful there. The class was split up into different cottages and cabins on the farm. It was an experience unlike any other.

I especially liked the warm orange-red buildings on the farm. The building on the far right is called the barn and it was where we ate breakfast and dinner.


Here in Petajavesi it is mostly forest (Finland overall is covered by forests). We were by a lake and could swim and row boats in it. We also had access to a sauna; in Finland, saunas are ubiquitous and are part of people’s lifestyles. Finnish saunas are hotter than American saunas and people usually spend one to two hours in there. People can make it steamier and hotter by adding water onto the coals. People can warm up in this small house and then run into the cool lake, then repeat this. It is said to be good for the immune system and perhaps the metabolism too. I only lasted five to ten minutes in the sauna. I wore a tank top and leggings though, so that could be why I did not stay in the sauna for that long.

 

The food served at the farm is so fresh and healthy. I was eager to try Finnish food, and it was all buffet-style. Dinner included salad, pickles, onions, mashed potatoes, reindeer and elk meat, fish, breads and spread (always provided with each meal), and dessert. Dessert was rhubarb and potato powder topped with whipped cream. It was a fuchsia pink liquid and it was sweet but not overbearing. I tasted the beer and I still do not like any liquor or alcohol. I just like juices; the juices at the farm tasted great. For breakfast, the farm served us yogurt, oatmeal, berries, eggs, ham, cucumber, bread, apples, and bananas.

The farm staff members were all kind and encouraged us to eat up!

Just 15 minutes from the farm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Petajavesi Old Church! It was built from 1763 to 1765. This magnificent structure is gorgeous and we had a guide tell us about its history and its current usage for holiday services and tours. I am amazed at how well-preserved it is despite it being made out of wood!

On day three, we went to Jyvaskyla for the day. It is just 30 minutes from Petajavesi and holds about 140,000 people. The group walked up a hill to the University of Jyvaskyla. We had free time to explore the campus grounds and later we all had lunch together in their student union. The campus is walkable and includes trees. Part of it was like a mini-forest on the school grounds! There were some hills and stairs outside. The lunch here is very affordable and also buffet-style, and the cafeteria area was bright white with lots of natural sunlight filtering in from the windows.

Tuition at the university is affordable, even for international students!

Nine of the 15 students followed one of the program coordinators, Amanda, to the free observatory tower that looks over the city of Jyvaskyla! From our view, we could see over the red-roofed homes and see the interconnected lakes.

I never found out why some houses have extremely tall ladders extending from the roof to the ground. This could be for fire safety.

Back in Petajavesi, the group changed into nicer attire to eat dinner at Pappilan Pidot with students from Keuruu High School. The school is in Keuruu, which is also about a half-hour bus ride from Petajavesi. The restaurant was fancy and we had a wonderful, filling meal there. I especially liked the pork, potatoes and carrots. The students were eager as well as anxious to meet us, and vice versa. My two friends and I sat at a table with three young women. They were great to talk with, and I learned about their high school experiences as well as their own personal hobbies. We discussed how they see America and what they do for fun. I learned that 18 is the legal driving age in Finland, that the students have three years of high school (Class 1, 2, and 3), and that students begin learning English in the third grade. Finns are also instructed in Swedish. Being multilingual is such an important skill in an increasingly interconnected world. I believe that American students need to begin language instruction at earlier ages so that they can better retain not just the actual language itself, but to also instill more self-discipline and respect for different cultures.

A handdrawn map of Keuruu was blown up.

The morning of Day 4, the Buckeyes traveled to the town of Keuruu, which has about 10,000 Finns, and is very quiet and walkable. We met with the 15 Keuruu High School students who volunteered to have us shadow them. They were able to miss class in order to show us around. The school is clean and neat and comprises three floors; it includes a gymnasium and auditorium. High school students have metal racks they can use to hang their jackets and place their motorcycle helmets. Motorcycles/scooters are more prevalent here, and I was surprised to see teens use them, but they are allowed to drive these at an earlier age than driving cars. Outside were plenty of bike racks; nobody needs to lock bikes up since there is no threat of thefts.

We had lunch in their school cafeteria. They use trays, cups, and metal utensils which can all be washed and reused. The only items in the lunch room that are discarded are the napkins. The fact that Finnish schools are more environmental conscious than American counterparts does not surprise me. The school offers plenty of food options: lettuce, shredded carrots, steamed potatoes, meat sauce/gravy, fish balls, and bread and spread. The cafeteria always provides milk and water, both of which are dispensed by simply putting a cup underneath a spout and sometimes pressing a button.

Eating and conversing further with the students provided me with additional insight into the lives of Finnish youth and people. Another fact that stood out to me was that the students must decide on a major before applying to university; there is no option for those who are undecided! The students also have a wide array of subjects to study in high school, and are required to take some classes such as philosophy, psychology, English, math, and chemistry.

(See this PowerPoint for my assignment comparing American high school lunches overall and Keuruu High School lunches: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kZahSIg7DW8EiT_pHkf25PK0ISqjotOBlAZMRPCwyTA/edit?usp=sharing)

According to the students, the school day can start at different times for them. It could be 8, 9, or 10 am, depending on the student’s schedule, and school ends around three p.m. There are two lunch periods. Nextdoor to KHS is an elementary school; KHS actually contains grades 7 through 12, with a student body of about 200.

The Buckeyes were split up into groups and we rotated to different classrooms for different student-facilitated sessions on Finnish popular music, cuisine, holidays, and more. While walking through the hallways, I found it interesting that none of the classroom doors had windows. However, hung on the walls were student artwork, which were all impressive; some drawings were of Sponge Bob, Princess Belle, and Gunther the Penguin. This demonstrates the influence of American pop culture.

 

Overall the visit with the Keuruu High School students was a great intercultural exchange. Then we were on our way to Helsinki again; our bus ride was about three hours long. After we arrived, we had the rest of the night free, so some friends and I explored the city. We tried Finnish fast food chain Hesburger for the first time. To me, it tastes better and healthier than McDonald’s. My meal consisted of a cheeseburger, fries, and Coca-Cola. We walked around Helsinki and I fell even more in love with the architecture.

 

The morning of Day 5, we visited the Finnish National Institute for Health & Welfare (THL). This is like the Finnish version of the United States’ CDC, as this facility has a strong focus on research and provides communities with education and resources. We listened attentively to three presentations from researchers at the center. One was a Ph.D. student who was to defend her dissertation a week from our visit! These presentations provided me with much insight into the health challenges Finland faced in the past, and what they are currently trying to tackle. Some issues discussed were the rise in obesity and depression rates, and the fact that blood pressure levels are still not within target levels.

The class took a group photo in front of the Cathedral. What a striking shot.

We boarded a ferry from Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia. The ferry ride took about two and a half hours as we sailed through the Gulf of Finland. This was my first time on a ferry! After our buffet dinner, two friends and I explored the ship. The ship has a gift shop; a shop with brand-name handbags, perfumes, and sunglasses; some restaurants and bars; and casino-like games. The sundeck was available for people to go on top of, but it was very windy and colder than I imagined it would be.

Tallinn is another beautiful city, and you can see evidence from history and medieval times all over the town. With 450,000 inhabitants, it is of moderate size. That night, everyone explored the Old Town area, which has roots from hundreds of years ago. Stepping lightly on the cobblestone streets, we hiked up to two lookout points to catch glimpses of the rest of Tallinn. The sights were simply unbelievable.

For day 6, we spent more time in Old Town. My friends and I went into an old pharmacy museum to see what an apothecary shop was like. I learned about medicinal practices from centuries ago: health professionals used dried up toads, hedgehogs, and bats for some treatments, in addition to using herbs. Apothecaries placed glass jugs filled with liquids to represent what specialties they addressed in their care. This shop displayed jugs with red liquid and blue liquid, which stood for blood and phlegm in accordance with Hippocrates’ humors theory.

Our group had a special visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. We spoke with two generalists and one specialist; these three folks were Americans like us and were happy to discuss their experiences with foreign service. It helped me clarify what embassies do and what the process is like for becoming involved.

Afterwards, we went to Hotel Viru for their KGB museum. Our tour guide explained to us what it was like under Soviet rule; in that hotel, the KGB spies set up secret microphones and cameras in certain rooms and areas. It was very eye-opening and we went into a room that was once the office for KGB officers. The door to that room had said “There is nothing to see here” and hotel guests apparently obeyed this saying. This tour gave me insight into history and I realized that this happened not too long ago. The tour guide told us that Estonians do not like talking about the KGB or remembering what else happened during Soviet rule.

The uniforms were left behind in the office when the KGB dismantled their headquarters literally overnight. The office was set up to recreate what it would have looked like leading up to 1971.

For dinner, we ate at MEKK, a classy restaurant serving modern Estonian cuisine. I finished clean every plate for all three courses! It was a very delicious meal. I am impressed by the quality of food we have been eating here. I never eat at such high-class settings in America, and abroad we have plenty of group dinners at fine establishments.

To be Continued in blog post Part II

Tips on How to Prepare for Travel

My carry-on was my backpack. The contents of the carry-on should include passport, emergency cards, insurance cards, cash, debit and credit cards, accommodation information, contact details of fellow students, any prescriptions you have, a change of clothing, and cell phone and chargers. I had one checked bag, which was my suitcase. Be aware of weight restrictions. See packing guidelines from OIA and also adhere to the rules and regulations set by specific airlines and by the TSA.

Helpful hints in terms of safety are to connect to secure sources of WiFi. Do not connect to free WiFi if you do not trust the source. Do not post your location haphazardly because someone could be following you as you travel around. They could catch up to you and do something. Post your photos at the end of the trip, once you return home.
Carry money wisely. Keep your wallet and passport on you at all times. Have emergency numbers written down too in case your phone dies. Use the buddy system and try not to go alone anywhere. Always be aware of your surroundings. Do not have your eyes fixated on your device. Wear comfortable shoes.

Going abroad for the first time was a worry of mine ever since I was accepted into the program. I felt unprepared and nervous that something would go wrong. Indeed, mistakes and mishaps occurred, but they were all learning experiences. They also make for interesting conversations with my loved ones now that I have returned home. Please do not hesitate to talk with peers and OIA staff about your feelings. They can help ease your tensions and fears.