For my STEP signature project, I participated in an Education Abroad experience in Heredia, Costa Rica. I stayed with a host family for 5 weeks taking two 3-credit hour courses in Spanish. The two classes were a phonetics class and advanced oral and written expression class.

My experience in Costa Rica has given me the opportunity to expand my values, broaden my understanding of different cultures, and ultimately has transformed my world view as a whole. A huge theme in Costa Rican culture is the concept of “Pura Vida” which directly translates to “Pure Life” This phrase is used as a response to just about anything and represents the idea that life is good and to enjoy it. This idea complements another common phrase, “tranquilo” which means calm down or relax. Going into my study abroad I was told repeatedly that among other things, the pace in the United States would be different than that in other countries. These two phrases really show how Ticos live a more relaxed life than people in the U.S. When talking to Ticos, they would throw around the phrase “Pura Vida” and when we would respond with the same phrase it was a way that we could connect with the culture. In times of stress “tranquilo” was a common sentiment that everything would work out in the end and to just relax. I am a very type A type of person and to relax and just let things happen and enjoy the time I had was the most important lesson I learned while I was there. It really allowed me to make the most of my trip, especially with all the cultural differences I experienced.

While the pace that Ticos lived by was different, there were many other cultural differences that allowed me to expand my values and world perspective. A huge way that I was incorporated into Costa Rican culture was through my host family. While my host mom was Costa Rican, my host dad was Chilean. This dynamic with a little prod from my phonetics class pushed me to explore the differences in cultures even between different Latin American countries. Every Latin American country has their own Spanish variations for specific words, some enough so that they cannot understand each other. Along with their dialects, accents vary which can change the way that a word can sound when said by different Latin Americans. Costa Ricans have difficulties saying words with the double r, known as a trill. I found all these variances interesting to learn about and provided me with a better understanding of Costa Rican culture and how different it was from different Central American countries. It is comparable to how in the United States each state has its unique qualities that differentiate them. All my encounters helped me to form a better-informed opinion of Costa Rica and bring some of their values into my own life.

I would have liked to think that there was an a-ha moment when everything just clicked into place, but in reality, it was a more gradual transformation that even on my last day I was still learning new things about Costa Rica and myself. Week 1 was probably the biggest adjustment, starting a new routine and my Spanish being a little rusty. Every day was exhausting: we would wake up early everyday (as per Costa Rican culture), spend 6 hours in class, and then return home for a 2-hour dinner, all of which was in Spanish. As stressful as the complete immersion was during the first week, it really helped so that by week 2 I had not only gotten used to the new routine but had also gotten more comfortable using my Spanish. It was easier to understand and communicate in Spanish when I was calm as opposed to stressing that I would mess up, what Costa Ricans would call “tranquilo”.

While classes and living with a host family was a daily way to practice and improve my Spanish, I think that it was almost more beneficial when our group would go out and explore the country on our own. We were completely reliant on our Spanish abilities and when people spoke it was not slowed down to accommodate our imperfect Spanish but spoken at a normal pace which led to more natural encounters. Many locals were even complimentary that we were trying to speak in Spanish rather than English because it is a common stereotype that Americans are very culturally ignorant. This was not only a way for me to practice my Spanish, but also a way to break down some of the negative stereotypes that foreigners have of Americans. As a group of 8 international students, we were able to see much of the country on our free weekends and help each other better our Spanish. We saw beaches, mountains, national parks, wildlife, and with the help of our host family’s friend who acted as a guide we learned a lot about the different cultural and environmental factors of the country.

Another way that I was able to experience the country was through activities organized by ISA, which was the program that organized my study abroad program. Many of the activities allowed us to explore the city, Heredia, which we lived in and to become more comfortable with it as it was different than a lot of the touristy places that we visited. We had an in-country coordinator who would take us on these activities and was a source we could go to with questions or if we needed advice on anything including help with our homework and assignments. She took us to a couple historical centers in both Heredia and the capital, San Jose. Also, she taught us how to barter at the market and use the public transportation. These are difficult in a first language let alone a different one with different customs. She also became a friend to our group since it was such a small one and was great about correcting mistakes we made when speaking and writing in Spanish. Overall my host family, the locals, and my coordinator all helped me to make the most out of my study abroad experience.

This transformation has been valuable to life in many ways. With help from the “Pura Vida” lifestyle I am making a point to enjoy every moment of my life from the small things to the big and to not stress the small stuff. In the end, they will seem insignificant and will only prevent you from living life to its fullest. I have also improved my Spanish with hopes to keep practicing and become fluent. One of my goals before my trip was to improve my Spanish which I have realized will be a lifelong task, even locals who speak Spanish as their first language can still improve their Spanish and it is never something you will be perfect at. Instead of practice makes perfect, practice makes improvement. Lastly this trip has only further my motivation to travel more and gain a worldlier view to benefit me in a hopeful career in the State Department.

Downtown Heredia

Ficus Tree

For my signature STEP project, I chose to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. While there, I enrolled in a class called “Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism from a European Perspective”, and was able to receive credit towards my major, International Relations and Diplomacy, at OSU. Throughout the three-week trip, I spent time in Copenhagen, Denmark, Oslo, Norway, and London, England engaging in interactive learning experiences and trying to comprehend a very intense, important topic from a completely different perspective than I would have received back in Ohio. This alone was a challenging and life-changing experience in and of itself.

The days leading up to my STEP project, I was unsure what to expect. I had never traveled alone before and felt insecure that this trip would be beneficial for me; I was never more wrong in my life. Reflecting back on those three weeks, I can easily say that my time in Denmark was the most transformative period of time I have gone through in my college career so far. Not only did this trip force me to become comfortable with being alone in new encounters, it made me step up as a young adult to arrive places on time, complete and turn in my assignments on time, and put in the work for an academic purpose while balancing that with the fun of traveling abroad. I assumed, going into this, that studying abroad would be a lot of classroom time and a huge focus on the homework assignments, but my assumptions were not exactly correct. What I found was that, in this unique opportunity, my studies weren’t limited to the classroom and homework assigned. Instead, we as a class took a holistic approach to the topic and encountered the material in all aspects of our day. We would discuss ways terrorism and its effects were seen in everyday life; we would visit museums, Jewish community centers, mosques, and journalism agencies to apply what we learned in our class times to things in the surrounding environment. We even visited sites and memorials of several terror attacks that have happened over the last two decades to put a location and emotion to the events we were studying. This class was the most interactive and immersive academic experience I have been able to participate in, and I believe that because of its immersive nature, I was able to take more away from it, including a more comprehensive understanding of the materials.

Not only did my assumptions about learning environments changed, but my assumptions about Europe, and Denmark in particular, changed as well. I have traveled to France and Spain before in high school, and based off of that trip, I predicted that the rest of Europe would not be exactly that same, but at least similar in culture niches, societal structure, and political climate. What I realized from this trip was that every country was inherently different in these three areas, despite being so intertwined in the European Union. Denmark had very unique differences that I noticed within only a week being there, such as: they don’t have air conditioning almost anywhere, but rather choose to use windows as their ventilation source to save energy, as a society norm, tipping in restaurants is not necessary and not even encouraged unless service is beyond amazing, biking is the primary mode of transportation and is as serious of a task as driving a car, and people assume others are inherently good as shown by their honor system in transportation situations regarding whether or not people own tickets to ride. Denmark was also extremely culturally diverse, which shocked me as well. I had assumed that most Scandinavian countries were quite homogenous in their ethnic make-up, but I was able to see representations of all different cultures while studying there in the local communities, populations, and restaurants. Another shock to me was the political climate I learned about and witnessed. From what I learned in my political science classes, I assumed that Scandinavian countries were quite liberal-leaning with a much smaller population of right-winged ideologies. What I learned though, was that all Scandinavian countries, and all European countries for that matter, have just as bipolar political climates as we do in the United States. Their elections are typically as heated as our own, and result in various political tensions that are present in everyday societal situations as well as national politics. I believe that these contradictions to my preconceptions were beneficial to me and my worldview, as they helped me become more informed about places and cultures that I previously wasn’t quite sure about and opened my eyes to patterns in the world that I hadn’t previously seen.

Another ‘transformation’ I feel that I had as a result of this trip was through my ideas of what my major entailed. I started studying International Relations and Diplomacy with the hopes of being able to focus on traveling the world and learning about different cultures and helping all those in need. I assumed that studying politics would include classes about how to fix current world issues and how to deal with other countries diplomatically and efficiently. What I wasn’t prepared for going into this major were the classes about terrorism and about differing ideologies and war and genocides and all of the atrocities in this world that can’t exactly be ‘solved’. If I were to sum up the class that I took, I would say that the take-away idea is: terrorism is a phenomenon that has always been present and will always be present, and the important thing to do is work on counter-terrorism actions and try to reduce the likelihood of attacks. Sadly, unlike what I had assumed as a freshman, this class taught me that there aren’t always going to be solutions in the political world, only temporary alleviation efforts.

Because the topic of the course I was enrolled in was so upsetting and so raw at times, the materials we learned about really stuck with me. One major event we discussed was the right-wing nationalist terror attack that occurred in Norway 2011. A right-winged citizen targeted the embassy in Oslo as well as the Liberal Youth Party (AUF) to purify Norway and discredit their liberal agendas. He set off a car bomb at the embassy killing 5, and then traveled to a small island, called Utøya and owned by the AUF for summer youth camps, to massacre 69 youth and adults. Part of our study tour included spending a night on this island (as it is still operational for AUF summer camps); these 24 hours alone were the most significant of the whole trip in my opinion. Being able to spend time together as a class and bond while making incredibly fun memories was an amazing aspect of that night. We got to play games together, walk the island, and even swim in the freezing Norwegian waters. The next morning though, we took a guided tour of the island, recounting the events of that day in 2011, visiting two memorials on the island. This morning was extremely difficult for a lot of us because it was so hard to conceive that such atrocities happened in this wonderful place where youth our age and younger can have joyful memories together. This was the part of our study tour that really made me realize that the field of politics isn’t always filled with hope; sometimes it focuses on the really tragic events of the world and how we need to work together to prevent these events in the future and alleviate any pain they cause.

Besides the actual tours we took, another aspect of my study abroad experience that really transformed me was the intense friendships I was able to make. When I first arrived in Copenhagen, I was unsure what my experience would be, and if I would make any friends or just find people to spend my free time with. Within three days of class, I had established a really deep friendship with two of my classmates. We went to lunch together after class and talked for hours and hours on end about our lives back home, our majors, and our life experiences. We all had so much in common and found it easy to get along and we did almost everything together after that, such as exploring museums and castles, getting food together, shopping for souvenirs, watching the World Cup games, exploring the night life in Denmark, sitting next to each other on class bus rides and plane rides to our study tour destinations, swimming in the local rivers, and working on classwork together. I was shocked but happy that I was able to make such deep connections with other students so quickly, and I truly believe that having these two people by my side throughout the trip made my experience that much more significant, transformative, and enjoyable. They helped me grow as a person, as a young adult, and even as a student.

Similar to the relationship I had with these two classmates, the bonding that occurred with my whole class of twenty-three students, and our professor, was unlike that of any college class I have taken so far at Ohio State. We only had three-hour classes each day, but most students would hang out with each other before or after classes. We also had a lot of time together (basically 24/7) on our study tours when we traveled to Oslo, Norway and London, England. It was really during those five days that we were able to bond as a class with each other and with our professor through situations like staying on the island of Utøya, getting lost in the tube system in London, and exploring the city streets together all day and night. It was really amazing being able to make connections with these people not only in an academic sense, but in a social and personal sense. I believe that this bond made the class all that more effective because we weren’t just strangers in a room studying a topic; we were all friends who were individually and holistically trying to wrap their minds around a really difficult and intense topic.

Going into this experience, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Like I stated earlier, after completing the short three weeks, I can easily say that this was the most transformative period of time throughout my entire college career so far. I had never anticipated that a trip which seemed almost vacation-like from the outset would be more life-changing than any class, final, or other college experience I have gone through. Studying abroad, though extremely fun, challenged me as an academic, as a future international politics participant, and as an individual.

As a college student, I have always pushed myself to do my best when it comes to my studies. Despite taking difficult classes each semester, I have been able to put my studies first and maintain a 4.0 GPA for both of my academic years so far; I wasn’t expecting this class to be much more of a challenge for me before going to Denmark. In reality, this class was the most difficult class I have been enrolled in yet. This is because we approached the class topic, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism, from a very comprehensive approach. Most classes I have taken at OSU have been very narrow in approach, focusing on one major aspect of politics and sticking to that aspect throughout the semester. This class, though not necessarily “better” in its structure, took an approach towards this topic that included a plethora of disciplines, such as: philosophy, biology, psychology, political science, religion, and sociology. We as a class didn’t just look at ‘what’ terrorism was, we studied why it happens, what societal structures allow for terrorism to happen or make it more likely, what reasoning and thinking is being used by terrorists, what causes humans to commit such acts of terror, and how we as a universal nation should approach this problem. I wasn’t just learning facts about terrorism, I was analyzing every aspect of terrorism and terrorists and counter-actions and why certain things are or why they aren’t. It was easy to approach this topic in such a rounded way, but hard for me to make sense of all parts included. It was easy to think of why terrorism happens, but hard to think of ways you can stop an ideology and change people’s preconceptions. This was something I have yet to do in my classes back at OSU, and I believe that because of this study abroad class, I will start trying to think of my class topics in a more holistic way in order to fully conceptualize and comprehend the information I am learning.

My freshman year at OSU, I was filled with a lot of enthusiasm towards International Relations; I assumed I would be learning about all the amazing things I could do with the major, but in reality, there is a lot of hard topics disused in this field that don’t usually come to mind first when thinking about this major. Although I knew factors like corruption, genocide, war, and terrorism were inevitable in the field of politics, I don’t think I really internalized those thoughts and realizations until this trip. Specifically, I internalized these thoughts when we visited Utøya in Norway and witnessed firsthand the effects and pains of terrorism. Sitting on the island, I had to understand that life is filled with dualities that are highlighted exceptionally in political science. There will always be, as there has always been, the duality of light and dark in the world, contrasting each other and fighting for the main spotlight. With peace treaties, there is still war, with life-saving medicine, there is still genocide or mass murders, and with an ever-globalized and interconnected world, there is still terrorism. The “dark” aspects of the world are hard to avoid and even harder to deal with. This understanding really emphasized my already burning desire to work in this field, because it reminded me why I wanted to join it in the first place. I want to be able to do everything in my power as an international political actor to help bring peace into the world to counter the ever-present hate and evil. I truly believe that this trip and this class helped me come to terms with this idea and aided me in feeling confident in my academic choice to follow a life in political science and make a difference.

Academics aside, this trip was more than just a classroom away from home. Only being in the classroom for three hours a day left many, many hours on my own, in a completely different culture and country. As discussed earlier, I was able to meet amazing people and thus make amazing memories that I will cherish for a lifetime, but I was also to see an actual growth in myself in the mere three weeks I was there. Not only did I become more comfortable with interacting with strangers and a culture I was so ignorant to, but I became more confident in myself as a person, and as an adult. I became more trusting of myself to navigate the city, to fix any small problems I met, to get my work done on time, to balance my academic and social life while there, and to fully embrace the freedom I was given on this trip. I noticed this growth most in one of the simplest of things: biking. Biking is the main mode of transportation in Denmark and, after not riding a bike for six years, I decided to rent a bike and try it out again. I was terrified at first and sure I would crash and hurt myself, but after a few minutes of riding around, I felt at one with the flowing river of bikers passing along the streets. I felt completely safe and confident in my position of biking along the locals, and even though this is such a small accomplishment, it stands for the bigger picture of the entire trip: I was able to find my place in this ‘big sea of bikers’ and learn to fully trust myself and feel confident in who I am and what I am doing. This trip helped me feel like an actual adult and know that I am on the correct path for my future career. I felt moved by the class topic and knew that international politics was right for me, as well as a job that allows me to travel the world and interact with as many different culture and peoples as possible. It felt as if a life of traveling and experiencing different places, helping bring peace and understanding into this world through active participation in government and global activities, was the absolutely perfect choice for myself.

After those three short weeks in Denmark, Norway, and England, I am positive that I have been transformed and impacted in such a powerful and influential way. I know that the memories I made while there will always stay with me, and that I will always be able to look back at this time in my college career and see the growth that I experienced in so many different ways. If possible, I would one-hundred percent recommend studying abroad to each and every student, despite disciplines, because going to a different place, a different culture, and exposing yourself to new ways of learning and living is the best thing we can do for ourselves to make us more rounded, experienced people and academics.

Ashley Van Doren

Education Abroad

1. My STEP project was a 4-week intensive German language program hosted at the Goethe-Institut in Dresden, Germany. Outside of class, students were encouraged to explore the city of Dresden and take advantage of the cultural and leisure time activities that the city offers. The program took place from June 3, 2018 to June 28, 2018. After the program was completed, students took the Geothe-Zertifikat exam to prove their comprehension of the German language.
2. While studying abroad in Germany for my STEP Signature Project, I learned a lot about many different cultures other than the German culture. I learned about the reasons why people from other countries would learn German and what it means for them to be studying abroad in Germany. I also found myself at the realization that Germany is a country full of many different cultures. The food, the specific dialect in Dresden, and the history of Dresden are all effected by different countries, languages, and cultures.
3. During my STEP Signature Project in Germany, I found myself spending a large portion of my time with the people from my class. The majority of the people that I met through my class were from countries not my own, e.g., Portugal, China, Brazil, Russia, and had mother tongues different from my own. These relationships that I built helped me understand why those from other countries would want to learn German and study abroad in Germany and thus helped me to see studying abroad and language learning from a less Americentric viewpoint.

Dresden is home to many interesting and intellectually stimulating museums, a large number of which dealing with Dresden’s history with World War 2 and the East Germany time period. Much of this history and previous involvement with the Soviet Union has shaped Dresden into the culturally expansive city that it is today.

In Dresden and the rest of eastern Germany, there are many restaurants completely dedicated or inspired by traditional Russian food and foods from other Slavic countries. Many street signs are still in Russian or have names inspired by old leaders of the communist party. Many people that live in eastern Germany choose to speak Russian as their second or third language because of the impact that the Soviet Union had on previous East Germany and still has on present eastern German cities.

4. Living in Dresden for a month was absolutely influential on the outcome of my future. It’s been incredibly enlightening to see how much history can affect the daily lives of people and to witness the rich and diverse culture of an east German city. That being said, I’ve decided to enroll in a graduate program at Technische Universität Dresden once I have graduated from Ohio State. I will be studying the relationships between German, English, and Russian in terms of linguistics. My original plans were to get my graduate education in Munich but seeing the dynamic relationship between eastern Germany and the former Soviet Union, my interests are better placed in a city like Dresden.

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. 

I had a chance to visit Dakar (Senegal) on a French taught program with a particular interest in tradition and modernity. Through the program, I gained a better understanding of not only Senegalese culture but also its relation to other African countries and the rest of the globe. With opportunities to visit historical sites such as Goree Island and Saint Louis, I had a chance to look at history from an alternate perspective and permitted me to raise more questions then I had prior to visiting them. The peering part of the program allowed to not only practice my French but also see Dakar from the views of individuals my age which I think was one of the most important parts of the trip.

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

To understand “the Senegalese exceptionalism”, one must understand the history of the country, pre-colonial, colonial, and post. Senegal is the most western point of the continent, thus making it the first African nation to come in contact with Europeans. This geographical position was both an advantage and disadvantage to the nation, it made it a hotspot for Atlantic slave trade but was also introduced to western development projects. One can argue that these projects had a double-edged effect, such as the train station near the dock that took a lot of African lives during its construction, however, it is currently being worked on to benefit the nation. There are also other development projects presently being worked on in Dakar, like the construction of a new town in the empty lands between the airport and major city. This project like many others that require foreign aid is a double-edged sword, one can choose to emphasize on their side of preference but it is crucial to not ignore the other. It will generate income for the nation by providing employment for the locals and bringing in new knowledge but such can also be used to argue the “rise of China in Africa”, preventing the expansion of local business due to the new mega-production of supermarkets.

Prior to this trip, I thought I had a good understanding of how the world systems work and especially Africa. Being born on the continent, I had the opportunity to experience life there and in the United States but my trip back critically impacted these ideas. One can not truly understand how complex the world is, in fact, even a country like Senegal packs a diverse amount of life-changing information that triggered me to question my beliefs. Due to this trip, I have become more connected and aware of not only myself but some parts of Africa. As a Congolese Christian visiting Senegal, a country with 95% of the population Muslim, I had numerous reservations. How would I fit in? would they understand my accent? what clothes should I wear or what foods do they eat? How will I be accepted in the community? None of this matter when I landed in Dakar and saw the smiling faces of my professor and peers waiting for us. Instantly I knew that I had arrived home, maybe it was the fact that I was back on the continent after almost seven years or that everyone there looked just like me. This feeling continued throughout my stay, never did I ever feel a sense of belonging. The clothes I wore didn’t matter because that is what everyone else around wore and no one ever called me out on my accent, it was a new world for me. So when asked, “what about me changed?” I would say my entire thinking or views of the world and myself. Not to sound cliche but this trip was life-changing for me, it confirmed my passion for learning about African history and understanding the diverse lifestyles that the continent has to offer. It changed my answers to questions such as “who are you? what do you want to do in life? what do you believe in?” Who am I? I am from a country that the average American doesn’t know it exists, I am from the most underrepresented and least respected continent. What do I want to do? I would like to enlighten myself and those around me so that I may not live in ignorance of the world. What do I believe in? I believe in the truth, bringing it to life and advocating for equality in all aspects of life.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

Goree Island: Goree, the byproduct of a volcanic eruption, home of the first botanical garden in Africa, and the piece of African land most slaves saw. It was the center of the Atlantic trade due to its good current for navigation and position on the continent. The infrastructure is now owned by the state and the individuals that collaborated with the traders now live their masters’ houses. The former chapel is now a police state, I think this is an interesting connection because, during the fall of empires, it was the churches that took over state power. Karatani stated that the theory of modernity is inadequate unless it includes race and nations. Theory of race superiority compelled people to commit slavery and other horrendous acts that have left a psychological holocaust on individuals affected that no one can grasp fully in its scope and complexity. The logic of colonial plunder and imperial power prefer to march under the meticulous banners of liberation.

Saint Louis: The idea of freedom is linked to kinship, to where one is from, to be free is to reside with those you call family or kin. At Ecole d’etage on rue Maître also lies a former colonial hospital that was then used to hold the children of African chiefs and king. These children were taken from their families so that their parents may do as the colonials demand or sometimes put in a school system that brainwashed them to side with the colonials. Such tactics are not surprising because children are easier to pursued and mold than adults thus making them victims of the exploiting minds of the colonials. A lasting effect of colonization is the way we think and behave towards other individuals whether of the same ethnic background and especially those who aren’t. During the trip to the orphanage, I witnessed the power of colonial thinking where an entitled western couple thought it was okay to interrupt our discussion. This interaction made me realize how powerful the system of colonization is still present and white supremacist behaviors that prevail in our world today even when they are not on their continent. It has made me want to study colonialism from a psychological perspective.

Kaolack and Iles du Saloum: My favorite time during this weekend trip was our hike to the nearby village, I got a chance to see “the real Africa” or so portrayed on television. It was very relaxing, I had the opportunity to taste wild fruits and eat mangoes straight from the tree. Walking to that village brought back a few personal of memories, times when I went to visit my grandparents in the village. It was nice to see how the village is changing with signs of modernization or civilization towards the beginning but as one traveled deeper there was untainted land. The burial ground is found on the island of shells; it has graves arranged as the ancient Egyptian pyramids with tunnels. It is believed that the bodies are mummified and some believe that the ancient Egyptians moved around and mingled producing the Wolof kingdom. From the shell island, we traveled to the bird island where we observed the birds in their natural habitat. It was very calming to simply ride in the pirogue and watch the sunset while we shared laughter and memories.

Joal and Fajute

The island is both isolated and protected by the ocean. Fajute, the shell island has a strong Christian population and the community is educated, the population is originally from the south. Sometimes the church and business communities have different goals. The church sincerely believed that they were bringing civilization to this part of the world, the Jesuit brought in Catholic schools. The island has produced some of Senegal’s major intellectuals and members of the government, it also produced two cardinals for the Vatican. This a very successful community and is very attached to their land, individuals always come back despite their success. Such an environment and community morals make one question the concept of poverty.The Seres are known for wrestling and a place where Christians and Muslims live peacefully. This small community holds a lot of diversity in not only personality but the way of life.

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

I personally think that change is a key player in human development, it allows us to explore new ideas. With this possibility, we challenge the quotidian beliefs and open our minds to new wonders. The change allows us to evolve and become more efficient. This trip allowed me to understand another part of African culture that was foreign to me even though I was born and raised in the continent. it pushed me to challenge what I view as normal and my interactions with different individuals. as an international relation major and prospective UN worker, I need to be able to adapt to new environments and be able to understand it without complexity.

1)  My STEP signature project was going on a five week study abroad trip in Rome Italy, studying the elements of the built italian landscape, culture, and history. During this time, I explored the many layers of Rome, spanning from classical antiquity, through medieval and modern times, up to the contemporary landscape that we see today. The course culminated with a project that tasked students with studying an element of the Roman cityscape, and creating a series of hand drawings with levels of analysis, and finally a review with critiques from practicing Italian architects.

2)  This trip was quite unlike anything that I’ve ever done, from traveling by myself and booking my own hotels and transportation, to living in country with a foreign language for more than a months time. Perhaps the most obvious thing that I realized about life in general is that a little bit of planning goes a long way, especially when traveling.When I was traveling alone on prior to the program start date, I had a couple of close calls, almost missing buses or having to find a charging port for my phone in a tiny french town. As I began to get more comfortable in this strange place called Europe, I was more able to get around and worry less about the logistics of travel.

While I learned a great deal about drawing techniques, and the history and culture of Italy, I was already aware that I enjoy learning about these things. The aspect of traveling around Europe that I think I appreciated the most was meeting such a wide variety of people, with utter fascinating backgrounds and personalities. For an Ohio native that has lived in the same town for all his life, even hearing what would be considered mundane, or ordinary by Italian standards felt exotic and interesting.To my surprise, these strangers also thought the same things about my life, one that I would hardly call exotic and interesting. The world is even larger than I thought and my visit proves that it is full of wonderful and kind people with amazing stories if you know how to find them.

3)  While not directly related to my academic studies, the STEP program allowed me to do some traveling around Europe by myself, through Spain, France, and Italy. I flew out to Barcelona and stayed with friends for a bit before heading off to Nimes, France on my own. Already I was a bit out of my element, speaking virtually no French and have no cell service to fall back on. This was a moment if I messed up and something went wrong, I would be in huge trouble and have no idea what to do. After touring some Roman aqueducts on my own and surviving on convenience store food, I discovered that my phone charger was broken and needed replaced because I needed on to board my train the next morning. In those moments I was on the edge of panic, “I shouldn’t have done this alone” and “I am so screwed ran through my head”, as despair set in. However I asked people in my terrible French where I could find one and eventually I made my way to a small grocery store that have an old charger in stock.

Once I made my way to Nice I settled into my hostel, one where I would be sharing rooms with strangers, but strangers that were travelers like me. From the first awkward hellos came tentative jokes, to immersive conversations with others hailing from Denmark and Italy, to Turkey and Australia. I met a restless violinist, searching for work on the shimmering coast of Southern France, an intrepid young filmmaker and artist, looking to worm his way into the neighboring Cannes Film Festival. There was a social worker visiting Europe, and trying to see as much of it as possible, and group of girls that had grown up together since grade school and celebrating their 21st birthday. It was meeting all of these people, listening to their tales from their lives, and sharing new experiences together that snapped me out of the funk when I was isolated in Nimes. Even though I was traveling alone, there were new friends all around me, ones that I would probably never see again, but ones that I am happy that I have met. It seems that when you don’t have to worry about making second impressions, people let their guards down and can be more honest about their lives. Though my experiences with these other wayward souls may be fleeting, they felt genuine.

I had the pleasure to meet people that radically different from me, the likes of which I have never been exposed to before. My last night in Nice was spent on the rocky beach underneath the stars, sipping luke warm beers talking about our hometowns. We debated politics, (without getting angry) swapped favorite artists and composers, and talked about dreams and the art of living life itself. I might be exaggerating the intellectuality of the conversation, but it truly felt like I was getting a glimpse into a whole different segment of the human experience; one that I would never be able to live myself, but through the words of another person. Perhaps that is the reason to travel and explore the world; to interact with others, and gaina bit more of the human experience.

4) What I have learned throughout my travels abroad is that is that planning is an important part of life and one that cannot be ignored, and that whenever I feel isolated and lonely, there are always people out there to reach out to and connect with. The planing bit is particularly important during this stage in my life, where I’m gradually weaning off my dependence on my parts and standing on my own two feet. No longer are my travels going to be planned for me, nor will anybody pay my bills, buy my groceries, schedule dentist appointments, or any of the other things required to be functioning adult. For me, independence is very important, for as long as I can be self sufficient, I will have the freedom to plot my own course in life, and not have my decisions made for me. In order to do take advantage of these new liberties, I have responsibilities that will oftentimes be needed to be taken care of first. When embarking on new adventures, I will be sure to do my research first.

And if I am to move away from my comfort zone of Columbus Ohio once I graduate, I will likely be in a new and unfamiliar place, with no close friends or network of support nearby. There will be times where I feel lonely and miss home. But as long as I am actively looking and following my passions, I am sure to find others that share my same interests and convictions. The world can sometimes be an intimidating and unfamiliar place; thank God we have each other to get through it all.

In May I traveled to London and Rome and explored the cities and the culture. I learned a lot about the history and the people that live in the cities today.  I met many new people and made lots of friends along the way.

Before the trip I had never been out of the country and I realty had not engaged with people who are very different than me.  I grew up in a small town where most people looked and sounded just like I did.  This experience made me step outside of my comfort zone and introduce myself to many different people and sometimes communicate with people who spoke a language that I was not familiar with.

Another big change on the trip was being with people who I did not know prior and having to be on my own and make things work.  When I started college I lived with people that I knew and that I was comfortable around but going on the trip I did not know anyone in the class.  Also I have never been so far away from my family and not being able to call home with any issues was very strange to me.

On the trip we toured all of London and Rome and even got to make a couple of pit stops in Scotland and Florence.  We made connections with the people that we met and hopefully we made as positive of an impact on them as they made on us.  We stayed far away from home, learned some independence and I learned how to interact with people who are different than me.  We learned how to operate two different underground transportation systems, I hadn’t even known how to operate one before this trip.  This showed me that I am able to do things that are new to me and that I can overcome whatever obstacles stand in my way because I have done it before to the extreme.

We learned how the education systems differ in different countries, financially and how they struggle with some of the same issues that we do, like racial discrimination and equality.  We learned about how different countries deal with poverty and how the people in that country respond.  This transformed how I saw our country’s financial struggles and how we deal with them.  Everyone is struggling and people do want to help and make a difference so that we can live in a better world.  What I thought was crazy was as we asked for donations for the homeless, there was a large spectrum of what people thought about what we were doing.  Some were grateful for what we were doing and others told us to “go back to our own country and deal with our own issues”.  This made me be very conscious of my actions and realize that not everyone wanted us to be doing what we were doing.

We learned about street art in the city of London and how this is a unique way for people to express themselves for everyone one to see.  We were even able to name some of the artists that we learned about when we went to Italy, especially Florence.  The street art tour was one of the very many unique experiences that we were able to do because of this trip.  Most people would not travel to London and think “Wow I really want to go on a street art tour today,” but I am so grateful that we were given the opportunity.  Finally we learned history of cities that we could only dream about, how to say things with their slang or their language backgrounds of religions different than our own.  All these experiences transformed the way I saw the city because we got to see the diversity in every city just like we see diversity at home.

All of the things that we learned while abroad will have an impact on my future and how I continue on from this experience.  First of all, I made some amazing friends that I already have plans to see over the summer and the trip would not have been the same without them.  We learned about different cultures which can help us to know how to react when we meet people who have different views than our own and who we may not agree with.  People have just as much of a right to their views and as I do to mine and all I can do is respect that.  These ideals definitely help to enhance my life skills by having a more diverse and welcoming mind set.  This experience will look great on my resume when applying to grad school to be a nurse practitioner.  In the nursing field, I will meet many different people, some from the different places that I have been able to visit, and the fact that I have experience interacting and living among these new cultures is amazing.  The service aspect of the trip was also be a great point on resumes and a talking point in interviews.

Now that I have learned all of these skills, I plan on continuing to travel to as many places as I can and to immerse myself into as many different cultures as I am able to.  I was pushed out of my comfort zone but I also knew that I would have people to fall back on in case of an emergency or in case I felt uncomfortable in any way.  I feel that I have grown a lot as a person in terms of leadership, independence and responsibility after being able to live and thrive on my own in many situations.  Overall, this trip has been an amazing experience and one that I recommend to anyone that has a desire to see the world and also learn about the cultures and histories that the places hold.

Through my STEP experience, I was able to travel with Cross Cultural Solutions to Dharmsala, India.  I worked with the government school providing English lessons and renovations to the school.  We also took part in English lessons for adults and the Waste Warriors project working for a cleaner India.

Before I went on this trip, I was not confident in my abilities to navigate a foreign country or depend on myself in situations out of my comfort zone.  I can gladly say, this is no longer the case.  After a my few nights of loneliness and anxiety subsided, I was able to establish a sense of self dependence and relied on my ability to stand up for myself throughout the rest of my trip.  When I encountered difficult situations within the country, I was able to rely on my judgement in order to stay safe, navigate new relationships with the children and my co-volunteers, and try new things I never believed I could.  I now continue with my life as a more open-minded free spirit who is capable of having a fuller compassion for others in situations different from my own.

The week before I left for my trip, I spent almost every night crying to my mother about my fears of the unknown that was India.  I pictured busy streets and thousands of people everywhere, but I couldn’t have imagined the peace I would feel flying into the middle of the beautiful mountains of Dharmsala.  Don’t get me wrong, I was still in the culture shock of a lifetime, but I was amazed at the ease at which I began to assimilate to their culture and feel comfortable living alongside the people of India.  After meeting so many wonderful people and volunteering with the adorable children, I came to realize how similar we were even though we grew up on opposite ends of the world.

Traveling into India proved to be the most uncomfortable time of my experience.  I was overwhelmed in thinking about my situation: I was a 20 year old girl who didn’t speak a word of Hindi traveling alone for the first time in my life and I had no clue what I was getting myself into.  I am sort of a shy and introspective person so I did not feel prepared to hold myself up on my own.  This experience changed after I encountered some events that at the time may have seemed very daunting and stressful, but that I am now thankful for.  One perfect example of this was my relationship with a program coordinator.  He and I got along great at first, but as the week progressed I began to sense that he was treating me a little differently than some of the male volunteers.  Little by little, he sheltered me from some of the harder labor and I began to feel aggravated as I was repeatedly told what to do.  It all came to a point when we were cleaning the trash near the waterfall and I was told to sit down and stop halfway through to get water as I must be tired from all the work thus far.  Instead, I am proud of myself for being able to  explain that I am still capable of the work expected from everyone else even though I am a female.  I felt like I was finally able to plead my case and feel respected for the work I contributed just as one of the guys would have been.  From this point forward I somehow had found the courage to become comfortable with the other people in the village and even barter with the shop keepers.  After this experience I was really able to find my peace with my new role in India and explore more of the country without feeling like the vulnerable and uneasy traveler I had previously.

Every time I would tell anyone about my upcoming adventures to India, I was usually met with a response saying “good luck” and “wow that’s going to be a culture shock.”  Obviously, after hearing this many times, I became increasingly wary about the assimilation I was about to endure.  However, when I landed I was surprised by the similarities I found and how easily I found them.  One of the first people I met on my trip was my friend Kiran who was from southern India.  He and I talked over lunch about our cultures, interests, and hobbies finding that we actually had a lot more in common than I had imagined.  He and I, along with some of the other volunteers, began to get dessert together every night and even took weekend trips to sight see together.  Now that I am home I still count him as a very valuable friend to me and I know that I can count on him for support or just a friendly conversation.  I never would have guessed that one of my good friends would be someone who grew up on the opposite side of the world.  I was amazed at the feelings of similarity and it made the relationships established so much more meaningful.

This feeling was further confirmed when I met the children from the volunteer’s school.  On the first day we practiced asking and answering questions in English and the children were so excited to get to know more about us, especially my favorite little girl, Riya.  Riya was an adorable little five year old girl who loved crafts, hopscotch, and drawing.  As my time at the school progressed, I found myself spending more and more time talking and playing with her.  Even though we really couldn’t even communicate outside of the few phrases we knew, we still were able to establish an amazing bond just by our laughter and presence.  On the last day at my school, I nearly cried when she finally found me among the other volunteers, ran to my legs, and jumped up into my arms.  That was one of the hardest goodbyes I have ever had to encounter and I felt as though I was leaving my long lost baby sister behind.  There is not a day that I don’t think about her and hope that she is doing well.  After spending so much time getting to know Riya and the other children, I felt as though I was now the outsider needing assimilation in my own home culture.

This transformation has been so beneficial and life changing for me as I now see the world through a different light.  Before this trip I was more selfish than I thought.  I obsessed over meaningless things and I pitied myself for any minor inconvenience that didn’t go my way.  I now realize just how much I have to be thankful for and I look at everything in my life as a blessing.  Many of the people and children I had the privilege of meeting were in situations and problems I couldn’t even comprehend, yet they had such an amazing outlook on life and focused their entire lives on the few positive things they had.  I now look around my life and my culture and feel almost resent for the most basic things I take for granted like 24/7 power, consistently warm water, food options, and the ability to achieve almost anything here in America.  I am thankful for somehow being born into the conditions I have and I will no longer take them for granted, but I will never forget the situations I encountered in India and one day work for their betterment.

I hope to start working for the people in India by continuing my pre-medicine pathway and becoming a doctor for doctors without borders.  I will no longer sit back while children all around the world are suffering due to unaddressed medical conditions.  I saw children who could be considered partially blind only have access to reading glasses.  I saw a child who’s personality changed day to day associated with seizure like symptoms who was unable to get appropriate care.  I saw many children with rotting teeth or without any teeth at all because they barely had access to a toothbrush.  It would be unacceptable for me to sit back knowing these poor children and their families are suffering while I refused to do anything in my power to change it.  I also have been considering one day adopting after my trip.  We traveled to a children’s village one day where the children of deceased refugees raised each other in the safety of India.  Although the children looked incredibly happy for their heartbreaking situations, I would love to have the chance to one day adopt a few of these children and provide them with the love, resources, and medical attention for a different life.  This trip has changed my life in so many ways I could not even begin to express my gratitude for STEP and the Cross Cultural Solutions programs.

My STEP signature project was a study abroad trip to Brazil through OSU’s school of music. The focus of the course was to engage with different forms of art and music unique to the country of Brazil in order to better understand Brazilian culture.

The course was divided into two portions, the on-campus portion and the out-of-country portion. The on-campus portion was two weeks worth of classes during which we learned about the history of Brazil and the growth and evolution of music in Brazil. a small part of the class was also dedicated to learning some portuguese in preparation for the out-of-country portion of the trip. The out-of-country portion of the trip mainly consisted of performances at different schools in Brazil as well as a variety of music and dance workshops scattered across our itinerary.

I have a small gift bag in my room in which I keep small items that hold some sort of special meaning to me, memories mostly. One of the items in that bag is a small hand lotion container from Bath & Body Works that is mostly empty, but when you open it you can still smell the winter wonderland scent of the lotion that once filled the bottle. The scent immediately takes me to that winter that I bought that lotion. The feelings, emotions, and memories that a simple scent can carry several years later is kind of magical. Music does the same thing all the time, and I hadn’t really cared to appreciate it as much as I do now after this program has ended.

Music doesn’t just carry memories and feelings, it carries rhythm, life, and soul. While we were in Brazil and as we learned about the evolution of music, we learned about how much of Brazil’s culture is engraved in its music and art. Sure I loved music before, but I don’t think I really appreciate it the way I know many of the musicians we met in Brazil do, or even just the music students I met in class. I am an engineering major, and art and music are sometimes pushed to the side to make room for what we think is more important. This trip helped me realize I have to be cautious, I don’t want to lose my artistic side simply because of the demands of my major. I also want to explore the music of my own culture, allow myself to get lost in the music, appreciate the power that music and culture can have.

There were several instances during my trip that led to me the conclusion that I stated in my previous answer. One of those moments was towards the end of a jazz workshop that was carried out in Pelourinho. Since I was one of the two people who didn’t play an instrument, I wasn’t able to participate in this workshop. So I got some time to explore the city with another student. When I got back to the building, the workshop was still in session and I got to listen in on the rehearsal. The instructor was making the students play one particular tune over and over again with a bit of improvisation. I sat by the balcony and listened. It started raining and I started to sketch while I waited for the workshop to be over. The tune that was being played continued, I still remember it. I cannot explain it but, as I sat there drawing and listening, I felt this strong urge to cry. I didn’t necessarily have anything to be sad about, but there was something about that tune that got to a part of me that I didn’t even know existed, or was present. I kept that tune. Maybe the best way to describe what I felt was nostalgia of some sort. Whatever it was that I felt, it truly surprised me how such a simple tune could give rise to such strong emotions.

The other instance was our final performance in Salvador. We had a concert planned out. We, the students from OSU, would perform some of our songs and some of the students from the schools we visited throughout our time in Salvador would perform some of their songs. I of course cannot do that night justice by writing this reflection on it, but that night was one of the most amazing performances I had ever witnessed and been a part of. The energy in that room was astounding. There was also a lot of improvisation. A few of our students joined the Brazilian students during a couple of their pieces. It was a beautiful celebration of music and cultures. There were laughs and tears. There were jokes and heartfelt thank yous and goodbyes. It felt like I was in a dream. It was amazing to think how much we had grown in such a short amount of time. It was beautiful to think how amazing all the people we encountered in this trip were to us. It was a pure moment that I wouldn’t mind living in forever.

There were many more instances throughout the program that still stand out in my memories, but of course I cannot write about all of them. I am just grateful I got to experience these. Moments like these are the ones that helped me understand the importance of music in culture. They helped me appreciate music on a different level, and appreciate the hard work that came from the musicians we interacted with as well.

I strive to be a well rounded individual from a personal and academic standpoint. I try to keep in mind the importance of culture and different perspectives when planning out the type of future I see for myself and the type of work I want to do after I graduate. One of the areas I realize I’m lacking in is music. Part of me truly neglects its importance in history, culture, and international relationships. I fail to understand the hard work that goes into majoring in anything that has to do with the arts. I think many of us often have the wrong impression that intelligence automatically links to mathematics and science, but living with only music students for almost two weeks really demonstrated how difficult their curriculum truly is. It takes a lot of talent, intelligence, and perseverance to study what they study, and after this trip I’ve learned to appreciate their work more as well.

For my STEP signature project, I went abroad with Ohio State’s World War II Study Program. This program combines classroom experience at Ohio State with a unique traveling experience through major WWII sites in Europe. For us, class everyday involved going to different sites and museums in the various cities and applying our WWII knowledge from our spring classes to these tangible experiences and creating a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
I thought I had a grasp on WWII knowledge before coming to Europe, but I never knew how sheltered I was from the pain of the war until I actually witnessed the destruction war bestows upon a country and its people. I felt the memory of the “People’s War” in the London culture, and I walked the beaches of Normandy where so many soldiers lost their lives. While strolling the streets of Krakow, I witnessed the effects the war had in shaping polish culture, and Berlin made me realize the importance of facing our mistakes when constructing history. However, as much as this experience was about learning the history of WWII, it was more so about perspective; I realized that recognizing perspective and exercising empathy are powerful tools in both historical appreciation and how we live our daily lives. My time abroad gave me a greater understanding of the world and the people in it as I begin to discover my place in it.
However, it was not just traveling to these places that helped transform me; it was the people with whom I was traveling. The relationships I built over the course of three weeks supersede some relationships I’ve had for three years. In our simplest form, the twenty-four of us are history nerds: we geek out over war memorials and we crack history-related jokes. But interacting with these other twenty-three Ohio State students demonstrated to me the complexity of people and just how truly unique we all are. From STEM to the Arts, from Student Government to Greek Life, our little group represented so much of Ohio State, and I found myself learning something new about someone every single day. Despite our differences, the dialogue I had with my comrades during these weeks was some of the most honest, genuine, and respectful dialogue I have ever held, and that aspect of my experience was rooted in one similarity- a genuine appreciated and respect for history. We were not there just to bop around Europe for a month, we were there to experientially discover history in a way we never had before.
There were many moments that were surreal to me in Europe, like sitting under the Eiffel Tower at night or singing Happy Birthday in Polish.. in Germany, but it was primarily the conversations I had with my comrades that transformed my time in Europe and how it will impact me beyond the trip. From hushed conversations in museum corners to fiery debates over cheese-and-bread dinners in parks, the information we were learning became so much more than facts and numbers: it became an experience. I experienced how to walk through a museum and question everything rather than accepting the words for fact; I experienced how perspective is everything when it comes to reconstructing the past, and I experienced how our differences affect the way we perceive history and how we live our daily lives. Conversing about everything from historical topics to contemporary issues, I learned more from my comrades than I did the information on the walls.
Overall, constantly working with other students in a completely new atmosphere cause me to learn more about people and the world then I ever thought it would. While I do not know exactly what I want to do in the future, I know my place in the world involves working for people. In order to work for people, one needs to understand people and how to work with them, and this program has developed that ability. Developing empathy is a continual process, but Learning empathy is the most crucial step in understanding

STEP SIGNATURE PROJECT REFLECTION

For my STEP Signature Project I enrolled in a May-mester Study Abroad Program through Ohio State. I embarked on the 2018 Hungary Global May trip during which I spent the month of may in Budapest, Hungary and was able to travel to Warsaw, Vienna, and Bratislava as well. We learned about the culture and history of Central Europe, along with visiting museums and picking up some of the languages spoken in each of these countries. At the end of the class we were tasked with creating a video project about one aspect of the local culture we had experienced and describe and analyze it’s cultural significance as well as compare it to our own American identity.

Before going on this trip I knew that I had some degree of independence and free spirit, however I was still unsure of myself when it came to leadership and guiding other people. My assumptions that the people on my trip would not be interested in the same things as me, like seeing buildings that I studied in my Architecture classes or visiting Avant-Gard art exhibits proved actually completely false. When there was no concrete plan or must-see list, I was able to steer the group towards buildings like Otto Wagner’s Majolikahaus in Vienna and the Palace of Science and Kulture in Warsaw. To my delight people were fascinated by the buildings along with me and I was hopefully able to provide a minute amount of insight on the history/ architectural value of these sites. My assumptions towards the people on my trip were proven wrong and for the better, and I’m happy to now call these people some of my dearest friends.

Additionally, my view of the world was transformed while completing my STEP Signature Project abroad when I was made aware of our own American culture and how differently we as Americans are viewed by foreigners. During one of our pre-departure sessions we discussed this supposed stereotype of Americans and concluded we would most likely be assumed to be loud, obnoxious and arrogant. While our ability to speak multiple languages is certainly lacking compared to these parts of the world, the generalizations that we encountered were not all completely negative as we would have predicted—one person even raved at how carefree and supportive he knows Americans to be. My one big take-away from this experience was learning how to acknowledge, prove and disprove a stereotype a person has towards you, and that kindness and humility go a long way in any culture.

One key aspect of my STEP Signature Project experience was learning how to navigate a new city both independently and as a group. My first experience leading a large group of people on a crowded tram train will always stay with me, especially how we were all able to communicate through facial expressions as to which stop we were to get off at. I realized that giving/taking directions is never really a neutral thing either. There can be distrust in how one person is choosing to lead a group, which was the case a few times and I think it provided a good lesson in how to calm a situation when people may be tense and anxious about making a mistake. It’s really not the end of the world to get lost either—getting lost in Vienna was practically our trip! We saw so many neat buildings and stores and museums we wouldn’t have otherwise encountered had we gone the way our maps or professor were telling us.

The safety of the cities we visited in Europe too helped facilitate this transformation for me as it opened my eyes to the striking difference between European and American cities as far as safety is concerned. Upon talking to various people both in Poland and Budapest, we ascertained that a newly founded assumption about Americans is that we are all gun-loving, violence-driven maniacs. Seeing where they are coming from and how you can sit and drink in a park in downtown Budapest during the dead of night and not think twice about being robbed or worse, I can see some merit in this assumption. It was also fascinating seeing the looks on people’s faces when we would describe how scared we would be to night-hike in a large American city or even take a dog for a walk at a certain hour.

Finally, and fairly unrelated to the previous two, my month abroad in Hungary was very much impacted by the relationship that our professor had with each and every person on the trip, myself included. Dr. Pratt would go out of his way to recommend us things to do and places to see and he tried to cater them to our own individual interests. I remember walking down one of the main shopping streets in Budapest and running into Dr. Pratt and him telling me to go check out this bookstore/ studio filled with architectural books and such and thinking wow, he really cares about me and my transformation while travelling here. Bridging the relationship between us and locals, Dr. Pratt helped to explain the current forces and motivations of people and governments and always had time for more questions.

My changed perception on the world is significant to me because now I feel that I am able to connect with a lot of very different people across different backgrounds and have the confidence in myself to do so more easily. Personally, I grew up a lot over this trip. I learned what I look for in people as friends, I learned how best I can take charge and lead a group of people, and most of all I learned how I most like to learn: through experience. I am less afraid now of trying something where I don’t know what the immediate outcome will be.

This absolutely helped me in making future plans. I love studying architecture, and now I know I love experiencing what I learn about even more. I’m still not sure where in the discipline I would like to go, but from going on this trip and talking with other students, professors, and even strangers, I have learned that it is important to try new things.