Tag: Reflection
-
Mexico, Again, But Different
May 11, 2022: I’m sitting here in Tulum, Mexico on the huge couch in the living room of our 2-story AirBnB (located in the heart of Aldea Zamá) writing a piece about my reflections on study abroad and lessons I’ve learned along the way. It’s not lost on me that this comes at I time…
-
The Latest Journey, and 23
This past year has been the best of my life. I began true adulthood by diving into a full-time position just weeks after finishing my degree. Next came a move across the country in my station wagon, with only belongings that would fit, and my brother, in a quasi-Great American Road Trip sort of way.…
-
Another November- Thankful in Tulum
Fall, Years Ago Fall used to be my least favourite time of year. It always seemed as if time was slipping away in ways I couldn’t quite keep up with. As the daylight drained away, it just so happened that events in my own life lined up to create a season that felt sad and…
-
Iceland- Fire and Ice
Watching bright red magma begin to bubble and flow over the basin of barely cooled, yet already black and hardened, rock was a moment that reminded me of what it means to be alive. As the lava gushed upward, arcing through the air so gracefully and so deadly, the rock beneath it pulsed like the…
-
Chile Reflection
I used to write reflections for each country I visited when I was traveling with Semester at Sea. This is something I wrote just a day or two after getting back to the states, but I never got around to posting it. It didn’t feel right, talking about my time in Chile as such a…
-
Hawaii-Anthropology and Awe
When I signed up for my Cultural Anthropology class, not knowing who Dr. Janet Six was or what we would be doing, I was just happy to be able to get off the ship in Hawaii. Mauritius and it were the two ports where we had to be registered with a field class or program…
-
Japan Reflection
In Japan, I learned a lot about how we interact with people, as well as our expectations versus those of others. Though not because of our location, I had enough experiences of my own while we were there that taught me some well-needed lessons. I learned that people might be used to one standard while…
-
China Reflection
In China, I remembered that it’s okay to sometimes skip the party if it means having a better experience the next day. I also knew that sometimes you have to drag your friends out with you if you know the party isn’t worth skipping. So, I did both. I fell asleep, accidentally, at 9pm after…
-
India Reflection
India is a place that is full of so much life, figuratively and literally. Being the second most populated nation in the world while housing wonders like the Taj Mahal is no small feat. Honestly, I had such a mix of emotions during my experience in the country that I still don’t quite know how…
-
South Africa – Table Mountain
I’m the kind of person who literally does not use the incline feature on the treadmills, like ever. I’ve used it once in my life and it made me sad. I didn’t think of that until I was about halfway up Table Mountain at 3:45 am hiking with only a flashlight and my friends. Two…
-
South Africa-Robben Island
Hearing an ex-political prisoner talk about his experiences while standing in the room he was once caged in was so impactful that it is almost hard to find words adequate enough. I was visiting the island for my global studies field class, so I knew it would be educational. I didn’t realize how personally the…
-
Ghana Reflection
I had never experienced culture shock until I was hiking for twenty minutes through growing puddles of red mud that were forming as a result of Ghana’s rainy season. Always a fan of hiking, I didn’t quite expect to do so in order to get to my host family’s house. My four-day experience in West…
