Upon arriving at the airport, I
couldn’t contain my nerves. Both excitement and dread ran through my veins. I
had been looking forward to Europe for almost a year now… but eight hours on a
plane had me panicked. Once I learned that many other students were
experiencing the same feeling, I was able to relax for a little. After a long
delay, we finally took off and were Europe-bound! Barcelona was our first
country on the agenda. Here we visited the beautiful Sagrada Familia, a massive
church that stands high above its neighboring buildings. The detail on the
exterior of this church was remarkable! I could have stared at this structure
for hours! After a two day visit, we made our way by bus to France. On our way
we passed many beautiful vineyards and towns. One of my favorite stops in
France was Pont du Gard, an ancient aqueduct used to transport water from one
location to another. It was so interesting to see how people lived in ancient
times because here in the United States, there is not as much ancient history.
From France, we took a scenic highway to travel to Italy. The views of the sea
and all of the quaint towns were spectacular. In Italy we visited the leaning
tower of Pisa, the statue of David, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, Vatican City,
and yes…the pizzeria where the cast of Jersey Shore worked! We had so much to
see in such a small amount of time, you can guess we all slept for days after
this trip…or at least I did!
This trip is a memory I will never
forget. The places I visited are something many people dream of and I am so
grateful I was given the opportunity. I can honestly say that this trip would
have been completely different if it weren’t for the people I met while abroad.
I am lucky to say that I have made some life-long friends while abroad. It is
great to study abroad when you are in college because you are sharing your
experiences with students from your college. Now that I am back at school, it
is so nice to see familiar faces from Europe around campus. The experiences and
the friends that I have made will always stay with me for years to come. As a
future educator, I know that I can use my experiences to better teach my future
students. I’ve learned much more than anyone could ever learn in a classroom. So
much has been gained from this trip and it is an experience I will never
forget!
- Jessica Morrone
- Jessica Morrone
As my major is Political Science and minor is International studies, I am very interested in traveling abroad and learning about their cultures. I have always wanted to go to Europe as everyone does but, I am not a doer. I need someone who can push me to do it. When I first heard about this summer course I thought it would be perfect opportunity for me to actually DO it. My favorite country among the three that we went to was definitely Spain. Even though we spent the least time in Spain it has inspired me to go back soon. Most people say France was the best but, for me France and Italy were too much. France was fancy but it did not hold a lot of the natural culture that I felt Spain had. I was not even looking for any fanciness on this trip I was looking for the distinct difference from the European culture to America. Maybe, I have seen too much TV because what I saw on TV were exact the same things that I had imagined in France and Italy and saw. I don’t know why and how I am in love with Spain. You will feel it when you get there. It is just amazing and beyond your imagination. If you are thinking about going to Europe through this program, I strongly recommend and hope you see and feel what I did when I went to Spain. I will learn Spanish alphabet by myself and take Spanish class next semester. I am ready for it and I will go back to Spain no matter what.
- Seul Lee
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