March 2022 – Study Abroad

Looking Back and Forward

March 24, 2022/in London 2022

Study abroad is only four or five months, so it’s important to be intentional. Everyone I’ve met talks about making the most of their time in Europe. They want to travel as much as possible, make as many friends as possible, and have as much fun as possible. But it’s not just about doing the most; it’s about working toward your goals systematically. I know that I can’t just live willy-nilly and expect to have a feeling of closure at the end.

Now that I have reached the halfway point of my time in London, I want to look back at how far I have come. Altogether, I am immensely proud of my growth in the past few months. I came to another country by myself and have managed to build a full life. I have balanced academics, a social life, and everything that comes with living in a big city. Not everything has been easy and life is stressful at times, but I’ve made it my goal to push through and enjoy every moment.

One of my goals before leaving was to widen my political and social viewpoint. One of the biggest roadblocks in communication is the inability of one party to see things from the point of view of the other. By living among people from another culture and country, I have become acquainted with their point of view. I have seen their reaction to the pandemic, worker strikes, and the crisis in Ukraine. With my knowledge about world events coming from multiple sources, I have formed more well-rounded views. And even when I don’t agree, I have developed the important skill of staying civil and finding common ground where there seems to be none.

I don’t want to make it sound as though study abroad is all sunshine and rainbows. It is true that my experience has been overwhelmingly positive, but there are some regrets and things I want to do differently in the future. The culture in England makes it tough to reach out and make friends with locals because they can seem quite cold towards strangers. However, most are very nice when you get to know them a bit. Going forward, I want to talk to more locals. It would be a shame to live in London for five months and not do my best to get to know the Londoners. They are the people who make the city what it is.

Because of the way classes are structured in the UK, I only have a week of actual instruction left. After that we have a few months to turn in our final essays. However, I have a class that starts in the second half of the spring semester. The classes I have had were enjoyable, but I will admit that I did not always give 100% effort. Sometimes if I was tired or didn’t feel like talking I didn’t participate much in class. During the next few months as my last class starts, I want to really engage with the material and apply it. My teachers are experts in the material, so I want to really utilize them as a resource and be an active student as much as I can.

My third goal for the second half of my time in London is to be more intentional about my time. I want to make more of an effort to plan out my days and weeks in advance. This will allow me to get more done and have more time for everything I need to get done. I have implemented a no-phone-in-the-morning rule. I set two alarms: one to wake up, and one for an hour later. At the first one, I wake up and start my day; and I am not allowed to check my phone until the second one goes off. So now, instead of wasting an hour on Instagram in the morning, I have that hour to get ready and start my day off on the right foot.

I knew that the UK education system was different before I came to London, but it was different in a way that I didn’t expect. I had an idea in my head that British school was formal and stiff and serious. The reality is actually the opposite. Most university instructors are simultaneously conducting their own research or pursuing PhDs. They are called by their first names. There is also less pressure to attend class and a lot of students don’t seem to put a lot of effort into their studies. This threw me off at first because it made me feel like I stood out for participating in class, but I now understand that classes are more casual because of the emphasis on independent study.

Something that I didn’t expect to improve on, but did, is my general life skills. I go grocery shopping every week, I cook all my own meals, I navigate public transportation, and I make all those little decisions that are necessary every day. This has also improved my confidence because I know that I can be independent and live on my own.

I have undergone many changes in opinion in the past few months, but my opinion of myself has changed the most. When I was totally in my comfort zone, I never had a reason to have a strong personal identity. Now that I am among people who are different than me, I know who I am. I am an American, I am studying teaching, and most importantly, I am a Christian. I am sure that without being strong in these truths, and unashamed of them, I would not have the confidence or drive that I have now.

Halfway Home

March 24, 2022/in Limerick 2022

I am half way through my time abroad. That means it is time to evaluate my experience and see what I would like to focus on for the rest of my time in Ireland.

1. How do you feel about your experience so far? Why?

My experience has been very positive. I am learning new information related to my degree in my classes, I am making friends, and I am learning more about Ireland. Classes are different than at Martin Luther College. Part of the differences are due to COVID-19. All of my larger lectures are online. Every once in a while, a lecture or tutorial will be online due to the instructor needing to quarantine. Classes are also divided into lecture periods, labs, and tutorials. If you want to learn more able that, check out my blog entitled, “Seashore Studies.” The University of Limerick has many clubs and societies. I am taking part in the craft society. We meet once a week to do a craft, like making origami shamrocks, or a hangout where everyone brings the project they are working on. I have made a friend through craft society and hope to make more. I have made friends through my Ecology and Inclusive Education classes and I made a friend through the University of Limerick Buddy Program that I joined. It took a little longer to meet friends than I was expecting, but they are worth the wait. We have explored Limerick together, and gone on trips offered through the University of Limerick. I really like seeing different parts of Ireland. It is one of the best ways to learn about the county.

2. Which goal have you made the most progress toward?

When I made my goals for studying abroad, I was still at home. I did not know what to expect. This lead me to make very general goals that I felt confident I could achieve. Within the first week of arriving in Ireland, I was wondering what in the world I was doing. Why did I want to do this? What am I doing here? What was I thinking? This was always the plan though. I had this plan since I was in high school. I was serious about this plan freshman year of college when I started planning when I would take all my classes. My plan, from the start, was to go alone. When I started wonder why I was here, I tried to think of all the reasons I wanted to study abroad. This lead me to add on to my goals from my experience studying abroad by including goals to further my teacher education, increase my confidence, and experience public university.

I have been doing the best with my academic goals. I am learning a lot. I am continuing my teacher preparation. I am learning more about Ireland. I am learning about different cultures and even learning more about myself.

3. What are 3 areas that you can improve on for the second half of your time abroad?

Going forward, I want to focus on deepening relationships, spending more time on the campus of the University of Limerick, and grow in my faith. I have made friends, now I want to make sure I am spending time with them. It is hard when I don’t have class with some and others I only see in class. By asking people to go grab a tea or coffee, study together, or go for a walk, I can get to know my friends better. All of those can be done on the University of Limerick campus. It is a beautiful campus and I want to spend more time appreciating it. I have adopted the habit of working on assignments in my room when there is a perfectly good library to use. There as so many flowers on campus to enjoy too. They are a reminder to me that I want to be growing in my faith at all times.

4. What surprised you? What have you improved on? How have your opinions evolved?

I think my biggest surprise has been the night life. It is common for students to go out any night of the week and come back around 1:00, 2:00, or even 3:00am. The culture here lends itself to later nights since many morning actives will not start until 9:00am. Being exposed to a different college life culture than I am used to has helped me to improve my openness and listening skills. I am able to see how different people live and I see value in how they do things differently than me. I am able to listen and try to understand people better now as well. My opinions have changed while being here even in the small things, like with the weather. I used to not like the time right after it rained. It felt humid and everything was wet. It bothered me. In Ireland, after it rains, it is so nice. After the rain, the air smells fresh, and the sun comes out to reveal a rainbow. It has changed my opinion.

With half my time studying abroad behind me, and the other half in front of me, I have good memories and many more to make. This next half will include more school work, as assignments are coming due. It will also include deeper connections, and more learning. I will be happy when the time comes to return home, but for now, there is more to do.

Halfway Done and Not Ready to Leave

March 23, 2022/in Berlin Spring 2022

I just made it through midterms. My Art and Dictatorship Exam went well, and my German exam was pretty good. I am finding my listening comprehension to be a repeating difficulty. There are many words I still do not know, so it makes it difficult to understand. I talk much more German with my host now, but I only see her for an hour or two each day, so there is not much time to talk. So far, I think my experience in Germany has been great. In the beginning, there were a lot of ups and downs, but I think I have found a good place here. I miss MLC a lot, but I’m trying to really focus on and appreciate my time here. I feel a weird mixture of my time here is going slow, but it is also going really fast. I only have 62 days left, and I feel like I still have so much to learn. I have been focusing on being intentional about putting myself outside my comfort zone so that I can learn as much as possible. This is easy to do, though, because of the language barrier. I had many goals about improving my German and working on my faith while I am in Berlin. I think I have learned to be patient with myself. It takes time to improve in learning a language. It also takes a lot of faith to stand firm when you are put into an environment where you are different from others. My faith has definitely grown substantially since arriving here. I have been able to go to a church here, and I really like it. I’m sad that I won’t be able to go to it this Sunday, because I am on a class trip to Köln (Cologne), Germany. I have become friends with a Ukrainian refugee and her children, who go to the same church. I read the Bible on the way to school every day, and sometimes on the way back too. The 45-minute commute has made this incredibly easy.
In the second half of my time here, I want to speak more German with my friends. We all have varying levels of German, but I think it would be fun, and we would all get practice. I have also decided that I will go through some of the German materials I have from an online book from my German classes at MLC. So far, we have mostly just talked about grammar topics, I know, and I want to keep moving forward. I also want to ask more questions. By nature, I really like to listen to others talk, but as long as I’m here, and I have native Germans around me, I should take this opportunity to ask as many questions as I can.
While I’ve been here, I have definitely improved my confidence to speak German. I don’t think I’ll fully realize how much I’ve improved until I come back to my German classes at MLC. I have definitely become comfortable with parts of German culture. The most notable one would be the kind of community view of life in contrast to the focus on individuality in the U.S. It is really nice to be in a place where there is a lot of care for others around you. I also love the diversity of different cultures here. Most people here can speak three languages with varying proficiency, and knowing Spanish has made me feel like I fit in even more. Something that has surprised me is how attached I am becoming to Germany. I definitely do not want this opportunity to be the last time I am here. I am writing this on my class trip to another area of Germany, and I am really excited to be outside of Berlin. I hope to come back to Germany one day, and hopefully, next time, I won’t be alone!

Image 1: This is some friends going to an opera.

Image 2: This is the water that makes Museum Island.

Image 3: This picture is of my friends and I at Tempelhof Park, continuing to work on our slack lining.

Delightful Days in Dublin

March 14, 2022/in Limerick 2022

On the 3rd of March, I was nervous and excited. After our Google Meet for the study abroad class at Martin Luther College, I was going to Dublin. I packed my backpack, grabbed an apple, and walked to the bus stop. Then it hit me. I had taken special care to reserve my bus ticket back for 13:15. Many places use 24 hour time here. When it come to reserving my bus ticket to Dublin, I had selected 5:00. I had booked a ticket for 5:00am not 5:00pm. I was panicked for a minute. When booking online, a ticket must be reserved 3 hours before the bus departs. That meant I would not be able to book a new ticket. I would have to pray that there was an open seat on the bus so I could buy a ticket from the bus driver when he came. The bus arrived. I waited in line. I asked if there was room. There were open seats! I was on my way to Dublin!

My friend, Zoe, from high school, is studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden. Her group had a study tour to Dublin. She decided to stay for the weekend after her study tour was over so we could meet up. Thursday night, I arrived in Dublin and we met up at our hotel. Then we went out to Darkey Kelly’s for supper. I ordered seafood chowder. It was good, but it took me so long to free all my mussels from their shells that Zoe had already finished her food. After supper, we stopped by Gino’s for dessert.

Friday morning, we slept in. We ate brunch at this adorable cafe called Queen of Tarts. Their scones were very good. Our hot drinks were served in glasses which was quite fun.

We shopped a little. Zoe and I found some souvenirs and such. Then we walked over to Christ Church Cathedral. We paid for an audio tour to marvel at the inside of the cathedral.

We stopped by a convenience store to grab a snack. Something to drink and a cheap cake did the trick. Zoe found King’s Park where we sat down for a picnic. We sat on the grass soaking up the sunshine. It was maybe 50°F outside. It was so nice to be with a close friend. I felt closer to home and pretty relaxed. We walked back to the hotel for a little rest.

Tokens are worth 50 cents. Most machines take one token and some take two.

Later that night, we went to a place called Token. It is a restaurant, bar, and arcade. We had chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and fries. We could not finish all the food. It was fun to play arcade games. I liked pinball the best. I remember playing pinball in my great aunt’s basement. That was so cool as a kid. Pinball is still just as fun as an adult. I might even be better at the game now.

Saturday morning we ate brunch at the West End Cafe. Zoe and I had crepes. An older Irish gentleman chatted with us. It was a lot of fun. Then we went on our way to walk around Dublin and find the Museum of Archaeology. I was surprised how many objects from the museum were found in bogs around Ireland. Apparently everything makes its way into the bog.

We took pictures on a cool walking bridge

We grabbed an early supper from a take-away fish and chip shop called Leo Burdock. It was good. We had another picnic with our food in St. Patrick’s Park. We ate and chatted until we were chilled. Then we watched the dogs run around in the park and went to tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We used another audio tour.

We stopped by the famous Temple Bar. It is funny because the whole area is called Temple Bar after a man who had the last name of Temple who moved the river similar to how one would with a sandbar so that he could build his house outside of the city. This is why locals will look at you weird when you say you are going to Temple Bar. You are already there.

White rocks labeling the coast of Ireland as Eire, so Ireland would not be mistaken for Britain and bombed during WWII

Sunday morning, Zoe and I woke up early to catch a bus to Howth. Howth is a little coastal village east of Dublin. We went to see their cliffs on the seashore. This was the best part of our trip. It was absolutely gorgeous. Along the coast is a walking trail. While walking, you will pass rocks that spell out EIRE and have a number above them. These are restored markings from World War II when Ireland wanted to make sure they were not bombed by planes mistaking Ireland for Great Britain. Walking further will bring you to a lighthouse and a beautiful view of the blue sea, green plants, and yellow flowers. We did not have long to walk around, but it was so worth going.

We ran to the bus which brought us back to Dublin. Then we had a quick lunch at the Stage Door Cafe. After eating, we picked up our bags from the hotel, and hopped on our buses to part ways. Zoe went back to Sweden and I went back to Limerick.

I had such a great weekend. I loved having Zoe around. We saw so much and were able to chat. This was one of the best weekends I have had in Ireland. Thank you, Zoe, for staying in Ireland a few more days to hang out.

Amanda and Katie’s Top Picks

March 14, 2022/in Limerick 2022

Amanda came to Ireland over Spring Break to visit. I was able to show her around the University of Limerick Campus and even bring her to a tutorial about Inclusive Education. Amanda had time to discover different parts of Ireland and for her last two days we walked around Limerick. Here are some of our top picks for food that we ate while Amanda was in Ireland.

The University of Limerick has many different restaurant options. The four big ones are Stables, Scholars, the Pavilion, and Paddocks. Stables is pub while Scholars feels more like a cafe, and the Pavilion is a fancier restaurant. Paddocks is mostly a lunch place and has soups and sandwiches. Amanda ordered a BLT and I had a Club sandwich. Both were good. Paddocks is a great place to grab a bite to eat while on campus.

Another great place on campus is in between the stairwells. In the late afternoon on a Tuesday, it will be a quiet enough place to enjoy a snack. These purple and yellow snacks were prizes won from the tutorial Amanda and I attended: Inclusive Education. We recommend these snacks. The purple ones are two biscuits with a chocolate filling and a chocolate coating. They yellow snacks might be the best because they taste like fudge stripe cookies.

Continuing with the snacks, Amanda and I grabbed an array from the convenience store called Spar. The Club Rock Shandy was not our favourite at first, but we came around to the taste as we drank more. We decided the Skittles taste much better with shells versus without the candy shells. Shamrock and sour cream crisps are good but not worth buying again. Tayto crisps are fun. They seem less oily than similar crisps at home. The caramel in the Wispa Gold bar felt out of place. Orange flavoured chocolate is not for us we learned after trying the Twirl bar. The Starbar is good, but it can not compete with a Snickers bar. Boost was the best of all the candy bars. Crunchie was definitely the strangest. The top picks from this bunch would be the Boost bar, Tayto crips, and Club Rock Shandy.

One more stop before heading into Limerick. I was able to show Amanda around my house and we heated up sausage rolls for dinner. A sausage roll is white pudding and sausage in a puff pastry. They can be served hot or cold. We prefer hot. I picked these up from the grocery store.

Moving on to places in Limerick. Katie Dalys is a cute pub right next to King John’s Castle in Limerick. It was quiet on the weeknight that Amanda and I went. She ordered chicken parmesan and I ordered fish and chips. Both were very good. Fish and chips is a safe choice almost anywhere you go in Ireland. It is always good. It is often served with garlic mayo dipping sauce and mashed peas.

Inside of the two story McDonald’s in Limerick

We wanted to see if the McDonald’s menu was different here in Ireland. There are a few different items, but we found the menu very hard to read. We resorted to new flavours of McFlurries. The Galaxy Caramel McFlurry is the best. It comes in a paper cup and has a cardboard spoon to go with. Salt packets are given out with fries even though these fries were pre-salted.

Bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, and tea

On to my favourite part! It is time to talk about cafes! Amanda and I tried a place called Olio and Farina. The food was good. Bacon is different in Ireland. It is much more like ham. I prefer American style bacon. The tea and latte were good. I love how all the milk foam I have had in Ireland is a thick layer sitting on top of the coffee. I have never enjoyed milk foam this much in the States. I also tried poached eggs for the first time here. They were good, but I still prefer hardboiled or scrambled.

Hook and Ladder is such a great spot. The inside is inviting and they have a drunch menu. Amanda and I went in to warm up and get out of the rain. We each had a scone. Amanda had a mango and strawberry tea and I had black tea. I love that they give you a little tea pot when you order tea. It is enough for two cups of tea. The Irish will not skimp on tea or fish and chips. We had every intention of journaling while enjoying our snack, but we ended up chatting for most of our time. We highly recommend Hook and Ladder.

The Green Onion Cafe is our favourite cafe we have been to in Limerick. It is super cute! This is where Amanda found one of her new favourite teas and where I learned that I like sausage rolls. During this outing, we had waffles and pancakes which were great. The Green Onion Cafe is a cozy little spot with a great location as we walk in and out of Limerick City Centre.

I had so much fun showing Amanda some of my favourite spots and trying new places together. It was really great to have a friend around. Being able to pray together was comforting and encouraging. Thanks for coming to visit Amanda!

Eating Around London

March 11, 2022/in London 2022

This study abroad journey is the first time I have spent a significant amount of time in another country, and even before leaving, I was worried about the food. What if all the food tastes bad, and I hate it? What if I can’t find my familiar comfort foods? How will I handle it? These are real concerns, and to be honest, when I first arrived, food was a stressful endeavor.

I am a self-proclaimed foodie. I love to cook and eat good food. For my own enjoyment, and to save money where I can, I make most of my meals myself at my flat. This means I do my own food shopping. Going to a British grocery store was bewildering at first. I didn’t know which store to choose, so I just went with the largest one. ASDA is a supermarket chain owned by Walmart, and it’s about 15 minutes by bus from my flat. I see many familiar brands, but they are always slightly different than what I’m used to. The chip flavors are different; Brits have cheese and onion, paprika, and prawn (shrimp) cocktail. Some of these new foods have been really fun to try.

It might be all in my head, but food feels healthier here. It’s usually made with far fewer preservatives (which makes it go bad faster), and many of the dyes, GMOs, and additives I am used to are actually banned here. The UK counterpart of some familiar products (such as Coca Cola) have different ingredients, using cane sugar instead of artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup.

It’s not just a stereotype; the English love tea! But it’s not served in china cups. And they love coffee just as much. Since moving here, I have become a proud tea drinker and have it almost every day.

Even though cooking at home is fun, dining out in London is a truly wonderful experience. I have not had a bad dish yet. Even the cheaper chain restaurants serve delicious food (the photo above is fish and chips at All Bar One, a popular chain). Some of my favorite places to eat are the many outdoor markets in London. Borough Market, Camden Market, and Portabello Market are just a few around the city. They all have AMAZING street food. I wish I could post pictures of everything I have eaten, but there would be way too many. You will have to take my word for it.

Another way to experience food in London is at a pub. The pub concept is something between a bar and a restaurant that we simply do not have in the states. They normally serve drinks along with traditional English food and delicious fried food. It can be a bit confusing at first because, although it looks like a restaurant, you actually have to go up to the bar to order. Traditional British dishes include savory pies (steak and kidney, shepherd’s pie, etc.), bangers and mash, and, of course, fish and chips. There is also the full English breakfast, which includes beans, and the Sunday roast dinner. Despite all of these dishes being heavy on the meat, London is an incredibly vegetarian and vegan-friendly city. I usually avoid meat, and I can find something easily on every menu. I don’t feel like I’m missing out one bit. Allergens are also very clearly labeled, which makes it easy for my friends who need to avoid certain things.

London is also filled with food from other countries. Although fish and chips is the most famous, it can be argued that the national dish of England is chicken tikka masala. Indian food is extremely popular, as well as food from other Asian countries. Some of the best restaurants in London are in Chinatown.

When meeting someone from another culture, one of the easiest things to talk about is food. There are always so many interesting differences! Despite this, food seems to only bring us together instead of driving us apart. Being in such an unfamiliar culinary environment was scary at first, but it got easier when I started viewing it as a new learning experience that I got to immerse myself in. British food gets a bad rap, but I think it is the best part of being here.

Celebrations In Berlin!

March 9, 2022/in Berlin Spring 2022

Today is International Women’s Day, so in Berlin, many stores are closed and no one has school. It feels like a Sunday because on Sundays almost everything is closed. On Sundays, most people stay at home, but today there were a ton of people out and about. I followed suit and did not spend the day inside my apartment. The sun was shining and my friends and I went to have a picnic in Mauerpark! Yesterday, we all went to Edeka to buy food, and today we met up to eat, listen to music and attempt to slack line. A lot of people at my university went to women’s marches and protests, and we talked a little bit about International Women’s Day in classes, but for me, it was a day of relaxation. I got to the park early and read and journaled. I am currently following a read the Bible in a year plan, so I read ahead on that. It was warm enough to not wear a jacket, and the park was packed with people of all ages. Most people drank and smoked, but that is very typical for a chill day in Berlin. There was even someone walking up and down the groups of people selling beer out of a box like they do in ballparks in the U.S., which I found to be hilarious. My friends and I ate fresh baked bread and croissants from bakeries with an array of different spreads, and we ate fruit as well. I like to think bread and sugar makes everyone happy. After that, we all sprawled out in the sun on the grass. When we finally were able to move, we ate a cake out of a tin that my friend, Becca, won in class, and then we packed up and went to find trees to set up Seth’s slack line. I found out that I am horrible, but I am now determined to get better. After the sunset, and it became cold, we all headed back to the S-Bahn station and parted ways.

Today isn’t the only celebration this week. My birthday is also tomorrow! I am really excited to have my birthday here. I think it will be pretty chill. My host says I should go to a club because they are now open, but I don’t think that is going to happen. My friends might go just once some time to see what it is like, but I don’t think I will because I know it’s not going to be my scene, and I’ll want to go home early. I think this weekend, my friends and I are going to either each buy a bottle of wine and try them together while watching a movie or the Great British Baking Show, or we are going to go out to eat either Döner or Currywurst and then go to a bar we really like called Que Pasa. I think I am also going to buy an apricot pavlova from a bakery near my house as my birthday cake. I sadly have a test tomorrow, but hopefully, it will go well. My plans tomorrow are to call a bunch of my friends and family, so my evening will be very busy because of the seven-hour time difference. I really like celebrating things in Berlin, because it feels like there is a lot that you can do. I can’t wait to celebrate Easter here. I think it is really fun to see the differences in how Americans celebrate versus Germans.

Image 1- This is the currywurst we had for Jada’s birthday, two weeks before mine.

Image 2- This was the picnic we ate at Mauerpark.

Image 3- This is all of us enjoying the day and the food at Mauerpark.

Archive for month: March, 2022