Blog 1 – Awaiting Finding Myself
Hey friends!
My name is Katie Gilkey, and I am about to leave the United States to study abroad in Limerick, Ireland, for one semester! There are so many emotions and exciting things to prepare for at the moment. Through this blog, I hope to share with you what I am experiencing and help you to be a part of my adventures along the way! Thank you for being here and reading what I have to say!
First things first…something that I hold in high regard is to keep a positive attitude, even when things are challenging! So to help overcome this, I gratitude every day. This means that I find things throughout the day that I am grateful for in order to keep a more positive attitude – gratitude!
Three things I am grateful for:
- Family and Friends (and their constant love and support).
- Technology (to help me stay connected to people all over the world).
- The Sun (it is warm and always makes me happier).
Last semester, I took a pre-departure class where we examined ourselves and constantly thought of goals to help guide our experiences while being abroad! I want to share with you what some of my goals and expectations are prior to leaving in one week!
Two expectations I have for myself during this semester:
- Improving my cross-cultural communication skills.
- Learning how to live in the moment, to “just be”.
I have had many previous opportunities and experiences to travel around the world and I always come to the conclusion that I love seeing the way different cultures communicate! It is important to me to accept, love, and cherish the beauty of the way people express themselves in a variety of ways including body language, facial expressions, movement, and language itself. As a result of focusing on my cross-cultural communication skills, I hope to communicate God’s love to all people more effectively!
Living in the moment. A hard task living in a “doing” culture. We are always busy and seem to always have something planned, every second of the day. I am looking forward to having a change of pace while living abroad, one that may give me an ideal opportunity to “just be” and live in the moment. I love to give myself to people all the time, but I am finding that it is important for me to begin caring for myself better so that I may care for others more! Therefore, I want to set better boundaries for myself in order to accomplish well-rounded mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health and well-being.
Two expectations I have for the program:
- To gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for how other cultures learn.
- To be provided experiences that I can cherish forever.
Taking classes at MLC and spending time in classrooms has provided me with a vast perspective on the intricacies of how people learn. God is so amazing that every person would be created uniquely, including a unique brain with a unique sense of learning. I am excited to witness for myself the way in which classes are taught to meet the needs of various types of learning in another country. My classes will not only provide me with lifelong memories, but the experiences, excursions, and opportunities that arise will undoubtedly become close to my heart and an integral part of my personal growth.
Two goals I hope to achieve by the end of this experience:
- To have a basic knowledge of Irish music and dance.
- To be more confident in being comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I have always identified myself as a dancer. The joy that I experience when I move my body is unmatched. Unfortunately, I am currently going through a time of growth as I am no longer able to dance the way I once did due to some medical situations. However, I have been able to take a step back and learn to appreciate how different people move. All people move in some capacity, and the way in which people move communicates many things about their culture, their perspectives, and their personality! It is fascinating to ponder, and I am enthused to have the opportunity to be exposed to the way the Irish move their bodies!
Earlier this summer, I was thinking about how I have grown as a person by having to travel back and forth across the country to attend school. It crossed my mind how traveling in my hometown seems almost effortless, easy, and completely and utterly comfortable. I barely have to think about how to get somewhere. But while I was driving down a country road in a different state, it dawned on me how uncomfortable (compared to home) it is to be traveling in a place that is unfamiliar. Depending on who you are and the experiences you have had, this can be a daunting thing to think about. I realized that I felt lucky to have had opportunities to be introduced to uncomfortable situations, and I pray for many more moments of uncomfortability that will eventually lead to learning and growth.
I believe that my greatest challenge will be:
- To overcome adversity with resilience, patience, grace, and love.
Adversity is everywhere. Difficulties arise daily, whether that be someone struggling with a particular sin, a relationship that is on the fritz, or a particular nagging negative thought that seems to weigh you down effortlessly. However, there are some particular characteristics that are needed to overcome this adversity. Tenacity, grit, determination, perseverance, strength, forbearance, and love are just to name a few. But ultimately, Christ is at the center of these characteristics. He is our rock, strength, and shield with his mercies and grace new every morning. What a blessing it is that we can rely on Him freely, and I seek to overcome the challenge of putting my faith over my fears in every situation.
Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes things are happy and wonderful and sometimes life is downright hard. However, in every situation that passes through our threshold of life lived, there are always new perspectives to be gleaned!
Highlights of my time preparing for Ireland include:
- Purchasing new luggage
- Thinking about what is to come and how to pack for a variety of experiences
- Meeting my University of Limerick buddy (Her name is Izzy!)
- Spending special time with friends before leaving
- Welcoming everyone back to the MLC campus as an RA
- Writing this blog
Low-lights of my time preparing for Ireland include:
- Being unsure of what to expect and packing accordingly
- Feeling lots of emotions about leaving my friends in my Senior year
- Living out of a suitcase for two weeks before going to Ireland
- Missing family and friends
Learned Insights from the Low-lights:
- Nothing is permanent; this is temporary and not my forever.
- Being unsure of things can present an opportunity for low expectations and great surprises when I arrive.
- By feeling lots of emotions, it means that I deeply care about everyone in my life and every aspect of my life. This is a blessing that God would give me so many things to miss and love so dearly.
- Living out of a suitcase for extended periods of time helps to give us perspective on the blessings of consistency and routines in our lives!
Scripture that has been close to my heart this week in my preparations:
- Romans 12:12 – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
- Psalms 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
- Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
With that, this is what has been on my heart and on my mind while preparing myself to leave in one week! I pray that the Lord blesses you in all that you do and that you continue to live your life, “all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)!
Joyful thoughts in Christ,
Katie Gilkey
Berlin Bound
In just a few days, I’ll be boarding a plane to Berlin, and it still doesn’t feel real. This is something I’ve looked forward to for so long, and now it’s just a few days away…
Right now, floor space in my room is nonexistent. Piles of clothes, a suitcase, and way too many things I think I need to bring take up all of the space in my room and my brain. What does one pack for a semester abroad?
I’ve wanted to study abroad for a while, and Berlin always stood out to me. It’s a city with so much history and culture, but also a place that feels alive and creative. From the food to the art and music scene, it’s the kind of place that seems like it has something new to discover around every corner. That’s what makes me so excited to spend a semester there.
At the same time, I know it won’t all be easy. Here at home, I know my routines. I set the same alarm every morning, know how to get to class without even thinking, and who to text when I need to hang out. In Berlin, all of that will be different. I’ll have to figure out the train system, order food in German, and adjust to living in a place I’ve never been before. That’s a little scary, but I think that’s also the point.
One of the biggest reasons I chose to study abroad is to challenge myself. I want to step out of what’s comfortable and see how I grow. I want to explore new places, try new foods, and experience as much as possible. I want to meet as many new people as I can and gain some new friends. I know I’ll miss home sometimes, and I know there will be moments where I feel out of place. But I’m hoping those moments will teach me just as much as the fun ones.
I’ve been thinking about some goals for myself while I’m abroad. I’d love to improve my German, and become a better communicator. I want to meet new people and build friendships that I couldn’t have had if I stayed here. And I want to take time to slow down and notice little things like how a street feels in the morning, or what makes Berlin different from anywhere else I’ve been.
Right now, though, I’m still writing this from my room, excited, ready, and happy. I’m still packing, still saying my goodbyes, and still imagining what it will all be like. I hope that as I write my last blog for this study abroad experience that I’ll be able to look back on this post and see how far I’ve come. Soon enough, I’ll actually be there, writing from Berlin instead of about it. But for now, I’m just grateful for the chance to go and excited to see what’s waiting for me on the other side of the flight.
Tschüss!
My First Blog
Hi, my name is Paul Wagner, and I am about to embark on a long trip to the European continent. My home base will be in Berlin, and I will be staying with a lovely host family. I think I will really be able to learn a lot from living with these German people in everyday life. Attila and Elvira are the names of the people willing to take me in for a couple of months. But I am also planning on doing some traveling outside of Germany as well to countries like France, Italy, and Switzerland. It will be interesting to see the difference between Germany and these other countries, which are right next door. While I am there, I will also be taking classes at the university. Most of my coursework will be German language instruction. So I am hoping that between that and speaking in German with my host family and being immersed in the language, I will become relatively proficient by the end. I am also taking two other courses that are taught in English. This will be a very different experience from American college, and I think that I will learn many things outside of the classroom, as I explore and go to museums and see sites with thousands of years of history. I have some goals that I hope to achieve through this program. I want to be able to have full and meaningful conversations in German with a German speaking person and I think this will be achievable through hard work in the classroom and dedication outside of it. My other goal is to regularly speak to strangers. This takes more initiative and courage on my part to deliberately go out and speak to strangers in German. I want to achieve these goals but even if I don’t, I know I will learn something from this time that I spend there. And I think that it will be more formative than my other travels because I will be living and spending time with the people there. I really hope that I do go out and actually speak with the people though. I don’t think there are many ways in which my experience will be failure. And I am currently receiving great encouragement from three guys sitting next to me at the airport who shared their study abroad experiences in Europe a couple years ago. They also think that just being there and being able to travel is such a great opportunity. I am really excited to go and a little sad to not be at home and with many familiar faces, but luckily for me two other students from MLC are coming with me who I know quite well so I will not be all alone. They will also help me achieve my goals while I am through encouragement and mutual struggle. And I am most excited to be able to see so many new places with them and share great memories that will last a lifetime.
Livingstone was a great explorer. I, too, will be exploring. – Paul Wagner
Prep Time is Over: Adventure Awaits!
Honestly, I can’t believe that my semester abroad is finally here! I feel like I’ve been telling people for two years how I’m going to go on this huge adventure, but it’s been so long that it was starting to feel like I would never actually go. In preparation for my time abroad, and in relation to my majors, I took three summer classes this year. I’ve never had a more stressful summer! However, I’m really proud of myself for working through this so that I can go on this adventure. I feel like this experience will be something that I will never regret and may never have the opportunity to do something like this again.
Now, I am three shifts of my summer job and one night of packing away from going on a journey that will truly change me. I don’t know how to pack my life into a suitcase and a backpack, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. I look forward to everything that I’m going to learn, including German (hopefully), and I’m excited to get to know new people that God will place in my life.
At this point, it doesn’t feel real, but I’m not nervous anymore. Looking back at my original goals and expectations list, I see a lot of fears. Fears that I will miss my family, fears that my friend group may change drastically while I’m gone, and many other fears. I recognize that those were my fears, but I don’t share them anymore. My family is one call away, and they’re coming to visit me in October! My friends will be there for me and I’m so excited to see them when I get to school in January.
I also see that I wanted to spend a lot of this time working on myself, and I do. I want to focus on becoming a more positive person in situations that I can’t control. And I think I will. Already, texting with my host family has made me feel so much better. I can’t wait to meet them and make connections halfway across the world. This is my time to make decisions for myself, to see God‘s creation, and find out that I am capable of growth!
I wrote on that goals and expectation sheet that I am my own worst enemy. This is true, but only if I wish to stay that way. I also think that I can be my own support and find strength in that. I have confidence that I will do well and that confidence is what will make me succeed.
So, in this post, I’m going to make new goals for myself. I want to try my host Family‘s vegetarian food and enjoy it. I want to get coffee on a busy street in Berlin and just listen to all the voices. I want to see the history of Germany and what really happened that made it into what it is today. I want to make it to Paris and London and Italy. I want to see God‘s beauty every day and thank him for this amazing opportunity. I want to make friends with people my age that I feel encouraged to keep ties with once I leave.
I now recognize the magnitude of the opportunity that lies before me and can’t wait to face every situation head on.
Here’s one last pic of all my wonderful cousins and I until I see them again when I return!
Home for Christmas
I cannot believe I am done with my study abroad semester and will be flying home next weekend! It feels so unreal. It was September just yesterday and the 15 weeks ahead of me felt like a massive monster of uncertainty and nerves. I am beyond blessed to have had time here and I am more than excited to see how I can use what I learned from my experiences in my life back home.
What am I most proud of? Myself! Just for doing this, to be honest. For deciding to do something big and following through with it. I was terrified to come alone and meet new people and be in a strange place, but I will never ever regret coming. I have met some amazing faces that I plan to keep in touch with, and learned so much about Greek culture and my own culture. I have so many pictures, little mementos, and memories to share for the rest of my life.
If I could change anything about the experience it would have been my mind set in the first half of the semester. When I first got here, it took me a few weeks to settle in, and I have always been a planner so I was constantly looking ahead and looking ahead and counting down until the second half, or a trip, or the end. But now that I am here, I wish I had tried to be a little more in the moment than I was. I did take time to enjoy every bit of it, but I could have enjoyed even more if I had let go a little more in the beginning. It’s ok though!
There is so much I could incorporate into my life back home, and I’m honestly interested to see how much this experience does affect me because right now I can’t tell, but I have a feeling I will once I get back. I would like to incorporate getting out of my comfort zone more in my life back home. I realize this might be a little hard on the MLC campus, but I think in things like my lessons and in my goals for myself I can be more ambitious because this taught me that I can do big and scary things, and that it will turn out ok! I will also be incorporating some of the food;) because I cannot just say goodbye to the amazing dishes here. So I have some recipes to bring back and tell my friends and family about. I’m excited for everyone to try them!!
I am grateful for every part of this experience. For the people who got me here and the people who supported my adventurous yet slightly delusional ideas while I’ve been here. I’m so very thankful for my new friends and roommates. It’s not very often as we grow up that we get the opportunity to make new, close friends, and God gave me an entire apartment filled with these kinds of girls. I am of course also thankful for my faith while on this trip. Getting the opportunity to see Greece from the standpoint of one of God’s created looking at more of His creation and his people but in a different place was…so amazing I don’t have words to describe it. The things I got to see, evidence from the Bible and just walking in places I’d only ever heard about was the answer to some prayers I didn’t know I prayed.
That being said, God’s hand has been all over my experience here. I’ve been safe, I’ve gotten the opportunity to evangelize to people who have never heard of Jesus before or who had heard but were curious to know more from my point of view and culture, which is something I’ve never experienced before. And it wasn’t even hard! I seemed to have all the words for what I wanted to say, which, as someone who can be very inarticulate sometimes, was pretty amazing to realize after the fact. My roommates were probably the most unexpected blessing. I did not honestly think much about the girls I’d be living with before I arrived, nor how my faith life would look without my friends at MLC, but God of course already had that taken care of! Quite a few of my roommates believed in Jesus and were part of churches back home, so to get to talk about my beliefs with them and get song suggestions or even prayers was very welcome when things would get a little lonely.
If I could give any advice to future study abroad students it would be to go on trips with your new friends. The trips and little excursions I did with my friends were some of my favorite memories. Even when we didn’t know each other that well, we planned some little things and it not only helps you to bond and create connections but also helps you try new things so much more. Some of the silly crazy things I tried and experienced would not have happened if I had been alone. Along those same lines, I would say make an effort to make friends with people from the other culture in your classes and at school. Some of my Greek friends are thee funniest people I’ve ever met and they can tell me so much about myself that I didn’t know simply because they observe me from the standpoint of another culture. They also give great recommendations of things to do, see, or try. So…make friends!!! I truly believe your relationships while away make all the difference. It helps with homesickness too:)
In conclusion for my last blog (crying!!) I have a few more pictures from some recent adventures!
