Guatemala: Faith Expressions
Feb. 17, 2020 Thirty days here Lots of new experiences So many questions… Crowded buses but The sweetest people you鈥檒l meet. Greeted with hugs and kisses Yet divided through language. Hot weather makes a beautiful day long walks to and from school. New people in your life means long lasting friendships. Volc谩n de Pacaya. Antigua.....
Guatemala: Expectations
1/30/20 I like to know what’s going on. Unfortunately, I don’t always in my host family. I have a couple of instances of this that come to mind. The first is with my host brother Jacob. He is in the army but comes home for weekends. Two weekends ago, I went along to take him....
Guatemala: Observations on a Roof in Zona 7 de Mixco
The sun makes a halo in the air pollution as it falls behind the mountains. A slight breeze plays with the leaves, my hair, and the laundry line. My brother鈥檚 Honda jacket still hangs there. How many days has it been now? Several dogs engage in territory disputes, paws and head visible over brightly-painted roof-edge....
Guatemala: An introduction
La Primera Semana (The First Week) We arrived on Jan. 9, and now it’s Jan. 19.聽 10 days feel more like 30 days.聽 Highlights and low-lights have included me coming down with tonsillitis for the 3rd time in 2 months, quickly getting antibiotics thanks to Peyton’s “host” cousin who is a doctor, hiking Pacaya Volcano....
Europe: A final thought
I haven鈥檛 really been able to process everything I鈥檝e just seen and experienced and done over the past three and a half months, and I think it is going to take me some time to do so. I鈥檝e learned so many things. But one thing that sticks out to me as of this moment that....
Europe: Immigration in Austria
24 October 2019* On September 27th, I had the privilege of playing soccer alongside refugees in a tournament that was part of 鈥淟anger Tag der Flucht鈥� (long day of the escape), a full day event devoted to the stories of refugees in Vienna, Austria.聽 As I was enjoying the sport I love and practicing my....
Europe: insights to the Holocaust
4 November 2019 When we started learning about the Holocaust in Europe, specifically in Vienna, I felt like being American, being so far removed from these tragedies, had made it difficult to understand them until I was there in the countries where they took place.聽 It impacted me greatly to be standing in the plaza....
Europe: Budapest
14 October 2019 One huge difference between Europe and North America is that you can take a three-hour train ride to get to another country and never have your passport checked! Thursday morning, our group met at Hauptbahnhof and took a train to Budapest, Hungary. During our three full days in a new city, we....
Europe: we are the same, can we see?
11 October 2019 I had no idea how living with a complete stranger for two months was going to go. I knew she was a retired teacher, had a daughter, and didn鈥檛 have any pets. That was it. The night we arrived in Vienna we all went to a restaurant for dinner and then waited....
Europe: Taking the opportunity
9 October 2019 I spent the fall semester of 2018 in DC with the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Program. I have the privilege of spending this semester in Europe studying art and theater. Theater is one thing that my two cross-culturals have in common. While I was in DC I worked as the production intern at....