Reflecting On My Time Abroad

"Oh The Places You’ll Go" - Dr. Seuss

Karly Knutson 

30" x 40"

Watercolor, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop

Everyone has a unique story that is shaped throughout a lifetime. While each story is very personal, stories are meant to be shared. It is through these shared experiences that communities are created.

In the Spring of 2014, I studied abroad in Coventry, England. I met some of the most intriguing people, traveled around England and to 7 other countries, immersed myself into the culture and fell in love with adventure. Like many others who have studied abroad or traveled the world, the experiences made a print on my life and became a new chapter to my story. This mixed media image encapsulates this chapter of my unique story but also welcomes a shared meaning with others.

Each rain drop stops at a location I traveled or runs off the page to signify the 7 other countries I traveled to besides England. There are are a lot of hidden gems, you have to look close;)

Oh The Places You'll Go!! Riga, Latvia

In between final exams, Bailey and I traveled to Riga, Latvia, for our last study abroad adventure. Yes, we do actually attend the university here abroad. It is not all fun and games. Last Friday I had a two hour exam for my Global Inequality and Development class, this past Wednesday I turned in a group crisis communications plan for my Sports PR and Marketing class, and this past Friday I had another two hour exam for my Sports Media and Sponsorship class.

Riga was a recommended destination from our advisor here at Coventry University. We were looking for a nice and relaxing time different from the normal study abroad experiences. We had absolutely no expectation! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Latvia. It was incredibly stunning in Old Riga! Also, many of our experiences there were very lucky and unique. This year, Riga has been named the Culture Capital of the world. Therefore, many interesting events have been occurring. This brought a very different aspect to our time in Riga. Furthermore, Latvia's Scandinavian influence, weather, traditional meals, and friendly people reminded me a bit of home in a way. It definetly made me excited to return to Minnesota. Wow was the food and beer incredible!! and inexpensive!!! My favorite Latvian traditional meals were grey peas and bacon (a soup mixture in a bread bowl), boiled potatoes, traditional meat balls, and a personal hot dish that included potatoes, steak, carrots, and more.

Day 1: Touring Old Riga ~ On my flight to Latvia I ended up sitting next to an American FBI agent working at the U.S. Embassy in Latvia. He gave me great advice and key attractions for traveling within Riga. He also informed me of the rising tension between Latvia and Russia. I had no idea that the tensions were traveling beyond the Ukraine situation. By the end of flight he generously gave me his contact information if I would have any questions while traveling or in case of an emergency. He also extended an invitation to my friend and I to meet up with his family at their home near the beach. This offer was extremely nice, but as young women traveling in an unknown country, we didn't exactly want to be a part of the next Taken movie... We never ended up taking him up on his offer, but I wish we would have! Later in the trip we met another american woman whose husband worked at the Embassy as well. She reassured us about his credentials and spoke extremely highly of him and his family. We also learned that his beach home was incredible!! Dang! I guess next time I am in Latvia I'll have to get in touch with him again.

After landing and checking into our hotel, Bailey and I set off to tour Old Riga. Walking through the small cobblestone streets surrounded by colorful architecture, I instantly knew this trip was going to be great! Shortly after beginning our adventure we found a street market. It was amazing how many various markets and street vendors there were! Of course Bailey and I couldn't resist! Handmade silver and amber jewelry, knitted apparel, leather goods, carved wooden goods, and ceramics were popular traditional items being sold. I ended up purchasing a beautiful green amber ring:) We then made our way to St. Peter's Church, Musicians of Bremen Statue, Riga Dome Church, the Doma Laukums, Three Brothers, the Parliament Building, the Castle of Riga, and finally the River Daugava. That evening we returned to our hotel for a nice dinner and early night.

Day 2: Latvian Freedom Day ~ Our first full day in Latvia ended up being the Latvian Freedom Day. There were people everywhere within the city and many had Latvian flags. After a little while of touring the outer rim of Old Riga, we stumbled upon a flower laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument after following the music of a large band. It seems like a very formal event with very high ranked officials and members of society attending. The rest of the public crowded around as well. As the ceremony came to a close, we decided to follow a man that seemed extremely important. After only standing a few feet away to take a picture, I found out he was the Latvian president. How neat!! We then made our way back to St. Peter's Church in Old Riga. We made our way to the panoramic view of the city atop the church's tower. It was incredible!! Yet, extremely cold and windy that high up!! After warming up in the church while listening to a choir recital, we made our way to Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs traditional Latvian pub. It was so old and just the perfect find!! We arrived just in time for Lucky Hour (happy hour). For Freedom Day, we were recommended to attend a concert in Vermanes Garden. So, after dinner we decided to check it out. It was a very strange experience! Half of the songs were in a different language, the atmosphere was very hippy/boho, the singer's hands were painted red, and I heard way too many high pitched screams for me to understand... Very different than anything I had heard or seen before.

Casually stumbled upon a flower laying ceremony for Latvian Freedom Day and the President..

Day 3: The Real Riga Walking Tour and the Riga Zoo ~

The next day we ventured deeper into Maskavas Forstate and Central Riga during a free Real Riga Walking Tour. During this time, we learned a great deal of history about Riga that I knew absolutely nothing about! It was so interesting! Our tour guide also spoke about the similarities between previous years of tension with the Soviet Union and now with Russia. It is amazing how much more you learn about the world by actually visiting areas and learning from the locals! Many of the locals that we spoke to about the issue felt completely safe, but unsure of what was to come. Beyond learning the history and current status of Latvia on this tour, we saw an incredible about of statues. Who knew a city could have a statue everywhere you turn!

The Riga Zoo was our afternoon activity. This zoo is one of the oldest in Europe founded in 1912. While many of the animals that we saw can be found in a zoo in Minnesota due to the similar climate, there were many new species that I had never seen or heard of before. Also, I was amazed by the amount of baby animals I saw. Oh they were so cute!!

Day 4: Majori ~ Jamala, Latvia ~ It was finally beach day!! We found ourselves at the beautiful beach town of Majori as part of the well-known Jamala Beaches along the Baltic Sea. It was the just the perfect relaxing day that we needed! We walked along the white sand beach and managed to find a place out of the wind to relax on our beach towels. Over the hours that we enjoyed the beach i had my fair share of quality people watching, closing my eyes, playing in the sand, and reading an amazing book. Even though it was not exactly bikini or swimming weather, we still were able to soak in some rays. When the wind didn't pick up, it was very warm! Back in town we cuddled up with some blankets outside a coffee shop before our traditional Latvian dinner. Traveling to and from Majori was extremely easy and inexpensive! I would love to come back to this beach town or another beach town along the Baltic sea some day!! Maybe when it's nicer weather though!

Day 5 - 6: Last Day ~

Our final full day in Riga was filled with the remaining attractions. We first found the KGB Building, which was the main location of the violence and genocide against the Latvian nation during the Soviet occupation. This was an extremely eye opening historical layout. The unlawful torture of countless people until 1991 within this building was extremely haunting. Everything that occurred during the Soviet reign of Latvia has striking correlations with what is currently occurring in Ukraine. I have definitely grown a stronger interest in this issue!

After we finished the KGB Building, we made a quick stop at Muffins & More then to the famous Centraltirgus Market. This market is by far the largest market I have ever seen or heard of. There were enormous indoor facilities that were sectioned off for food along with an entire outdoor area sectioned off for fresh produce and random goods. We ventured throughout the market besides the giant fish market building. The smell was repulsing!!!!! 

For dinner, we returned to Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs. This was the perfect ending to our trip! There was traditional dancing occurring just a few feet from our table and the atmosphere was fantastic. Also, this was the night that we met a woman and her husband that knew the FBI agent I met on the plane. There were countless pilots that had accompanied her and her husband to dinner as well. We talked with her for a long time and it was so enjoyable! We talked further of the Latvian~Russian tension. She informed us that the United States, as part of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with Latvia, is flying in troops and important figures into Latvia to make our presence and influence known to Russia. I will definitely be following this issue and checking in with my new contacts.

The next day we returned to Coventry to begin studying. Woohoo!! 

Great last trip!

Groningen Management Games

As part of the Sports and Event Management department at Coventry University, I have had the opportunity to travel with classmates to two different management games. Management games are week-long competitions of various sports and event management related tasks among groups of students. My first management games was at Center Parcs in England with third year students. During these games, I was part of the faculty for my internship helping with the organization and grading.

This last week I attended the Groningen Management Games in The Netherlands. These games involved students from over 12 countries, mainly from Coventry University, Groningen University and Cologne University. The tasks at this event involved the Bupa Great North Run. We wrote job descriptions, organized new side-events, presented strategic plans, recorded promotional videos, debated, and much more. Along with the various tasks each day, every team joined in on a volleyball tournament. Instead of being on the faculty side, I joined a student team to execute the tasks. All of the other students at these games were receiving credit for their time. There was very little motivation for myself to work hard because I wasn't receiving any credit for my work or participation there. Yet, many of the tasks were very interesting to me and it reminded me of Deca/BPA in a way. My team was made up of four students from Groningen and myself. It was so great to work with them and discuss the differences among our cultures. They taught me some Dutch phrases and suggested many things to do and things to eat during my time in Groningen. They spoke very good English, but I ended up having to write a lot of our work due to my English background. Although we didn't win any prizes, we passed the week with flying colors and it was great to apply what I have been learning at university!!

Group 14: Anouk, Hessel, myself, Judith and Iris 

Beyond the hard work that we put in throughout the week, we also had free time to explore the town and meet other international students. Groningen was absolutely beautiful!! There weren't any major attractions, but every where you went it was just stunning! We ventured to the football stadium, one of the red light districts, the main square of Groningen, many markets, and just throughout the streets. We met so many lovely people!

Joey, myself, Bailey, Adam and Zane out to dinner

When we were getting ready to leave, everywhere throughout the Netherlands was preparing for King's Night and King's Day, a national celebration. I wish we could have stayed the weekend to enjoy the festivities!! It reminded me of America's Fourth of July a bit. There were concerts and festivals being set up everywhere and everyone was wearing orange. I would love to attend this event someday! Amsterdam is also on my to do list for the future!

23 Days ~ 5 Countries ~ 1 Backpack

Packing for my current semester-long study abroad experience at Coventry University in England was difficult enough! In the past I have been known to completely over pack. Yet, I am very proud of myself that I was able to leave for the airport in January with one large checked bag, a backpacking bag as a carry-on, and a normal backpack as my personal item. I have managed extremely well with the items that I brought over. There are very few items that have not been used to their full potential. Furthermore, I am very thankful that my parents were not only able to bring a few summer essentials to Europe on their visit, but they were also able to bring home many winter essentials.

At the end of May, I had to pack for a 23 day backpacking adventure across England, France, Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. 23 days!!! 5 countries!!! 1 backpack!!! This felt impossible at the time considering the various weather conditions I was expecting and planned activities ranging from hiking to fancy dinners. While I accepted the challenge and managed to survive throughout the trip, there are aspects that I would have changed about my packing decisions. Most importantly, I wish I would have condensed what I brought knowing the shopping that was going to occur. On my flight back to England I had to pay an extra 60 euros because my bag was too big to carry onto the plane... oops...

Below is all of the items I managed to fit in the backpacking bag, thanks to the vacuum seal bags!!

1. Deuter Aircontact women's backpacking bag, waterproof backpacking bag cover, tote, satchel, vacuum seal packing bags

2. 2 long sleeve shirts, a quarter length shirt, 3 t-shirts, 4 tank-tops and 2 blouses *should have condensed!!!

3. A dress and 4 cardigans/cover-ups *should have thought to bring thinner layers

4. A pair of jeans, navy blue jeggings, black leggings, maxi-skirt and 2 cotton skirts *should have taken out the black skirt and navy jeggings

5. Cosmetic essentials

6. Workout leggings, shorts, athletic zip-up, 2 t-shirts and 2 tank-tops

7. NorthFace zip-up, rain jacket, and peacoat *Should have left the peacoat, way to bulky!

8. Hat, gloves, 3 scarves, belt, 3 headbands, sunglasses and umbrella *should have taken out warm scarf and hat

9. Ipad, travel pillow, bike lock, chargers and converter, passport, cards and camera with extra battery

Oh the Places You'll Go!! Royal Leamington Spa

Spring has officially sprung in England! The weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend!

Saturday morning, Bailey and I began our girls weekend by hopping on the train for Royal Leamington Spa. The trip only took about 10 minutes! For the next few hours, we roamed the Jephson's Garden and streets of Royal Leamington Spa. We even made our way to the historical Royal Pump Rooms where people visited the various spa baths during the 18th and 19th century for leisure or medical purposes. After a little bit of shopping, we sat down at the Fat Birds Cafe for a late lunch. We then decided to take a little break in our hotel room and drop off bags after a full afternoon or walking, shopping, and eating.

Bailey and I on our paddle boat adventure

Bailey and I then had the opportunity to connect with my father's co-workers's daughter and her friends from the area. They were extremely friendly and they were able to point us in the right direction for a great dinner spot.

Sunday brunch at the BandStand Tea Room

After a quick stop at a Caribbean restaurant for a Margarita on the rocks, we made our way to a pub to watch the championship game of Ireland vs. France in Rugby 6 Nations. Can't say I knew what was going on, but it was a great atmosphere to watch the game! I was amazed how physical the game got and the injuries looked so awful! Yet, I can say I actually enjoyed the game!

For dinner, we ate at Copper Pot. I enjoyed a delicious Steak & Ale pie with mashed potatoes and peas. Yum! The place became very packed with locals celebrating St. Patty's weekend. We were able to stay and enjoy some of the night before heading back to our hotel exhausted.



Sunday morning, we awoke early and helped ourselves to a free breakfast at our hotel. We then made our way to a boat hire on the river where we hired a paddle boat out. It was the perfect morning to soak in some sun and get a little workout in.

Once our time was up we made our way to an American shop that held a variety of food and sweets that aren't normally available here in England. It was expensive though, so I only treated myself to a blue gatorade.

To end our wonderful weekend, we met up with Tony and Sue, my fathers coworker and wife, for a Sunday Brunch at the BandStand Team Room. Here I had my first traditional English tea and scone. It was great to catch up with them!

We've Hit the Halfway Mark!!!

Today is the official halfway mark for my study abroad experience... strange! I can remember arriving in Dublin, Ireland, for our pre-travel like it was yesterday. There was so much anxiety and excitement for what was in store for me. I had so many different expectations for everything and I can honestly say that I have been pleasantly blown away! Of course, there have been bumps in the road, but I am so thankful for my experience so far! 

Thinking back on these last 63 days, I am just amazed of the memories I have created! I have had the opportunity to travel all around the United Kingdom, join the Coventry Women's Basketball team, make friends with people from around the world, gain real life marketing experience in a new culture, learn Harvard Style writing, make many cultural mistakes and learn from them, expand my chef abilities, eat pigs blood (black pudding), get my ear pierced, enjoy the pub life, realize I can't stay up late enough for the English clubbing culture, splurge on a little shopping and so much more!!!!! 

Yet, it is not just about the memories. This journey has also led to much personal growth. By being immersed into the culture of Coventry, I feel that I have gained a better understanding of not only my own culture in America and Minnesota, but also the cultures of the diverse population here. The way in which education, work, sport and social run in England has many differences than what I am used to. I have learned to adapt, accept, and even enjoy some of the differences. My experiences so far have impacted me for the better and I look forward to how they will influence the rest of my time here abroad as well as my future.

It is sad to think that it is half over, but I am looking forward to everything in store for me within the next 63 days before flying back to the states! We are currently in the process of planning our St. Patrick's Day Weekend, possibly going to London and the Harry Potter Studios or Manchester. The following weekend I will be taking a day trip to Cardiff with the Lets Go program from Coventry University. On March 25th my dad will be arriving in England. He will being doing some work in Coventry and spending a little bit of time with me as well! On March 28th the whole gang arrives! My dad and I will be meeting up with my mom, two brothers and grandparents on my mom's side in London. We will be visiting London, Bath, Stonehenge and Warwick castle in England then make our way to France to visit Normandy Beach and Paris. My mother and I will then begin a girls week in Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice, Italy. Sending my mom off on April 13th back to the states, I am hoping to be leaving on a train to Salzburg, Austria to meet up with one of my roommates, Ana. From there I will head home to Coventry for a day of recuperation before flying out to Groningen, Holland for another Management Game with the SEM Department on April 21st. We will return to Coventry on the 25th to prepare for exams and papers. Yeah, it's not all fun and games. During an open few days we may be traveling with our exchange group and director to Scotland for some mountain biking. Then, on May 11th the Coventry Women's Basketball team will be in a tournament that I will be able to be apart of. Finally, on May 13th I will be heading to Waco, Texas to reunite with my boyfriend for (hopefully) the last time after 4 years of long distance!! After his graduation, packing up, and a little traveling, we will road trip back home to Minnesota for the summer. WOW!! I am exhausted just thinking about the craziness to come within these next few months!

Let the second half of my adventure begin!!!

The Perfect Getaway to York

York was beautiful and had an abundance amount of history! One aspect that I was disappointed with was that it cost money to tour almost all historical locations and museums. The York City Art Gallery was the only free exhibition that I was actually really excited for. Yet, when we arrived, we found out that it was closed until 2015... How inconvenient!

Despite these discrepancies, I had the most wonderful day!

At 8am Saturday morning, I hopped on a bus with the Let's Go program through Coventry University for a 2 1/2 hour ride to York. Zane, Joey, Chris and I all joined in on this trip, but we all had different plans for the day. It was the perfect day for an adventure on my own.

I began by touring the Museum Gardens with various ruins, the York Observatory, and much more. I then found my way to one of the three old city walls for a wonderful walk. These walls have defended the city since the Roman times. After finding my way to the end of the first city walls, I found my way to the Eye of York and Clifford's Tower. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised by an enormous crowd of protesters, college students, policemen monitoring. I grabbed some free tea and pea soup from one of the protest groups and learned about what was happening. They informed me that they will often have peaceful political protests about government budget cuts on social reform.

Next, I made my way through all of the shopping streets including the famous area, The Shambles. Being without the boys, I had my fair share of window shopping and dreaming about shopping sprees with my mom:) Being a college exchange student, I don't exactly have the extra cash to shop as I please. Oh well, I will take these adventures and memories over shopping anytime!! Yet, I did find myself at a chocolate shop at an outdoor market and couldn't resist. I bought truffles of all flavors!! Yummy!

After finding the York Minster, I came across the cutest cupcakery! It was a great opportunity to relax and enjoy an amazing red velvet cupcake. I also had the opportunity to talk to a few locals enjoying cupcakes of their own. I received great advice on where locals enjoy eating dinner and the best vintage shops. After lots of rummaging through vintage shops and even ripping my jeans in the process, I found the perfect brown leather vintage satchel!!! Greatest day ever!! Only 4.75!! To celebrate my great victory I helped myself to some incredible local pizza to end my trip.

View of Eye of York and political protests from the Clifford's Tower

The York Minster 

Crumbs Cupcakery

View of York Minster from City Walls

The Lake District ~ Windermere, United Kingdom

Traveling around the world has become one of my passions in life and I am so thankful for all of the places I have already traveled with family and friends within the United States and beyond! Of the many places I have traveled, there are only a few places that I have absolutely fallen in love with. A few of these places include the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Toledo in Spain and the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. The beauty of these locations are insatiable!! You simply have to be quite and take in the view because no photo will ever capture the real essence of the moment. The Lake District has just joined this list as one of my favorite places on earth!

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England with many fresh water lakes. This region is highly regarded by vacationers with incredible hiking and mountain biking paths, variety of boutiques and outdoor shopping, water sports, and thrill seeking adventures. Since being in England, I have heard so many amazing stories about trips to The Lake District and have been itching to experience it first hand. 

Yesterday, Bailey and I had that opportunity to travel to Windermere in the southern part of the Lake District. It exceeded all expectations! Bailey and I hoped on a coach full of international students from Coventry University for a four hour bus ride to Windermere. I had never felt like the complete minority until then. We were traveling with students predominantly from Asian or Arab countries. When I wasn't sleeping, I had the chance to meet a few of the other students and hear their stories.

Arriving in Windermere, we had absolutely no plan. We just knew that we wanted to go on an adventure. Windermere was the perfect old fishing village filled with cafes, boutiques, outdoor stores, and lots of ice cream and chocolate shops!! Everything was so tempting!! We began by walking just over a mile down to the water. At Bowness Bay we ate our packed lunches staying clear of the many birds, ducks, and massive swans. After a few pictures, we decided to take a tour boat to two other small villages on the northern side of the 10 mile long and 1 mile wide lake. The buildings, castles, homes, and hotels along the lake were incredible!! People have money here!! Bailey and I got off at the second stop in Ambleside. What we didn't realize was that the city centre was a mile away! By the time we got into town and look around a bit, we had to turn around in order to make the boat back to Windermere. Thankfully we had beautiful weather, but we missed a huge hail storm by just a few minutes!

Our next destination was Post Knott Viewpoint. The hike up to the top was filled with sweat, lots of mud, and even more laughter. The rain and hail made the pathway to the top a little tricky. No one fell, but there were way too many close calls! Getting to the top of Post Knott Viewpoint was such a reward in every direction. We could see the entire lake, rolling hills, Windermere village, the English countryside, and snowy mountains in the distance. It was absolutely gorgeous! We didn't want to leave!

The trek down the hill was far worse than the trek up... So much mud!! After safely getting back to our meeting point in town, we were able to treat ourselves to a nice meal at Lazy Daisy Lakeland Kitchen before returning home. I'd say it was a successful day! Can't wait to return someday!!

Edinburgh Excursion

A weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland was more than I could have imagined!! We were able to travel on a coach bus full of international students from Coventry University to Edinburgh through a program called "Let's Go!" This program offered us travel and accommodations but let us tour on our own. So glad we found this opportunity!! They will also be having day trips to York and Cardiff that I look forward to attending:)

Below are my favorite memories from the trip. If you ever go to Edinburgh, these are a must!!

1. On the first day we found our way up Calton Hill. The National Monument of Scotland was one of the sites on Calton Hill. We had our fair share of climbing and pictures on this.

2.  Calton Hill was by no means strenuous. The hill was not huge, but the view was incredible!! We went around Sunset, so the lights within the city began to light up and the sky was incredible! None of my pictures do this view justice.

3. On our second day we woke up at the crack of dawn to hike up Arthur's Seat mountain to watch the sun rise. This was by far the most incredible experience I have had in a long time! It was simply breathtaking! But seriously, it was a tough hike so it was actually breathtaking!! The path that we took was very uphill and we were moving very fast in order to make in time for the sunrise. It took us only about a half an hour, but there were many other paths that could have been taken for a more leisure morning. At the top of the mountain you could see the entire city of Edinburgh, the ocean and St. Andrews. Again, my pictures did not do the view justice.

4. After our long hike up and down Arthur's Seat, we made our way to The Elephant House. This gourmet tea and coffee shop has become famous as the place of inspiration to many writers over the years. J.K. Rowling sat and wrote much of her early novels looking out to the Edinburgh Castle similar to this image below. The bathrooms were like a shrine to Harry Potter haha. It was a magical experience being here, but the mocha and pastry was incredible as well!! 

5. After a museum, more sight seeing and a little shopping, we made our way to Princes Street Gardens where we saw this incredible view of the Edinburgh Castle!

The Oxford Experience

The view from the top of the Oxford Castle

Oxford, The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous around the world for it's history and prestigious University. Oxford is rich with historical stories of royalty, wars, scholars, and much more. The city nowadays has a bustling cosmopolitan high tech community, but the ancient University is still a main tourist attraction.

Our group had the opportunity to visit Oxford for the weekend and it was an incredible experience. Walking around the city we were surrounded by extremely intelligent human beings. I like to think that I became increasingly more intelligent just by being surrounded by these individuals at Oxford University:)

Shortly after arriving in Oxford we joined a free walking tour. Our tour guide led us through some of the most historical and well-known areas around the Oxford campus including the Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Camera, Divinity School, The Bear, The Turf Tavern, Bodleian Library, University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the Carfax, the oldest building in Oxford, and the many colleges of Oxford. After the tour we were able to break off on our own to tour the Oxford Ashmolean Museum and The Museum of History of Science. At the Museum of History and Science we got to see a chalkboard that was from one of Albert Einstein's lectures at Oxford. After getting a quick bite to eat and warming up from the cold weather we decided to find our hostel to check in. That evening we found our way to The Eagle and The Child Pub. This was a very unique experience! This pub is where C. S. Lewis and The Inklings met for their creative writing society way back when. There were quotes and pictures around the bar, but it was not overdone. I had an amazing plate of fish & chips then our group though it was appropriate to play some scrabble:) After we ate and relaxed, we found our way to GandD's cafe that is famous for their ice cream. I ordered the Cookie Monster: a carmel cookie on bottom, a Bailey's Irish Cream ice cream in the middle, and a double chocolate cookie on top. WOW!! That night a few of us decided to roam the city.

Part of Harry Potter was filmed in this building!! The main floor was the hospital wing and the upper floor is where part of the library shots were taken including the restricted section

The Turf Tavern is one of the oldest pubs in Oxford and many celebrities have made their way here. Bill Clinton allegedly was caught here smoking illegal substances.

The Eagle and Child Pub

My incredible Monster Cookie and DandG's

Monday morning we awoke early to head to Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum. Unfortunately, the Natural History museum was closed and the Pitt River Museum wasn't open yet. Whoops. So we made our way to the University of Oxford Botanical Gardens. This was a very pretty area! Due to major flooding in the UK, we were not able to see everything because part of it was under water! We could see an entire football field nearby completely under water! If the water wasn't so high, it would have been really fun to rent a canoe thing to take throughout their rivers. After the gardens we made our way back to the Pitt Rivers Museum where we were able to see shrunken heads! We also got a little glimpse into the Natural History Museum to see a few dinosaur skeletons including the dodo bird! Next we made our way to Christ Church. Beautiful!! We then found our way to a covered market for lunch. In the afternoon we made our way to Oxford Castle for a cheesy tour. It was fun, a little creepy, and we got an amazing view of the entire city from the top of one of the tours. I'd say it was a successful few days!!!

 The Natural History Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum

Christ Church

The Bear - oldest pub in Oxford

 An amazing view of Oxford city from the top of the Oxford Castle

A Month of Memories

Had to include a C. S. Lewis quote after returning from a weekend in Oxford!!

It has officially been a month since arriving here in Coventry, United Kingdom. My pre-travel in Ireland and Wales was incredible, but actually living in the same place abroad for an extended amount of time is a whole different experience! My day to day life isn't always something spectacular, but there are constantly memories to cherish. My weekdays include attending lectures and seminars, putting in internship hours, blogging, doing a little homework, cooking, roaming Coventry, and occasional day trip and much much more. My weekends have tended to drain my bank account with the traveling and hanging out with friends. It is amazing the amount of memories I have captured within this last month! I can't wait to see what these next 3 months have in store for me!!

My Month of Memories:

Touring Coventry

A day trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon with the French

An evening in Birmingham

Kazbah and Hush

The Phoenix & Quids Pub

Starting school at Coventry University

Getting placed as Marketing Intern in the Sport & Event Management department

A weekend in London (staying with Kaitlin)

A day trip to Liverpool with the French

An evening at the Bucher's Arms Restaurant in Priors Hardwick with Tony and Sue

Joined the Coventry Women's Basketball team

Getting my ear pierced

Attending the Aston Villa v. West Ham United football match (stay tuned for a blog post)

A weekend in Oxford (stay tuned for a blog post)

and more...

Keeping The Dream Alive

Sports have always been a major part of my life! Backyard games were a daily activity with neighborhood friends and family growing up, and as soon as I was old enough I joined community soccer and basketball leagues. I continued to play soccer until my senior year in high school with many successes and wonderful memories. Basketball lead me to an incredible senior year of high school placing second at state and then onto two years at the College of Saint Benedict. It was within these teams that I have met some of my best friends to this day. Being apart of a team with my best friends has become a main source of laughter, competitiveness, and pure enjoyment. I definitely owe much of my competitive nature to my two brothers and father, despite my grandma Arloa's claim that it came from her:) Sorry grandma! Growing up I had to be competitive in order to stand any chance against my brothers and my fathers competitiveness was always something that I strived for.

My love for sports lead me to this opportunity to study abroad at Coventry University where I am studying Sport & Event Management while having a Marketing Internship within the Sport & Event Management department. Unfortunately though, studying abroad in the spring hindered me from playing basketball for a third year at CSB. It was so fun to support the team in the fall, but I just wanted to be on the court!

This week I went to check out the women's basketball team at Coventry University and see if I could get involved at all. I ended up practicing with them on Tuesday and officially became a part of the team Wednesday morning just in time to play a game with them. It was so exhilarating to get back on the court!! Even though I haven't played basketball since last season and I only have running shoes here, I didn't play half bad!!

Collegiate sports in the UK are much more relaxed than the US. We will be having practices on Mondays and Tuesdays then play on Wednesdays. The rest of the week we are free. How strange. Also, collegiate sports here at Coventry University don't really get spectators. There isn't room for them to watch and no one really cares too much ha. My parents wanted to know if they could watch via streaming... Ya that won't happen. The level of play is definitely different than what I am used to as well, but like all other experiences abroad, it is something that I will have to adapt to. There are a few girls that just started playing basketball this year even.

A Guide to the European Cheek Kiss

Living abroad has opened my eyes to the vital need to understand European cultures and customs. One major custom that keeps catching me off guard is the cheek kiss. 

We have become friends with some French international students, and the cheek kiss is very habitual in their culture. Just a few days after meeting these students, we saw a few outside of a club that we were at. As we approached one another, the guys shook hands. One of the men then walked up to me and went in for the cheek kiss... Yup you guessed it, this is when the embarrassment began. As he went in for the cheek kiss, I jumped backwards in confusion. As everyone began to laugh at me, I instantly realized my mistake. The French then explained their custom and we did a re-do. Hahaha. Don't worry, I haven't had an incident like that since. I am still getting used to it, but I have made a tremendous improvement.

How do you know who to kiss? When is it appropriate? Do you start with the left cheek or the right?  Or do you hug? Or is it just a handshake? Talk about social anxiety!!! When in doubt, let the other person take the lead.

UK

The cheek kiss is not very common in the UK. The handshake or nod is the safest form of greeting.

France

Kissing is a way of life and multiple kisses are normal. Kissing always begins on the left cheek first. Paris adopted a four kiss greeting, but the students we met from Paris only display a two kiss greeting. The two kiss greeting seems to be the most common. Yet, it all depends on where you are in France.

Italy

Italy seems to be very confusing when it comes to the rules of the cheek kiss. It seems as if kissing is restricted to close friends or family. 

Spain

The two kiss ritual beginning on the right cheek seems to be consistent throughout Spain.

Germany

The German cheek kiss is restricted to family and very close friends. The handshake is more predominate.

Oh The Places You'll Go!! A Weekend in London

My weekend in London surpassed all of my wildest dreams! I think that our group could all agree that we owe much of the experience we had to the many bumps in the road, heart stoppers, and soar feet along the way...

Our trip began with a major heart stopper!! As Americans living in the United Kingdom, we have found that we tend to live a much more fast paced life when it comes to walking, getting work done, and even dining. We have been extremely impressed with their fast and efficient train systems though! After our Friday class, we packed our bags and made our way to the train station. We got to the train station in, what we thought was, plenty of time due to our fast walking... As we arrived at the station we realised how wrong we were... Turns out that rush hour exists all over the world... The station was packed! We were so happy that we pre-booked our tickets, but we still had to wait in line to pick them up. As we stood in line the minutes began to pass and the departure time was creeping up on us. We frantically reached the ticket station, put in our information, and received our tickets with under 2 minutes to spare. We bolted out of line and towards the train. We made the train by just a few seconds!! Ooops... I guess next time we will make sure to arrive earlier, especially during rush hour.

Just under two hours later, we arrived in London! Upon arrival, our plan was to meet up with our friends and head separate ways for the night. The boys' plan was to stay with Johnnies near Kensington, while Bailey and I would be staying near University College with my dear friend from home, Kaitlin. We were so excited to being staying with friends and not having to pay extra fees for a place to stay. Unfortunately, finding our friends did not go as smoothly as planned. Turns out there is a Euston Station and a Euston Square Station. Eventually we were able to find our way after borrowing a phone and walking around aimlessly in the rain. 

Our night out in London was fantastic! Even though we didn't go to a fancy rooftop bar or an expensive club, we had an amazing time at a university pub near Kaitlin's university. We went with a few of her friends and we met many wonderful people from all over Europe. 

Saturday was our jam-packed day of sightseeing and walking around London. I am not sure if I want to know how many miles we covered... My feet were not happy with me. Thank heavens I bought some really comfortable and cute walking shoes the day before I left America ha. Our plan was to meet the boys at St. George's Cathedral near the Waterloo station. Even though it did not go as planned, we somehow found each other after both being about a half an hour late and not in our planned location. Then the sightseeing began. Our eventful day included The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St. James' Park, Buckingham Palace, St. James' Palace, Trafalgar Square, M&M World, Leicester Square, The Globe Theatre, Tate Modern Art Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral, and much more. We then met up with my friend Kaitlin and others for a wonderful dinner. Bailey and I both ate a Steak & Ale Pie. Delicious!!! Our night was spent with the ladies drinking wine and gossiping:)

We awoke Sunday morning to a rainy, rainy day! After a wonderful breakfast, Bailey and I found our way to the British Museum. We spent a few hours there and then grabbed our bags to head to the station. Here we made a more swift entrance onto the train with everyone accounted for and time to spare. It was wonderful going over our weekend together on the train ride home. We were amazed how much we saw on a small budget.

London, I will be back for more. Ta ta for now!

The London Eye

Classic Touristy Picture :)

Hanging out at Buckingham Palace with the Queen

We may or may not have found ourselves in the middle of a protest..

Trafalgar Square

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Coventry University Welcomes a World Traveler

The first day of classes has always been a day that I both look forward too and dread at the same time. It is always exciting to figure out who will be in your classes, what you'll be learning, and to get in the groove of a schedule. Even though those aspects are exciting, the start of new classes also means the homework, studying, papers, and exams are soon to follow...

Bailey and I on our first day

This Monday marked the day that I was no longer just a world traveler. I am officially embarking on the adventures of an international student at Coventry, University. My lectures and seminars this week really opened my eyes to the differences in the university experience from the US to the UK regarding classes. At CSB/SJU we are graded upon many different elements including attendance, participation, assignments, group work, papers, exams, etc. Even though the papers and exams tend to carry the most weight, everything you do within the class makes a difference. Furthermore, the classes at CSB/SJU tend to be a few times a week for about an hour, more or less depending on the day. The classes at CSB/SJU are very small and often are discussion based with some lectures and group work. I am used to working on homework on an average of 3 hours a night. It amazed me how little we are assessed on here at Coventry University as well as how different the class schedule is. I will be assessed very similarly across my three modules here: 50% of my grade will be on a mid-term case study or paper and the other 50% will be from my final exam. That's a lot of pressure! With the assessment guide in mind, that means that we will have little to no homework and won't be graded on it.. I can deal with that! It just means that I am really going to have to work hard to prioritise my schedule to do further reading and study the themes discussed in the lectures and seminars. Beyond the difference in assessment from the US to the UK, the class schedule is very different. For each of my three modules, I have a lecture 2-3 hours long and then a 1-2 hour seminar each week. Simply, a lecture is a lecture. The seminars involve a small group of students from the lecture to discuss further in depth the themes of the lecture. This will definitely be a little strange to get used to within the first few weeks, but I am ready to call this University my home.

Oh The Places You'll Go!! An Evening in Birmingham

Birmingham would be the perfect place for an all-day shopping spree with my mom or a night out in the clubs with some friends. Unfortunately, not having my mom here, being a college student, and studying abroad limits my cash flow for those activities. So instead, we enjoyed a pleasant evening visiting some of Birmingham's historic sites and siting down to eat some Nandos.

The Bullring with the Gang

St. Martin in the Bullring

Birmingham Cathedral

Victoria Square