Home Coming

It’s been just shy of a week being home from New Zealand, and I couldn’t be more mixed with emotions. It’s been very bittersweet to say the least. On the good side of things, my boyfriend pulled a fast one on me and had me under the impression that I would not be seeing him for a couple weeks after returning home. He lives in New Paltz and works so he made it seem very real. However, when I arrived at the airport, I got a tap on my shoulder waiting for my luggage. To my SHOCK, my boyfriend was standing there with a bouquet of roses and a huge smile. I bursted into tears. On the car ride home I couldn’t let go of him. I have to say, to all my fellow people studying abroad who are in relationships, it’s NOT easy. However, please do not let it hold you back! Distance does very well make the heart grow fonder.

When I arrived home, there was a car with pretty red bows sitting in the drive way. I asked my dad who’s car that was, and he responded “Yours”. ANOTHER CRY FEST! My first car! So much positive. So much yes!

Unfortunately not all the news I returned home to was good. Actually some of the news was quite terrible. While away my mother got diagnosed with breast cancer. I have no words for this news other than I am very upset. My parents found out a month ago and did not want to tell me while I was away. It sucks, and I’ve been quite down for the past week. However, as I myself have fought through cancer, I am very happy to be home with my mom now.

Reflecting on my experience in New Zealand, I will be very honest, I am happy to be home. New Zealand is a place filled with absolute beauty and grace. Home to landscapes not found pretty much anywhere else in the world. However, as far as society goes I began to feel homesick about a month before coming home. Wellington is a super cool city, it reminded me of what I pictured Greece to be like. However, spare Auckland and Wellington, there are only a few other major cities in the entire country of New Zealand. Being a city gal, I found myself missing this aspect of myself. I love New York. I love how I can live in New Paltz, a quite little Hudson Valley town, and than drive two hours south and be in the big apple, or my home Long Island. I love how I can drive 2 hours north and be in places that resemble the beauty of New Zealand. I felt like New Zealand got a little small after a while of being there. However, being abroad in general has taught me how to travel, and not to be scared to. This new skill I’ve gained has inspired me to travel within my own country, as there is so much I haven’t seen here in America! I also grew to appreciate many of the freedoms I have as a woman here in New York, as New Zealand’s regulations on abortion turned me off a lot.

Many of my kiwi friends broke the myth that New Zealand is some magical place free of problems. In fact many young kiwi’s around my age are planning on leaving New Zealand, as the wealth gap is becoming so terrible that starting a life there is not an option.

I chose to study in New Zealand because as a cancer survivor, I was attracted to the very clean environment. However, it’s soothing to know that as messed up as the USA seems sometimes, every country has there issues.

I loved my experience studying abroad and wouldn’t trade it for anything, however as the old saying goes, there’s no place like home! 13585060_540749139460091_637146918736041324_oScreen Shot 2016-07-21 at 3.24.02 PMIMG_8819

Cultura asturiana

One of the most striking features of northern Spain is the unique culture and how different it is than that of New York. On the first day of the program, a speaker told our class that we would constantly be comparing and contrasting the culture in Spain to the culture back home. She was certainly right. First of all, it seems that people here are very economical and practical with everyday products. Almost everything seems to be recycled or reused, which is very smart and eco-friendly. In addition, the style of dress is very different than how we dress back in the US. People here seem to get more dressed up no matter the day or occasion. Men tend to wear long pants and women wear skirts, dresses, or long pants. It is not out of the norm, for example, to spot elderly women in their Sunday best strolling through Campo de San Franciso on a weekday afternoon. The residents of Oviedo also seem to be extremely connected to local traditions and religion. Walking through the neighborhoods one can overhear the locals converse about the multiple festivals and saint celebrations that occur in the region frequently. Listening to locals converse also helps to pick up on regional vocabulary, such as “¡Madre mía!” and “no pasa nada”, meaning “oh my!” and “don’t worry about it” in English. Another aspect of Spanish culture that I have happily acquainted myself with is the food. This region of Spain is known for its rich, hearty foods consisting of sausages like chorizo, beans, cheeses, and plenty of bread. Paired with a glass of freshly poured cider, there is no need for late night snacking with this kind of food, since only a few bites will leave you feeling full and satisfieIMG_1561d for the rest of the day.FullSizeRender (1)    FullSizeRender (3)Thank you to everyone who shared their images with me

Last Night in New Zealand! :( (Auckland)

For my last two days in New Zealand, I decided to pack up and spend a little time in Auckland. Auckland is one of two capitals in New Zealand. Wellington, the more up and coming one, is where I’ve spent the last 4 and a half months so I thought it only fair to see what’s up in Auckland. I arrived on my own, a little solo adventure. I was meeting up with my best friend later that night. I decided to check out the sky tower, one of Auckland’s most symbolic features. It was absolutely gorgeous! It reminded me a lot of the sky tower in Toronto Canada, but I also went for sunset so that was super cool.

Aukland resembles New York City to me. The people are all in a rush to get somewhere, the nightlife is a big club/bar scene, and the buildings and streets all looked so familiar to me. My friend felt the exact same way. To some, this might be a disappointment. For me, however, I was extremely excited. After 4 and a half months away from home, I was happy to feel the NYC vibe again.

The bars were AMAZING. Super awesome themed bars and clubs, nothing like I’ve seen in New Zealand so far. I was a little upset that I wasn’t going to get to spend more than a night in Auckland, as I feel it was definitely my speed.

Tomorrow will be my flight back to the states, a bittersweet feeling!

Hot Water Beach

Last week I hit up Hot Water Beach in the north island on New Zealand. This extremely unique experience is a must do for any future New Zealand explorers. Basically, this beach is set upon active magma, making the water underneath the sand extremely hot. That is, if you don’t know where to dig! During low tide, tourists and kiwi’s alike all dig up a hole big enough for how ever many people they’re with! The water beneath the sand closer to the ocean is the goldilocks temperature for people to enjoy a man made hot tub!

In my experience, hot water beach was a bit challenging! Myself and the 3 other friends I was with went just end the end of low tide, and in the rain! Not to mention during the middle of winter! We were forced to dig higher up, so the water we were digging up was too hot to enjoy, and cold wet rain and air was making it too cold to sit in our bathing suites on the beach! Oh and there was also the rising tide constantly washing away our hard work! Making us even colder! You can say it was a bit of a miserable experience. However, we met two locals who had there stuff together, and asked us to come join them. They dug a perfect little pool. What was crazy is part of it was scolding hot while the other part was totally do able.

I’m happy I got to experience this, as it was on my NZ bucket list!

I wish I also had pictures to share but due to the weather I couldn’t bring my camera!

Kaikora

Kaikora is one of New Zealands little hidden treasures. A very small town, originally named for the surplus of cray fish that were harvested in the area. Kaikora was one of my favorite spots. Not just because it sort of reminded me of home, but also because I got to live my long term dream of swimming with dolphins!
The Dolphin Encounter Kaikora is an amazing company that not only serves as a tourist attraction but also play a huge part in serving environmental conservation around the area. Three of my friends and myself suited up and took the small class that showed us how to get the dolphins to swim with us. It was kind of funny how ridiculous we had to make ourselves look to get the dolphin’s attention.
Once out at sea, we found a bunch of a different dolphin colonies and plopped into the water right near them. I was scared at first, realizing I had no idea what I was jumping into. It was difficult to see the dolphins at first too, but eventually they came SWARMING by.
I had a very adorable moment swimming in a circle with two dolphins, they actually saw me! It was kind of crazy. That moment you realize there not just animals, there living seeing breathing beings. Which is common sense, but I don’t think it truly hits you until you interact with them.
To add to the excitement, we were lucky enough to find a little family of orcas on the way back. We even saw a little baby one!
It was truly an amazing experience, by far one of my favorites so far!

Southern Italy, Part VI

I’ve been home about a week now, and finally recovered from the jet lag (I think)…  It’s hard to believe this adventure happened.  It all feels like a dream.

Seeing the ruins of the ancient Greeks was awe-inspiring because so much of the civilized world still utilizes their technology.  I was most impressed by the wall paintings at Pompeii and Oplantis (a nearby city, a little better preserved and less touristy than Pompeii).  As a painter, it was a real treat to observe these.  I know that some restoration of the wall paintings has occurred as they are so vibrant, but I found myself deeply impressed by the sophistication of the mark making, and perspective.  We think we invented it all with the Renaissance, but in truth there is much technology in the visual arts that we have lost.  I believe that ancient people were smarter than we give them credit for.

On another note, I feel a difference in myself after this trip.  I seem to have a thicker skin — much less is bothering me lately.  For example, I was a person who would feel extreme anxiety at just taking a drive into New York City for a day (understandably) but had to do this recently for a business meeting, and found myself nearly unphased by the stressful traffic and careless drivers.  I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but it feels good to feel calmer in general, and that I can handle stressful situations a little better than before.

It’s also difficult to describe Southern Italy to friends and family.  They seem to think I was on some fabulous vacation.  While it was beautiful, it is also a wild place in the sense that we traveled through some very rural areas before reaching the big cities.  Survival became paramount in ensuring I had enough simple things like water and toilet paper (things I ended up carrying around in my purse consistently).  Getting to a doctor or pharmacy was difficult when I had the flu for two weeks in the middle of the trip.

I feel very fortunate to have seen this part of Italy, that tourists would not likely stumble over.  In some of the archeological parks, the only others there besides our class were other archeologists (mostly British, from what I gathered) studying the ancient ruins.

I’d recommend this study abroad experience to anyone who loves western art history, and is curious to explore the wild, beautiful places of Sicily.

Being home again feels good.  I got my studio organized and have been drafting ideas for my final project for the semester (a painting inspired by the trip).  I look forward to a productive summer and hitting the ground running by fall.

Standing in the middle of the world

So it has been a week since I landed in Ecuador. I first landed in Quito, which is the capital of Ecuador and the second I got off the plane I saw the Andes Mountain Range. That was breath-taking. I am from New York and the Catskills are the biggest mountains I have ever seen. The Andes were like monsters that were in the clouds with us during the plane ride. The terrain is so different here. Bridges do not go over water they go over valleys and concrete houses are built on steep hills.

The first day here I meet the group of student that were doing the program with me all were nice and from different places in North America including Canada. There are about 20 students We traveled through Quito and Otavalo by day. We saw waterfalls, the equator, an artist museum, we toured quito and went inside old medieval style churches. At night we explored the area around the hotel on our own and Ramon taught us to play a fun card game called sandwich and we played every night. So far we have all been having a great time getting to know each other and the beautiful country of Ecuador. We arrived to the campus of UEES and it is beautiful and I can not wait to start classes with all the students. I meet my host family and that was a huge shock at first. They only speak spanish and I know very little spanish. However, they have a lot of patience and love to talk to me and we are learning to communicate sufficiently. I am very excited to see what next week brings.

This picture is of the four students from SUNY New Paltz in the UEES Program this Summer. See that red line on the floor that is the Equator.

Southern Italy, Part V

I’ve seen Italy from all sides.  Places the tourists never see.  I have been very fortunate.  It has been humbling, and eye opening.  I appreciate more deeply now what my ancestors went through to leave it for America.

I think that a part of study abroad is to immerse yourself in a different culture, and open your mind to new ways of thinking and problem solving in a foreign environment.  I imagine that many students choose the countries they study abroad in based on their own ancestral heritage and a desire to connect with that. I imagine this is a big part of what study abroad IS.

I was fortunate to meet a cousin of mine in Rome during our free day.  We had never met before.  Though she spoke very little English and I spoke very little Italian, it is amazing how much you can communicate with a few words and hand gestures.  Somehow, we had a whole conversation and managed to connect as human beings.  It was wild to note the similarities in personality quirks.

I’ve never felt more American, than when I tried to immerse in my Italian roots.  I appreciate both sides of myself now, the American, and the Italian.  As American-Italians, we have clung on to this Old World culture for generations, as I noticed when some things I did at the dinner table closely resembled that of the Italians, and they noticed as well.  But I also noticed the differences, how as Americans we have evolved into something else, and are not this Old World anymore.

It is so strange, to recognize a place, a way of being, as so familiar, and yet to not belong to it.

Reflecting Back on Studying Abroad

It has been three weeks since I’ve been in the United States and coming home has treated me well. I thought that I would have reverse culture shock but I adjusted back to life surprisingly in a matter of days. Of course the glorification of coming home has faded and I find my mind wondering back to the things that I miss about Prague. My family asked me how it was and I just couldn’t answer it because SO MUCH HAPPENED! Where do I start? But I found myself talking about it in casual conversation. Then, they would get sick of it and I found that once I wanted to talk about my past 4 months in Europe, I couldn’t stop. I would just bring something up or something would remind me of that one time in Europe and they would just walk away or roll their eyes. That’s probably the toughest part-not being able to share the experiences with them.

After a week of being home, my mind was distracted from Prague because I was back on a plane on my way across the country for 2 weeks. I was in Washington State, all the way across the country visiting my Aunt and my cousins. It was great to see them. Then, after just getting back and settling once again back into home life, it felt like I never left. Everything looks and feels the same. But I can feel that I’ve changed. And although I’ve missed out on family and friend events while having my own adventures and have a substantially lower bank account, I have taken things with me that I will never forget.

I won’t forget the people that I’ve met on my journey- my friends, my tour guides, my professors, people on the street who saw I was lost and asked if I needed help finding where I wanted to be going. I won’t forget the support that I received from my family and friends who kept cheering me on along the way. I couldn’t have endured homesickness and my own self-doubt without them believing in me.

I won’t forget the places I’ve been and the drive to go to discover more places. Even if I’m driving down my hometown road and see something that fascinates me, I won’t forget that I learned that anywhere we go, even in our backyard can be an adventure.

And ultimately, I won’t forget the friend that I made with myself. On my journey, I learned so much about myself. I became more independent and I relied on myself even when I thought that it was hopeless and I couldn’t do it. I won’t forget to make peace with my weaknesses.

Studying abroad was tough and challenging but it was ultimately rewarding. I definitely recommend it to other students so it can open their mind and allow them to experience the world in a different way. I wouldn’t trade the past 4 months spent in Europe for the world.

 

A Few Opening Thoughts… (pre-departure)

Today marks the ten day countdown to my study abroad journey to Oviedo, Spain! I am more than excited to begin classes, meet international friends and my host mother, and to explore the city of Oviedo and surrounding areas. I am excited yet slightly apprehensive about this new experience. I know that once I arrive and get settled in with my host family, however, the nerves will pass and I will quickly get accustomed to the new lifestyle. In addition, I have been busy this past week arranging last minute details of the trip before I go. There is a lot of preparation and I know this experience will be well worth it. Overall, I’d like to set several goals that I hope to reach by the end of the program. My first goal is to improve my conversational Spanish speaking skills to a near fluent level. Secondly, I am eager to learn more about Spanish culture and the history of Oviedo. My third goal, though not as academic based as the first two, is to simply cherish this opportunity in every way possible by being immersed in a new culture and by meeting new people. I have a lengthy “weekend” list of places to go and landmarks to see, such as the rugged Picos de Europa and the breathtakingly ancient cathedrals. Obviously there is a lot to look forward to, so stay tuned, reader, as I embark on my study abroad journey to Oviedo, España!

Hasta pronto

-Nora