Only 13 days left until I board a plane to Scotland and begin my adventure!  I am feeling both extreme excitement and nervousness.  So here is what I am doing now, with only 2 weeks left!

• Making sure all my medical stuff is taken care of
• Thinking about starting to pack my suitcases
• Making gifts to bring to my family in Scotland

In truth, I have not packed anything yet, and with just 13 days to go, I should probably start!  It seems to overwhelming when I think about it, so I keep putting it off.  Knowing me, I will probably start packing a week before I leave lol.  I am sure there are more things I am doing/or should be doing lol, but I am just too excited to remember them all right now.  Here are some things I am nervous about.

• Leaving my cat
• Leaving my family and friends
• Being too shy when I get to Scotland
• Getting lost while I am overseas
• How different the classes will be run
• The long plane ride

Not too many fears lol!  I really will miss my cat, he is my baby, and I will probably miss him more than he will miss me! X)  I tend to be an introvert, but I love meeting new people. I am hoping that when I am abroad, my introvert sort of disappears lol.  Now on to the best part; THE EXCITEMENT!

• Visiting the castles
• Experiencing cool little restaurants
• Shopping
• Making new friends
• Meeting my family who lives in Scotland
• Taking pictures
• Learning about a different culture
• Experiencing how the school system works over there
• Using the University of Stirling’s pool, (I love swimming!!)
• Meeting the other people I will be living with!! (I’ve talked with them via Facebook, and they seem lovely)
• Having the first big adventure of my life!!

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies in the world.  I do not do nearly as much as I would like, so this trip will be the perfect opportunity for picture taking!! J I love my home University, Saint Martin’s University, but unfortunately, we do not have a pool. Hence the reason I am stoked for using the University of Stirling’s pool.  Swimming is one of my favorite extra-curricular activities.  If I am lucky, I will acquire a swim buddy!  This will be my first time traveling outside the United States, and my first time being away from my family for an extended period of time!! The challenges I will face will be many, but I am excited to take them head on!! J  I cannot wait until I step onto that plane on the 25^th!! I hope that everyone who has studied abroad, or is planning to, is/was as excited as I am!!!!

It’s five days before I leave for England, and obviously a lot is on my mind. Before I share some of my preparations and excitement, I thought I would give a brief introduction to who I am.

I am the third child of six. Being a part of a large family has been so much fun. My two older brothers are married and I found out this Christmas that I’m going to be an aunt for the first time. Thankfully, the baby isn’t due until I get back from being abroad, but I am a little sad that I will miss the months of preparation. We are all very close and being the first grandchild, I’m sure the whole family will want to be a part. I am a Junior at Butler University and I’m studying mathematics to become a college professor. That means I’ll be in college for the rest of my life. At least it feels that way some times…yet I love it! I’ve been looking at graduate schools recently, but mainly I’m enjoying my time at Butler.

Besides school, I’m really involved in both the churches I attend (one at home and one at school). I teach 4-6 year old’s during Children’s Church, help out with the youth occasionally, sing on the praise team and in the choir, and help out in any other ways needed. I’m also part of several clubs on campus that are focused on volunteering or mathematics. I work on campus during the school year in a department that helps staff and students learn how to use technology. If you haven’t guessed, I’m a bit of a nerd and geek…and my mom can receive all the credit for that.

While I’m abroad, I will still be studying mathematics at Leeds University and working on my thesis. As part of the honor program at Butler, I am writing a thesis on cubic graphs and their important applications. I’ve been in contact with a professor in London who wrote several papers on cubic graphs, so hopefully I will be visiting him later this semester for an interview. I will definitely share that experience on here!

My mom and I are arriving in England a few days before the official start of the IFSA-Butler program. We are arriving in Leeds Friday morning, then she will be flying out of Heathrow Monday morning. We are hoping to get to know Leeds a little the day and a half we are there, then exploring London for a day before she goes back home. I’m really excited that she gets to share part of this experience with me.

Am I ready to leave? Ummm…that is a resounding no. I haven’t packed anything yet, although there is a pile that’s been growing in my room of things I might want to take. Now whether or not it will all fit in my suitcase, that’s a problem I don’t want to think about yet. I’ve been going through all my emails and newsletters to make sure I have all the paperwork and information I need. I’m still putting together a packet of all the important documents and papers that I will need with me abroad. I’m a bit of an organization freak, if you can’t tell.

Sometimes I get nervous when I think about being away from my family for so long. Being so close to them, I know it’s going to be hard at times. I also know that we will keep in contact as much as we can, so that will really help. I go to school three hours away from home, which is far enough to limit my trips home to at most every other weekend. But I’ve never been away from home for longer than a month at a time. Right now, I’m not really worried about all that. The excitement of actually being in England is a little overwhelming! I’ve dreamed of going to England since I was in middle school. I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 movie. I mapped out the houses used to film the movie and I cannot wait to visit. Not to mention Jane Austen’s house just outside of greater London. Aaaahhhhh! It’s hard to believe that it’s actually happening! Sounds so cliche…but it’s true. When you think about and dream of doing something for such a long time, your brain doesn’t always catch up when it all starts to come true.

I’m going to start packing Monday, so once I have everything put together and ready to go, I’ll try to remember to write up another post before I leave.

Until then…

Erica

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important”
Aibileen Clark, The Help

Horseback riding in el Morado on my dad’s 50th birthday! 6 hour trip with an authentic Chilean barbecue half way through on the top of the mountain.

Find more videos like this on Institute for Study Abroad – Butler University

Well last week was certainly entertaining, as it always is when I vacation with my family. My parents and siblings all came over to London for the week to visit me and the city I’ve been living in. I’m pretty sure they enjoyed it, but it was certainly different being a tourist, although one who understands the public transit system (mainly the underground). It did have a lot of perks though. For example, most things were paid for by my father (always a plus when you’re a college student) and I didn’t really have to take any pictures because my sister is the photographer of the family (is shutter-happy a real adjective?).  And seeing all the places I haven’t been yet was very rewarding. Though here’s a warning for anyone visiting London: there’s way too much to see in a week. Even with planning and the London Pass allowing us to get into most major attractions, we probably only saw ¾ of what I had planned. Though I guess ¾ isn’t too bad when you think about it. We didn’t make it to Windsor Castle or into Westminster Abbey (would have been nice to see where the wedding will be), but everywhere we did go was worth it.

We visited the National Gallery, London Zoo, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Kew Gardens, and even stood outside Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guards. Though I have to say, not as much fun as it sounds. Mostly it consists of being shoved by crowds of people trying to take pictures and seeing other tourists getting scolded by police(wo)men on horseback. My suggestion if you’re ever going to try and see it is to get there very very very early so you can get a spot where you can see both gates of the palace, then you’ll have the best view of the whole thing. If you don’t like crowds you should probably skip this tourist attraction. It’s not even high tourist season yet and it was packed tight with people. You can still go see the palace later in the day when the crowds aren’t nearly as thick (at least in my experience).

Well I should get back to writing my final essays now. The past few weeks have been a lot of fun, but also a lot of procrastination. With my family gone and April coming to the end I don’t really have any more excuses. But I have a lot to look forward to. A whole month in London with no work can’t be too bad. And I’ll be visiting a friend in Edinburgh for a few days (if I go buy the train tickets). I’m trying to focus on being here because going home is still a bittersweet thought that I don’t really want to think about. As much as I miss everyone (and foods like cheesesteaks), I can’t help but remember that once I leave I probably won’t ever be coming back (at least not to live here).  But let’s not think about that yet. Essays first.

Cheers

Alyssa

There was no mistaking her words as I walked into her open arms: “Bienvenidos, nieto.” Welcome, grandson.

All of my grandparents passed away between two and a half and forty-five years ago. But yesterday, I was not only a grandson but also a child once again. Claudia’s grandparents (in English they are her grandparents, in Spanish mis abuelos, my grandparents) invited me to their apartment, to a sleepover, and I accepted. And my greeting was no less genuine than if their own blood had walked through the door.

Abuelita set before me a heaping plate of vegetables – eggplant, carrots, string beans and potatoes cooked in a tomato sauce, a dish reminiscent of Indian cooking. And there were plantains, two of them, with a bowl of white cheese to sprinkle on top. Playing the role of grandson who doesn’t want to hurt his grandmother’s feelings by not eating everything she puts in front of him, I ate everything she put in front of me. Which, by the end of the next day, amounted to three toasted white cheese-mayonnaise-tomato-ketchup sandwiches, a plate of rice and fish, oatmeal, an apple, three plantains, loads of white cheese, homemade cake, two cups of coffee, a constantly-refilled glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and Toddy, the Venezuelan equivalent of Ovaltine. What’s the only thing that says, “You’re my grandson,” more than a glass of Ovaltine? Not being allowed to get off of the couch as your grandmother brings you a glass of Ovaltine.

And that was how the day went. Of course, not everything was so child-grandparent oriented. We talked about the political persecution of their children and relatives, several of whom were a part of the over 20,000 workers fired and blacklisted by the government after the national oil company went on strike in 2002. We talked about their wishes for their grandchildren to leave the country and about the months that have passed without coffee, milk, plantains, etc. In short, we talked politics. They were atypical conversations for our relationship, but typical given the political situation in Venezuela.

More broadly, in Latin America there is an openness, a conscious permitting of the blurring of (non-political) lines, that I appreciate. Family is of the utmost importance, and a bigger family, it seems, is better. I have gained grandparents, aunts and uncles, in-laws, etc. The entrance exam is simple: if our granddaughter/daughter/niece loves you, and if you love her, and if you treat each other well, then…ok!Still, back in the U.S., they will be my girlfriend’s grandparents, my girlfriend’s mom, her dad. And my sisters-in-law back home will still be SIL’s, not sis’s.

What about Peru? Thanks to IFSA, my host family has already contacted me. “We already have experience in receiving students into our home,” Bubby, my host-mother told me in her first e-mail, “although more than students, we treat them like they were our own children.”

Enjoying the snow with my brother.

In two days I depart for Egypt and yesterday my parents threw me a “going away” party where all of my closest friends attended. Even though I am excited for my new life ahead of me, yesterday it hit me that I was going to be far away from people I hold dear to my heart and started to get a bit teary eyed. Nevertheless, I have faith in Allah that everyone will be fine while I am gone. I have about 2/3 of my luggage packed and everyday that goes by I think of something else I need to stuff into my suitcase. Surprisingly, I am not nervous about the travels just extremely thrilled to get to Cairo so I can enjoy the warmer weather and not have to shovel snow for a change. One food item I hope to encounter at the market is plantains. Plantains are like potatoes in my culture, so if I can’t find them I think I am going to go through withdrawal. Don’t get me wrong, Egyptian food is delicious!!!

Right in the midst of all the craziness of tons of Costa Rica study abroad program projects, assignments, and exams, my mom and grandma come to visit- a nice break from it all. What my mom’s main objective was, aside from seeing me, was to go zip-lining. She had heard I had an amazing time when I went in Monteverde, she had seen pictures and made up her mind. So I get up early June 2nd to take a bus to San Jose, then another to the airport in Alajuela. Some of the thoughts passing through my head were…Wow, I’m really going to see them…They are actually coming to visit me while I’m studying in Costa Rica! So after an hour or so of waiting till their flight was due in, I caught myself standing up in front of the glass window with my face pushed up against the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of them before they caught a glimpse of me! As soon as I saw my mom and grandma walk into the area with the glass window, my heart jumped up, I couldn’t believe it, they were actually HERE!
We decided we would stay in San Jose Tuesday to Thursday, then Friday we would head to Manuel Antonio for the weekend- the land with beautiful beaches, a flourishing national park and zip-lining, the perfect combination. Tuesday after the flight and the drive back to this cute little pension we stayed in, my mom and grandma were pretty much beat. Tuesday, my mom and I wandered around San Jose a bit and ate inside the Mercado Central at the end of the pedestrian boulevard. Wednesday was a very big day, we had planned to walk around San Jose, see a short tour of the University of Costa Rica, see the Evolution Boxing Gym, meet up with my Tico family to have some snacks and coffee and finally, go to the US vs Costa Rica World Cup Qualifier at 8 p.m… So we ended up doing it all and when we went to visit my host family, my host brother was so excited he couldn’t stop running around, he may have been just as excited to see them as I was! That day, he was even cuter than usual, if that’s even possible! We had coffee, empanadas, and tamal asado- all traditional dishes prepared by my host mom’s sister. It was delicious, my grandma, mom and I couldn’t stop eating!

Afterwards, we stopped by the pension to relax and get grandma comfortable because my mom and I were headed to the game! Waves of red and blue everywhere, not for the US of course but I was there, wandering around in my red and white USA jersey. The stadium was absolutely crazy, after walking up and down rows and isles; we finally managed to find seats in the middle of it all, in the sea of red and blue. Although I obviously wasn’t playing, I could feel the energy brought on by the Costa Rican crowd, and I was intimidated! It was so loud I could hardly hear myself think and the stands shook so much that my mom and I couldn’t help but make jokes to deflect our hidden preoccupations about the stands holding up. I found myself saying things like “They have got to have had games that were more rowdy, like when Mexico would play here or something…” As soon as the National Anthem started playing for the US and I thought I would be the only one singing it, I noticed there was a good solid fan base of about 50 people on the other side of the stadium wearing all white for the US, much good that was doing me! The whistle blew and from that moment on, I think I tried to block from my memory to protect myself, one goal after another and it was 3-0 in a flash. Despite the fact that the US put in a PK in extra time, I felt disappointed and embarrassed for the team, lucky for me, I brought a shirt underneath my jersey…Only kidding, its just one loss! So we headed back to find lil ol’ grandma waiting up for us, having watched the game with the owner of the pension!
Thursday we took the official tour of the National Theatre which was absolutely amazing, the amount of detail and time they put into its construction is astonishing. We ate some “casados,” or traditional Costa Rican plates and then relaxed in the pension because the next day we were off to the beach!

Friday morning we got up, got ready, had breakfast and were out in a flash. The tickets to and from the beach were only about $14 total for each of us, to experience a tropical, white sand, clear water beach! After what seemed like a short 3 hours, we were there, so we hopped off the bus and found this neat little trail that lead us to our cute hotel. We had a little room with a little t.v. and a little kitchen and a little balcony, it was just perfect for my grandma, my mom and I, three little ladies! We relaxed and walked around the beach area that was sprinkled with splashes of red, green, orange, blue, yellow and white towels, hats, wraps, hand-made boxes, shirts, souvenirs etc. We found a BBQ place by the beach and got some “casados” with chicken and ribs and spilt them between the three of us. We stayed in and watched soccer and basketball as a nice ending touch to the day.

Saturday morning we woke up really early and got an early start to the Manuel Antonio National Park. As we walked through the jungle trails, it was amazing the wildlife we ran into. We saw a deer trotting alongside us, a toucan amongst the lush trees, bats hidden under shrubs, monkeys, monkeys, monkeys all over. We saw groups of howling monkeys, white-faced monkeys and titi monkeys all over the trails. I kept saying, “I hope I see a sloth, I want to see a sloth, I’m looking for a sloth…” as I scanned the trees while walking. It was nearly impossible to do all the multitasking I wanted to do. I wanted to look up and around as I walked forward and kept an eye on my mom and grandma, but since the road was a little bumpy, I found myself looking up, pausing, checking on my family and then continuing on. Some parts of the trail were more treacherous than others but when we arrived at Playa Manuel Antonio, it was more than worth the walk. It was this amazing little paradise with bright blue waters flushing through this opening in the mountains and jungle. We were literally where the ocean meets the deep jungle and it was absolutely amazing. It was like a scene straight out of Lost; only we weren’t trapped there on an island, although we may have wished we were! As we sat under this beach tree that was neatly shaped almost horizontal to the water like a bench, we noticed that a few people had collected under the tree next to us and were pointing up into the branches at something. It was a sloth- the most beautiful, ugly sloth I had ever seen, actually the only sloth I had ever seen. I saw the sloth I was looking for, it was kind of funny because I just kept pointing out the fact that in the hour and a half we were there, it didn’t move at all! The more and more time I spent here, the more I realized the country’s motto, “Pura Vida,” even the animals lived by the motto!

Sunday morning we woke up and my mom was charged up, nothing could stop her now. The canopy tour was today and we decided to go with “Selvatica” which included transportation to and from the site in nearby Quepos, 2 to 2 and a half hours of zip-lining, lunch and snacks and a finale ending with a dip in the crisp waters at the waterfall near the site! My grandma came along for the ride to hang out in the beautiful forest cabin where lunch would be served. My mom and I suited up and we were off! She was so excited and kept telling me, “I wish I had done this EVERYDAY!” She was smiling from ear to ear, like a kid in a candy shop, the whole time as we zipped from line to line and tree-top to tree-top. Nothing gave me more inner-peace and happiness than to see my mom doing this wildly extreme canopy and loving every minute of it. Each and every day that went by I found myself realizing how quickly time was going by.

Next thing I know it was Monday morning and we were on the bus home. After the trip home and a last day in San Jose with my mom and grandma, it was time for them to go. I could tell that the two of them wanted so badly just to stay here the rest of the semester with me, at least until then! My mom wanted to go backpacking around the country and my grandma wanted to go on a canopy tour. If there is one thing that tells me, not only did they have a great time out here with me, but also that we have to make our way back out here as a trio, as three generations of Johnson-Dixon women, on a Costa Rican adventure!

As mid-June approached, it almost felt as if it snuck up on me, a blur of last assignments and exams. The end of classes was nearing, and after finishing up the second cycle of exams, we began to hear word of final exams. As far as me, the two IFSA study in Costa Rica program classes finished in the last week of classes, two other classes from UCR also finished that week and my two law classes had exams scheduled for July 13th and July 17th.What a bummer huh? My exam was the last day of the last week of finals. No matter how much you enjoy your time abroad, finals are always a downer!

The professor of Systems of Investigation and Judicial Reasoning had mentioned that the final might be changed from the 17th to the 7th so I was planning on being back July 14thish, mid-summer for a few weeks with my friends, family and boyfriend back home, and then I’d be back on a plane to Cornell University in mid-August. Then what happened was one day in Introduction to Law, the professor mentioned that there was the option of exemption for some students who had gotten a nine or higher on the two exams and on the class assignments. Wait, you can do that? I never would have thought that would have been a possibility for me at the beginning of the semester being an IFSA-Butler study abroad Costa Rica student, but I realized that I had gotten a nine on the first exam, so who knows? That would mean that I could be done with three out of four classes on the 2nd of July and have a final the 17th, I could have exams the 13th and 17th or, or….I could be exempt from the exam on the 13th and the professor could move the other to the 7th and I would be home the 8th of July. There were so many ifs that I wouldn’t count on anything at that point.

Later that week, the professor of Systems announces that we should agree on a date to move the final, at that point some brave soul blurted “el 2 de Julio,” July 2nd. I couldn’t believe it, the thought had never occurred to me, but suddenly I found myself also shouting it out, “el 2 de Julio!” Before I know it, our final was agreed upon for the 2nd of July, now I had to be exempt in my Introduction class, it was just meant to be I thought. I waited what seemed like ages but really was about a week to see what my fate would be so that I could book my flight home before the prices went way up. It was just about three and a half weeks at the latest until I would be leaving.

Thursday came, finally! I sat there patiently with my breath held as she announced the names…”Eva Dixon, y debemos anotar su mayor esfuerza en la clase…,” basically that the class should acknowledge the extra effort I had to put into the class to be exempt. I got a round of applause and congratulations from the entire class and professor. I couldn’t help but blush, it was a real honor. Not only did I get above a 9 on my last exam, I supposed I decided I would just go all out and get a 10, 100%! Exempt! Eximida! Me? Was she sure? Wow! I really did do it! So only a few minutes later did I realize that I would be completely done July 2nd!

After talking to my professors and program friends, I managed to sneak a flight home planned for July 3rd, just in time to be home for Independence Day! Woo hoo! I would be home to celebrate one of my favorite holidays of the year- fireworks, food, sun, red, white and blue…I couldn’t wait. I called my mom, dad, boyfriend and told my best friend that in a short two weeks, I would be home… Then it hit me, I am home…here in Costa Rica. My home with a family, birthday parties, vacations, beautiful beaches…

Where in the world then, would I be going?

            Communication is a vital part of any trip abroad and life with a host family, without it, we would be lost. Conversation is the key to understanding not only the culture, but the key to SURVIVAL! It all went by in a flash. I arrived Sunday morning, hours before anyone else in the program. After taking a shower and grabbing my camera, I was ready to be like Dora the Explorer. I had a backpack with essentials and I decided to wander around in the beautiful garden at the hotel. I was in paradise–the sights, the sounds, the smell and even the taste of the air was unbelievable. Later on, I met my study abroad Coasta Rica program mates and we spent the whole night getting to know each other. What a variety of faces, colors, sizes, shapes–we were as diverse as the flowers in Costa Rica! The next day was full of incredibly helpful meetings about the host family, the study in Costa Rica program, the country and health topics. In the evening, we all rounded up our bags and we were off to San Pedro to meet our families. How exciting! As soon as I met my sweet, amazing family, I had a sense of relief from all the worry and uncertainty of living in another country. My family was so eager to meet me, get to know me and share their own lives with me. My mom told me all about rules, meal times and family schedules so I can get used to it all and feel as comfortable as possible. At the end of the night, my four year old brother told my host mom that I am the best “gringa” that has ever stayed with them! That night, something truly puzzling and exciting happened, I found myself thinking alone in Spanish! I was copying down some phone numbers and was counting out loud in Spanish without an ounce of awareness. The whole night I continued thinking about what I would do, what I had done, where I was and how I felt–all in Spanish!

            One of the moments that I remember most from my first day was her explanation of the shower, I got the just of it, a few words here and there. It was such a blur because I was still caught in the rush of being in a completely new, foreign place. She said something about cold water, how you have to turn the shower on and then off a little. I got a huge culture shock upon realizing that the water was completely cold! Go figure. I joke about how it took my breath away, but really, it took my breath away. My body reacted to the cold and I needed to take my inhaler shortly after to relax my breathing! Imagine that.  The next two days of showers were no better, although they did serve me well as a sort of “cup of coffee,” as I took them in the early hours of the morning to wake up. This next part is the crucial part of my third day with my family. As I sat down for dinner, I thought I would ask for advice getting used to the cold water to make conversation and to seek help. She said I must be doing it wrong, the water is not supposed to be cold. She offered to help me run the shower the next day, and finally I could breathe again–literally. ¡Pura vida!