Showing posts with label Study Abroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Study Abroad. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
2013 Ireland - Day Two - Cliffs of Moher
The day we arrived, we booked a tour to the Cliffs of Moher through Extreme Ireland / Ireland Day Tours based on a brochure at our hostel. The Cliffs of Moher was on my Bucket List, so the 45 Euros and full-day adventure was definitely worth it. Though our Italian professor and tour guide, Giuditta, did laugh at us for visiting Dublin to then cross the country to the Cliffs of Moher.
We met our tour around the Temple Bar area. It was about a ten to fifteen minute walk from our Hostel. One of the incredible things that I learned when in Europe is that you can use the GPS on your iPhone.... without using data! Just load the maps before you depart, turn your data off, and the little blue dot will keep up with you through GPS (this will be included in my advice for studying abroad which has yet to be written).
We were on a large charter-like bus. We were told that the seats we chose were our seats for the entire journey (which is good etiquette anyway, according to my mother, Miss Manners). Whenever the bus driver wasn't talking to us, about 90% of the bus conked out, myself included. I just couldn't keep my eyes open! It was weird, though, because the driver never turned his mic off, so you would hear him breathing into it when he wasn't talking.
Our first stop was at Blarney Woollen Mills for the bathroom and shopping. I did a little exploring while the other girls browsed the gift shops.
We met our tour around the Temple Bar area. It was about a ten to fifteen minute walk from our Hostel. One of the incredible things that I learned when in Europe is that you can use the GPS on your iPhone.... without using data! Just load the maps before you depart, turn your data off, and the little blue dot will keep up with you through GPS (this will be included in my advice for studying abroad which has yet to be written).
We were on a large charter-like bus. We were told that the seats we chose were our seats for the entire journey (which is good etiquette anyway, according to my mother, Miss Manners). Whenever the bus driver wasn't talking to us, about 90% of the bus conked out, myself included. I just couldn't keep my eyes open! It was weird, though, because the driver never turned his mic off, so you would hear him breathing into it when he wasn't talking.
Our first stop was at Blarney Woollen Mills for the bathroom and shopping. I did a little exploring while the other girls browsed the gift shops.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
2013 Ireland - Day One - Old Jameson Distillery
One trip that I took while abroad that I never really published at all (the photos stayed in my Lightroom until this weekend, actually) was to Ireland. The idea of Ireland was originally brought up by my friend Alex a year before we even went abroad. She was sharing that she would love to spend St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. Unfortunately, in addition to St. Patrick's Day in Dublin being ridiculously expensive and almost completely booked up, it didn't really work with our school schedule.
We booked our round trip flight (required for our student visas) to Genoa before we knew the official dates for our program (so that we would be able to apply for our visas in time... see a problem here?). Well the date that we were scheduled to move out of the villa was a few days before the date that we had booked our plane home. So, it was decided that Dublin would be our last hoorah before heading back to the United States. We booked a round trip flight from Genoa to Dublin through Air France (I knew at the time that I would not be traveling back with the other girls, but with my family, but the round trip flight was a better deal).
After much debating, it was decided that instead of flying back to Genoa with the girls that I would take a flight to Barcelona where I'd board the Norwegian Epic for a four-night cruise. So, I had to bring ALL of my luggage with me (two large rolling bags and a rolling carry-on). Well, our flight was a connecting flight (in Paris), so of course, my bags were lost. Luckily, it only took a few hours before they were delivered to our hostel in Dublin.
I will admit that the entire time we were in Europe, we were somewhat spoiled when it came to accommodations. We lived in a giant villa on the hillside. When we traveled as a class, we stayed in hotels and bed and breakfasts that were almost always at least a 3-star property. And then when we traveled independently, we either stayed in a hotel or booked a private room in a nice hostel. We weren't your typical students backpacking around Europe - we never had to worry about sleeping with strangers or large, common bathrooms. So when in Dublin, we stayed in a four-person room with a private bathroom at Jacobs Inn which has an 85% rating on HostelWorld (one of the highest for Dublin). What I enjoyed about hostels is that the desks were almost always staffed by young, friendly, outgoing people who really wanted to make sure that you had a good time in their city. Jacobs Inn was no exception (it was also a relief... and completely strange at the time... to hear people speaking English).
The first thing we wanted to do when we arrived in Dublin was eat. So we set out to find food... any food. So we wandered into a bar and just happened to spot a familiar face - one of the girls from the Clemson group in Paris that we had visited with earlier that semester. She was staying at the brother hostel to Jacobs Inn called Isaacs Hostel. We exchanged contact info with her so that we could meet up later.
Monday, January 20, 2014
2013 Year in Reflection
The year 2013 was a crazy (in the best way possible) one for me. After returning from a cruise to the Panama Canal with my family, I flew across the Atlantic to spend the semester in Genoa, Italy. While living in Genoa, I not only had the opportunity to explore Italy, but I visited Paris, Berlin, Dublin, and Barcelona. I also ventured into Switzerland with my friends Derrick and Jennifer, and went on a Mediterranean cruise solo and with my family. After returning to the United States, I had only a few weeks at home before I flew to New York City to spend the summer participating in a Clemson architecture studio. I then tackled my third move of the year into a cute, new college community with my roommate, Sarah.
My fall semester at Clemson was my final synthesis studio and also the most demanding and exhausting I've ever experienced. I did, however, get to travel to Chicago with the fourth-year architecture students and also managed to squeeze in a trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate my sister's birthday at the Food & Wine Festival (becoming annual passholders!). And I got to participate in some monumental celebrations - Clemson School of Architecture celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Villa in Genoa during my semester abroad (how's that for perfect timing?) and the 100th Anniversary of the School of Architecture with a 50K Beaux Arts Ball in Lee III. I also celebrated four years with my boyfriend, Max (awww!)..... in a tent, camping out for Clemson football tickets. And speaking of Clemson football, I got to cheer on the team during one of our best seasons, yet.... and the sign I made for ESPN Game Day got a lot of airtime, thanks to my sister Rachel's hard work holding it up!
Over Thanksgiving, I traveled with my family to Mississippi to remember the life of my sweet MeMaw who passed away on November 23, but also to celebrate the birthday which I share with my dear Granddaddy (November 29 - he's 85, and I'm feelin' 22!). I stressed over graduate school applications and portfolio (Want to see? Visit my website!) along with my FINAL final review at Clemson. But all of the hard work was worth it when I got to celebrate Christmas with my family during our cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Royal Princess and ring in the New Year at my favorite place on earth - Walt Disney World!
2013 was an amazing year. A year of exploration and adventure, loss and remembrance, and celebration of triumphs big and small. It was a year of growing up - traveling and living by myself (and with some wonderful friends), and then contemplating and working towards my future (as uncertain right now as that may be). I got to know a lot of amazing people and was touched and inspired by many. And I've learned that no challenge is too big to overcome, especially when you are surrounded by people who love and care about you.... and believe in you.
Panama Canal (Christmas Day 2012)
My fall semester at Clemson was my final synthesis studio and also the most demanding and exhausting I've ever experienced. I did, however, get to travel to Chicago with the fourth-year architecture students and also managed to squeeze in a trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate my sister's birthday at the Food & Wine Festival (becoming annual passholders!). And I got to participate in some monumental celebrations - Clemson School of Architecture celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Villa in Genoa during my semester abroad (how's that for perfect timing?) and the 100th Anniversary of the School of Architecture with a 50K Beaux Arts Ball in Lee III. I also celebrated four years with my boyfriend, Max (awww!)..... in a tent, camping out for Clemson football tickets. And speaking of Clemson football, I got to cheer on the team during one of our best seasons, yet.... and the sign I made for ESPN Game Day got a lot of airtime, thanks to my sister Rachel's hard work holding it up!
Over Thanksgiving, I traveled with my family to Mississippi to remember the life of my sweet MeMaw who passed away on November 23, but also to celebrate the birthday which I share with my dear Granddaddy (November 29 - he's 85, and I'm feelin' 22!). I stressed over graduate school applications and portfolio (Want to see? Visit my website!) along with my FINAL final review at Clemson. But all of the hard work was worth it when I got to celebrate Christmas with my family during our cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Royal Princess and ring in the New Year at my favorite place on earth - Walt Disney World!
2013 was an amazing year. A year of exploration and adventure, loss and remembrance, and celebration of triumphs big and small. It was a year of growing up - traveling and living by myself (and with some wonderful friends), and then contemplating and working towards my future (as uncertain right now as that may be). I got to know a lot of amazing people and was touched and inspired by many. And I've learned that no challenge is too big to overcome, especially when you are surrounded by people who love and care about you.... and believe in you.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Clemson University Architecture Villa in Genoa, Italy
Clemson University's School of Architecture hosts what it calls a "Fluid Campus." One semester during students' third year of school, they'll spend it abroad in either Barcelona, Charleston, or Genoa, Italy. The Genoa, Italy program is the oldest (40 years this year!) and began when CAF purchased a villa in Genoa, Italy - a town not so accustomed to tourism (especially not at the time) that would provide students with an authentic Italian living experience.
I had heard on and on about the wonderful villa that we got to stay in while studying architecture in Italy. However, I'd seen very few pictures of this amazing villa online. So I set out to document it and share it with everyone curious.
As soon as you step out the front door, you're practically on the street. And the street goes one way... both ways. It's interesting to watch as two cars come in opposing directions in front of the villa. One will give way and back up, letting the other through. It's such a smooth process - no bickering about whose turn it is. It just happens.
When you first enter, there's a bell.
And then you have two options.
You could turn left and go up to the kitchen -
Or you could turn right and go upstairs -
What fascinates me about this is that within the circle cut-out is actually the kitchen area. You can tell this villa was designed by an architect.
The service staircase goes directly to all three levels of the villa.
There are three rooms for studio on the main level.
A classroom/lounge area -
'
And a library -
Outside is the garden -
Fruit grows in the garden.
This terrace is actually off-limits because it overlooks the professor's suite. We didn't know at the time... oops.
Downstairs is the dining area -
A lounge -
And a kitchen and pantry which I need to photograph.
The garage with the laundry machines (which is detached) -
The students live on the third floor.
The closets are all IKEA. Everyone got their own, but there were only 14 of us.
There are four full bathrooms and one shower room at one end of the third floor.
The shower room is kind of useless for two people because not many people want to hop in the clear showers side-by-side together.
There are four toilets upstairs, and they all flush differently.
There is also a guest suite upstairs which can be rented out for 40 Euros a night per person.
The guests who went the suite get exclusive use of the side terrace overlooking the garden during their stay.
The villa is amazing, and we're so lucky to have this and be able to use it for Clemson architecture.
I had heard on and on about the wonderful villa that we got to stay in while studying architecture in Italy. However, I'd seen very few pictures of this amazing villa online. So I set out to document it and share it with everyone curious.
As soon as you step out the front door, you're practically on the street. And the street goes one way... both ways. It's interesting to watch as two cars come in opposing directions in front of the villa. One will give way and back up, letting the other through. It's such a smooth process - no bickering about whose turn it is. It just happens.
When you first enter, there's a bell.
And then you have two options.
You could turn left and go up to the kitchen -
Or you could turn right and go upstairs -
What fascinates me about this is that within the circle cut-out is actually the kitchen area. You can tell this villa was designed by an architect.
The service staircase goes directly to all three levels of the villa.
There are three rooms for studio on the main level.
A classroom/lounge area -
'
And a library -
Outside is the garden -
Fruit grows in the garden.
This terrace is actually off-limits because it overlooks the professor's suite. We didn't know at the time... oops.
Downstairs is the dining area -
A lounge -
And a kitchen and pantry which I need to photograph.
The garage with the laundry machines (which is detached) -
The students live on the third floor.
The closets are all IKEA. Everyone got their own, but there were only 14 of us.
There are four full bathrooms and one shower room at one end of the third floor.
The shower room is kind of useless for two people because not many people want to hop in the clear showers side-by-side together.
There are four toilets upstairs, and they all flush differently.
There is also a guest suite upstairs which can be rented out for 40 Euros a night per person.
The guests who went the suite get exclusive use of the side terrace overlooking the garden during their stay.
The villa is amazing, and we're so lucky to have this and be able to use it for Clemson architecture.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Moving to Genoa
I had heard, even before I arrived in at Clemson, about the architecture school's program in Genoa. Everyone who had been or had heard of people who had gone said it was amazing - something I must do - and that the villa was awesome. So from the beginning, I had my heart set on Italy.
At the first study abroad meeting, my junior year of college seemed so far away. And I liked it that way. Italy was something to look forward to, something to dream about. And then it crept up on me.
I, by no means, felt ready. Even though I'm 21 years old, I still feel very much like a child. How can I be this old?
Packing was my biggest concern. And none of the meetings we attended were very informative about packing. At the meeting where a student who had been to Genoa in the spring the year before attended, I asked her questions like, "What are you glad you brought? What did you wish you brought?" But I could tell that this girl wasn't that similar to me.
I am not one size fits all. I'm 5 feet tall, size 32DD bra, size 00 jeans, and size 2 (yes, children's) shoes. I'm basically Dolly Parton, except with no one to custom make glitzy clothes for me. It took me years to learn where to shop and what to buy in the US, so you can only imagine the lack of comfort I feel when I'm told, "Oh, you can buy clothes and shoes while you're abroad."
So I didn't stress too much about packing light. I packed enough clothes to get me through at least a month without washing anything.
I Packed:
As for toiletries, I brought all of my travel necessities, as well as smaller bottles of my regular shampoo and conditioner. What I really wish I would've brought is body wash and a washcloth or loofah. We were told that we could buy toiletries here, but the only toiletries I've found are pretty expensive (it's cheaper to buy a bottle of wine...). We also weren't given washcloths. I assumed that since we were given towels that we'd receive washcloths, too, but I was wrong. A shower caddy also wouldn't have been a bad idea because we have to take our things out of the showers everyday to make it easier for our housekeeper to clean (can't really complain...). There are a few in the closet of things left behind by previous students, so if I get desperate enough, I'll take one of those.
Another thing I wish I would've packed are Command hooks. I actually almost brought some just because they were already in my suitcase, but I took them out. We could really use some hooks to hang our purses, belts, and bath towels.
I didn't bring a hairdryer or a hair straightener because I had heard the horror stories of people blowing theirs up. There are several European hairdryers in the villa, so that hasn't been a problem, but no one has left behind a hair straightener. I'm going to need to purchase one ASAP.
I checked two large rolling suitcases, as well as a rolling carry-on and my camera bag.
Our plane arrived 30 minutes late at the gate in Charlotte, so our flight was terribly delayed. When we got to the airport in DC, we had to run 40 gates to make our connection. Yes, we were those people hustling through the airport. I would say it's not funny when it's happening to you, but I was laughing the entire time, so I suppose that's a false statement.
When I realized how soon we took off after getting on the plane (I believe we were the last people on), I had a sick feeling that our luggage wasn't with us. But I refused to think that. I had never lost my luggage before.
When we got off the plane at the tiny Genoa Airport, we waited for the bags to come. It was very strange how they did it. They started one conveyor belt which was apparently just to mess with us because everyone looked very disappointed when it stopped - and then they started the other one and everyone hustled over there. Then that conveyor belt stopped about as quickly as the other one. And we didn't have our luggage. We stood around for a minute until it was apparent that there was no more luggage to be found. So we made our way over to Lost & Found.
The woman working there was of course Italian. She did speak English, but with a strong accent. They were having trouble with their system, but she was able to locate our bags... they were still in DC, but were going to be sent on a plane to Munich that night. They could be delivered to us tomorrow morning at 11:30. We then had to each describe our bags to her, and she wrote us each receipts. It took like five minutes per person to get this done. I think we spent over half an hour at lost and found.
The next day, we waited and waited for our luggage. We finally got a call around noon that our luggage would be there at 4:30, and we had to wait for it because there isn't really any parking outside the villa. 4:30 came and went... no luggage. Finally, around 7:00 PM, it arrived!
At the first study abroad meeting, my junior year of college seemed so far away. And I liked it that way. Italy was something to look forward to, something to dream about. And then it crept up on me.
I, by no means, felt ready. Even though I'm 21 years old, I still feel very much like a child. How can I be this old?
Packing was my biggest concern. And none of the meetings we attended were very informative about packing. At the meeting where a student who had been to Genoa in the spring the year before attended, I asked her questions like, "What are you glad you brought? What did you wish you brought?" But I could tell that this girl wasn't that similar to me.
I am not one size fits all. I'm 5 feet tall, size 32DD bra, size 00 jeans, and size 2 (yes, children's) shoes. I'm basically Dolly Parton, except with no one to custom make glitzy clothes for me. It took me years to learn where to shop and what to buy in the US, so you can only imagine the lack of comfort I feel when I'm told, "Oh, you can buy clothes and shoes while you're abroad."
So I didn't stress too much about packing light. I packed enough clothes to get me through at least a month without washing anything.
I Packed:
- A ton of sweaters and tops
- T-shirts and cardigans for layering
- 2 pairs of jeans (wore 1), black pants, black metallic pants, and gold pants
- 3 knit dresses
- A nicer high-low dress
- 2 dressy shorts
- 5 skirts
- 5 jackets (warm jacket, trench, military jacket, leather jacket, and raincoat)
- Lots of shoes (3 pumps - black, nude, gold; 2 ballet flats - black, gold; brown mules, black oxfords, black sweater Uggs, natural canvas Toms, black oxford heels, and brown boots)
In my defense, shoes are rather difficult for me to find, so I brought a lot.
As for toiletries, I brought all of my travel necessities, as well as smaller bottles of my regular shampoo and conditioner. What I really wish I would've brought is body wash and a washcloth or loofah. We were told that we could buy toiletries here, but the only toiletries I've found are pretty expensive (it's cheaper to buy a bottle of wine...). We also weren't given washcloths. I assumed that since we were given towels that we'd receive washcloths, too, but I was wrong. A shower caddy also wouldn't have been a bad idea because we have to take our things out of the showers everyday to make it easier for our housekeeper to clean (can't really complain...). There are a few in the closet of things left behind by previous students, so if I get desperate enough, I'll take one of those.
Another thing I wish I would've packed are Command hooks. I actually almost brought some just because they were already in my suitcase, but I took them out. We could really use some hooks to hang our purses, belts, and bath towels.
I didn't bring a hairdryer or a hair straightener because I had heard the horror stories of people blowing theirs up. There are several European hairdryers in the villa, so that hasn't been a problem, but no one has left behind a hair straightener. I'm going to need to purchase one ASAP.
I checked two large rolling suitcases, as well as a rolling carry-on and my camera bag.
Our plane arrived 30 minutes late at the gate in Charlotte, so our flight was terribly delayed. When we got to the airport in DC, we had to run 40 gates to make our connection. Yes, we were those people hustling through the airport. I would say it's not funny when it's happening to you, but I was laughing the entire time, so I suppose that's a false statement.
When I realized how soon we took off after getting on the plane (I believe we were the last people on), I had a sick feeling that our luggage wasn't with us. But I refused to think that. I had never lost my luggage before.
When we got off the plane at the tiny Genoa Airport, we waited for the bags to come. It was very strange how they did it. They started one conveyor belt which was apparently just to mess with us because everyone looked very disappointed when it stopped - and then they started the other one and everyone hustled over there. Then that conveyor belt stopped about as quickly as the other one. And we didn't have our luggage. We stood around for a minute until it was apparent that there was no more luggage to be found. So we made our way over to Lost & Found.
The woman working there was of course Italian. She did speak English, but with a strong accent. They were having trouble with their system, but she was able to locate our bags... they were still in DC, but were going to be sent on a plane to Munich that night. They could be delivered to us tomorrow morning at 11:30. We then had to each describe our bags to her, and she wrote us each receipts. It took like five minutes per person to get this done. I think we spent over half an hour at lost and found.
 |
| She fussed at us for taking this picture... no photos allowed. |
The next day, we waited and waited for our luggage. We finally got a call around noon that our luggage would be there at 4:30, and we had to wait for it because there isn't really any parking outside the villa. 4:30 came and went... no luggage. Finally, around 7:00 PM, it arrived!
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