I was originally accepted to the Semester at Sea Study abroad program for fall 2020, but that, of course, was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and so my term was canceled. Due to being accepted to nursing school at UF, I was unable to do another semester-long study abroad program. Instead, I decided to plan a 2 month-long trip myself designed to experience and immerse myself in different cultures, broaden my horizons and see new places and meet people with different experiences and perspectives, as well as to visit where my family is from, including where my mom was born which I had never been to before, and to visit family and friends I had never met. I went with one friend who also had a study abroad program to Russia canceled. 

 

This was a very significant experience for me, I learned a lot and developed a very changed perspective. I had never been to South America, or to Germany and the Netherlands where my family is from. Among the most significant of experiences included:

​

• Spending 4 days in Bolivia with a family who was hosting us near one of the Amazon tributaries. I got to learn a lot from them, had fun playing with the children in the family, enjoyed traditional food they introduced us to, and learned more of their culture. I loved learning about the unique ecosystems there and seeing animals I'd never imagined seeing in person. 

• I got to go to some amazing places I'd learned about, including Machu Picchu, which was fascinating to see.  I also stayed in some smaller towns in Argentina like El Calafate and El Chalten which were very unique to see. 

• I got to develop a lot of independence and problem-solving abilities to deal with the logistical challenges that came up, including getting food sickness in a country where I couldn't read the labels on the medicine bottles, trying to find a series of buses and having to cross a border on foot without being able to find any written information and relying on word of mouth from people we met, having to apply for visas in Bolivia, a severely sprained ankle while 30 miles from a town, and altitude sickness.

• Visiting Heidelburg where my mom was born. I have a fond memory of staying with family friends and cooking one of their favorite traditional meals, and they made a vegetarian version for me.

• Meeting close friends of my Grandparents in Amsterdam, that they had before moving to the US. My cousins had also visited there years before and met their friends as well. I got to see old pictures of my grandparents with them which was very cool, and heard many fun stories of them. I really enjoyed seeing where my family was from and seeing little glimpses of their lives from many many years ago that were still there. 

• I got to practice my French which I had studied for four years outside of UF while hiking in France. This became useful when I severely sprained my ankle while hiking the Tour Du Mont Blanc, about 30 miles from the next major town. 

​

Please enjoy photos from my trip below.