It has taken me a long time to tell you all this: I have severely underestimated the value of sunglasses and an eye mask. Living in Seattle there is little use for such things, but out here it is a completely different ballgame. One of the definitions for the arctic is that the sun does not set on the summer solstice, the longest day of … Continue reading Sunsets at Midnight
Hi! My name is Shannon Allen I am an Environmental Science major and Film minor at SU. This year I will be doing two international trips through Seattle University. First, I will be taking a trip to Paris, France for a two-week-long class which I will use as a Film Elective. The flight to Paris from Seattle totals around 10 hours. Now would be a … Continue reading How I Dealt with Pre-Departure Chaos: Paris, France
I’ve often heard the phrase ‘be bold and start cold’ in my experiences backpacking. Here in Iceland, you usually have to start pretty dang cold! As soon as you get moving though, you generate far more body heat than is comfortable. By that same token, as soon as you stop moving you also lose all that heat. It’s a fine line to balance. Our first … Continue reading A Love Letter to Layering
“How long will you be staying?” A stocky Icelandic immigration official examines my passport intently. “Six weeks” I reply. “And what are you doing in Iceland?” She compares me to the photo. I pull down my mask and beam at her. “Studying abroad!” Iceland is a beautiful country. My first week was punctuated by volcanoes, lava fields, geysers, and waterfalls. It’s very challenging for me … Continue reading Of Geysers and Gyrfalcons
A good part of the fun in studying abroad seems to be in telling people where you will be going. The reactions I have garnered from a simple answer to the question, “What are you doing this summer?” assures me that I have made a solid choice. Of course, a couple sentences really offer no explanation of the weeks of planning and preparation that have … Continue reading From Homeland to Iceland
For the Fall Semester I am studying in Ghana at the University of Ghana, Legon Hill. I have spent months saving up and preparing for this trip! Now that I am here, I see how much free time I have to work with. I don’t have to juggle multiple classes 2-3 times a week and two jobs at the same time. That said, I need … Continue reading My Study Abroad Game Plan
Hi there, my name is Braden and I’m a junior working towards a degree in philosophy, Spanish, and a minor in Communications at Seattle University. I’m currently on the SU-led program in Puebla, Mexico for the next 5 months, where I hope (and am so eagerly trying) to develop a fluency in Spanish and a deeper appreciation for Spanish culture. Here’s a little … Continue reading Let’s Just Be Honest With Each Other OK?
For the longest time, when I travel, I have always wanted people out of my photos and just wanted the location or well known places. I would have halves of heads, bodies chopped off, or fingers poking their way into my frame. I would always try my hardest to get a shot that looked like the ones we have seen before, the seemingly perfect … Continue reading Humans of Granada
While in Spain I have been joyous, surprised, sick, nostalgic, worried, elated, confused, tired… the list goes on. I could cycle through all these emotions in one day, one week, and now, one month. Emotions are constantly changing and sometimes I can’t even put a word to what it is I feel either in my body or my soul. Sometimes they can definitely be out … Continue reading The Permanence of “I am” in Spanish
Just about an hour and a half drive from Valencia, Peñiscola (peninsula in English) is an old town known for its castle, Greek & Roman history, and its appearance in Game of Thrones. The buildings are white, the mood is calm, quiet, and the Mediterranean extends as far as the eye can see. We enjoyed a relaxed day touring the castle and hanging on the … Continue reading Natural Meditation
Redhawks Abroad 