spotlight on honors: study abroad

honors students abroad: Summer 2009

annie - england

JUNIOR, communication MAJOR

AUGUST 2009

After a 30-minute flight to Cincinnati and a two-hour layover, followed by an eight-hour connecting flight to London-Gatwick Airport and a two-hour coach ride, I arrived safely at King’s College in Hampstead, ready and eager to begin stay. This past summer I was blessed with the opportunity to spend one month studying and exploring in London, England and I am grateful for every moment of my experience. Studying abroad took me to five different countries, with each one exposing me to some of the most beautiful places in the world.

London, England

I stayed at the Hampstead campus of King’s College, which was less than a twenty-minute tube ride (the English version of the subway) into downtown London. I loved the excitement of the city. No matter what day of the week or time of day, the city is alive with energy. One of my favorite aspects of living so close to downtown was our access to the shows for affordable prices. During my stay, I was fortunate enough to see Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Dirty Dancing, and Peter Pan. I also loved the parks in London. In just a ten minute walk from where I stayed, I could reach Hampstead Heath, a beautiful park that overlooked the city of London. We kept busy throughout the entire trip, and made sure not to waste a single day. I also had the opportunity to travel to different parts of England, such as Brighton and Liverpool. My older brother, Ryan, was studying at Oxford University during the same time period I was in London, so I even got to visit him there.

Edinburgh, Scotland

We packed as much into our weekend trip to Scotland as possible to make the most of this beautiful country. In Scotland, the sun rises extremely early and sets very late in the night. So on our first morning, we woke up at four in the morning in order to go on a sunrise hike up the hills just beyond where we stayed. This hike was my favorite part of my entire study abroad experience. It took us quite a bit of time, but we eventually reached Sir Arthur’s Seat, which is the highest point in Edinburgh. From this point, we overlooked the water, the open land, and the city’s many historical castles. Later that day, we went on an underground tour of the vaults below the city, drank a coffee at the Elephant House (the café in which J.K. Rowling invented Harry Potter), shopped, and went to The Stand Comedy Club. On our second day, we visited the home of Sir Walter Scott (the greatest author to come from Scotland) and Melrose Abbey (one of Scotland’s richest medieval abbeys).  

Prague, Czech Republic

The minute I stepped foot in Prague, it was as if I was walking into a painting. This city is incredibly rich in history. Every building has a story. With its architecture, restaurants, and folk dancing festival that took place while we were there, we were able to get a taste of the culture. Our first day, we ate at a place called El Salud. This restaurant had genuine Czech food and it was delicious! After dinner, we took a paddleboat down the Charles River, where we got to enjoy the city as the sun set. Over the next two days, we took a walking tour of the city, tried numerous desserts, and visited the Jewish Quarters. In the Jewish Quarters is a memorial recognizing all of the Prague Jews that died during WW2. In addition, there is an exhibit of drawings that the children created while in a concentration camp. Miraculously, these drawings were discovered after the war was over, and are now held in the museum in the Jewish Quarters. Seeing this exhibit was an incredible experience. It was difficult for us to leave Prague, because although we spent three days there, we only got a taste of one of the most interesting places in the world.

Paris, France

                     

In Paris, we stayed only a block away from the Eiffel Tower. In this picture, I am at the steps of our hotel. Every night, people gather on the lawn in the front of the tower, with cheap wine and baguettes. Each hour, the lights on the Eiffel Tower sparkle, and everyone makes a toast. We also spent a lot of time there during the day. Since our hotel was so close, we would go down the street for lunch, and eat it at the tower. We also visited The Louvre, where we saw the famous Mona Lisa, the Arch de Triumph, and Notre Dame. Notre Dame was incredibly beautiful, with its stained glass and gargoyles. On Saturday night, we went to a jazz club in the Latin Quarter. It featured a quartet that played 50’s music in English. Everyone was out on the dance floor swing dancing. It was so much fun!

Abergavenny, Wales

Although it wasn’t our intention, on our last weekend in Europe we ended up in a small town in Wales called Abergavenny. It had about four main streets, but each street was packed with people. It had a market, old-fashioned ice cream parlors, an old church, and a 14th century castle. It also had a beautiful view with hills and a river. We spent most of the day hiking and journaling along the river. It was a nice break from the big cities we had been visiting.

For more information about studying abroad, please visit ISU's Study Abroad website or contact Janis Halpern, Study Abroad Program Director, at (812) 237-3427 or Janis.Halpern@indstate.edu.

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