Madelynn Gibson
Spain
Fall 2016
Major: Biology
Hometown: Belpre, Ohio
Other activities: None.
How did you choose the location of your Education Abroad experience?
I chose my location, Barcelona, Spain, because I wanted to live in a city, in Spain, and live in a location in which I could easily travel to other places within Europe. Barcelona is truly an incredible city! The city is rife in history, art, and nature. It is situated in the north of Spain with many gorgeous mountains nearby as well as beaches. Barcelona was a perfect choice for my location, I would highly recommend it to other students interested in Spain..
How has your time in another country impacted your view of the world and your future goals?
My time abroad not only shaped my life during the past semester, but continues to drive and motivate me every day. I gained so many new outlooks on life while abroad, as well as learning new perspectives from obtaining an education abroad. I traveled to seven different countries including: Spain, France, Norway, The Netherlands, England, Sweden, and Germany, and it was amazing to explore and discover each unique place. I am in love with traveling and exploring the world around me, and I do not think this will ever change.
What was your best/worst meal while abroad?
My best meal while abroad was at a restaurant in Paris called Le Triangle, a very local vibe, exquisite meal. I had a delicious fish with sautéed veggies. I did not have any terrible meals abroad, thankfully! I was always super grateful to enjoy my host mother’s cooking most evenings while in Barcelona.
If you ever visit your host country again, what will be on your list of things to do?
I am going back this summer. I will be Au Pairing in Germany, and the family I will Au Pair with is planning to vacation in Majorca, Spain, for two weeks in May. I had the pleasure of visiting lovely Majorca during my time abroad. I am so excited to return! The first on my list of things to do on the island of Majorca will be to explore some of the many beautiful coves and beaches.
What advice can you give fellow students who are considering the Education Abroad program?
GO ABROAD. It is truly a life-changing experience, you can grow and learn so much from this experience in ways you cannot describe. You expand your global horizons, gain brand new perspectives, meet many amazing people, and create memories you will walk with forever. It is challenging, but just as equally rewarding. Learning to adapt to new surroundings, learning a new language, and engaging in a new culture has certainly changed my life for the better, so I would encourage others to embark on the journey as well.
Allison Watkins
Spain
Fall 2016
Major: Spanish, International Leadership Studies
Minors: TEFL Certificate Science and Leadership
Hometown: Parkersburg, West Virginia
Other activities: Sigma Kappa sorority, Spanish tutor, volunteering through McDonough Leadership program.
How did you choose the location of your Education Abroad experience?
I was taking Spanish, so I wanted to study somewhere that spoke Spanish. I was debating between South/Central America or Europe. I ended up choosing Europe so that I could travel around Europe and see places I always wanted to see.
How has your time in another country impacted your view of the world and your future goals?
I had some of the best Spanish teachers, Señor and Señora Marlow at Parkersburg High School and they always included videos and pictures from their travels with previous students and just on their own. They really made me interested in the Spanish culture and I remember Señor Marlow would always show the same picture of the Casa Batlló by Gaudí in Barcelona and I knew that I wanted to go see this museum in real life. So that was the major reason why I went to Barcelona because I became fascinated by the pictures in my Spanish classes.
What was your best/worst meal while abroad?
My favorite meal abroad was when I went to Valencia with a group of other students and we got to pick vegetables in a field and got to help prepare paella in a cast iron pan that took four men to carry. This is a rice dish typically with vegetables and different types of meat like rabbit or even seafood and it takes hours to cook, which is what makes it so good. The only food that I did not like in Spain was roasted chestnuts that my host mom bought for one of the Spanish holidays.
If you ever visit your host country again, what will be on your list of things to do?
If I visit Spain again, I would definitely want to go to La Tomatina, or the tomato throwing festival, near Valencia in August. I would also love to go to Castilla-la Mancha autónoma because that is where the Don Quijote story took place and that was one of the first stories that I read in my Spanish class in high school so I’ve always wanted to go there.
What advice can you give fellow students who are considering the Education Abroad program?
I would encourage anyone that is even a little interested in studying abroad to build up the courage and go because it will be an experience unlike any other. The staff at Marietta, especially Christy in the study abroad office has so many resources and there are so many students on campus that have been abroad before to talk to about their experiences. It is definitely a process to get all of the paperwork in place when going abroad, but it is worth it.
Mandee Young
London
Fall 2016
Major: Advertising & Public Relations
Minors: Leadership Studies, Journalism
Hometown: Poca, West Virginia
Other activities: Varsity Tennis, AAF, PAC.
How did you choose the location of your Education Abroad experience?
I’ve always had an interest in visiting England and the rest of the United Kingdom. I knew that England as a country offered a wide variety of locales to check out using their great rail system, and I knew I’d enjoy getting the chance to explore London for more than just a weekend.
How has your time in another country impacted your view of the world and your future goals?
My leadership classes (particularly Global Leadership) as well as my internship this past summer in New York City had really laid a strong foundation in my belief in the prominence of people’s similarities and ability to find common ground while still supporting and advocating the benefits and importance of their differing skills, beliefs and values. The school I attended in England allowed me to become good friends with people not just from England but also places such as Canada, Australia, Germany and Gibraltar. We all had our differences, different slang, food we missed and perspectives about everything, but we easily found a lot of common ground and became close. I think the appreciation of people’s differences while discovering commonalities is a great thing for me to keep in mind and implement throughout my life and career.
What was your best/worst meal while abroad?
The English like their meat pies and potatoes that’s for sure! There were often multiple variations of potatoes at lunch and dinner at the dining hall I frequented. Though not too out there, I did enjoy having beans with toast for breakfast. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that eating haggis was either the best or the worst food I had while abroad, but it was definitely the most memorable. I wouldn’t say I’d eat it super frequently, but it’s actually something I wouldn’t mind eating again.
If you ever visit your host country again, what will be on your list of things to do?
It was probably slightly treasonous not to attend a soccer game while I was there, so I’d try to get one in if I found myself back in England. I’d also like to be able to rent a car to be able to drive through more of the countryside and hit up a few more towns that I wasn’t able to visit while I was there, such as Liverpool or Manchester or even go over to Cardiff, Wales, to check off being to all of the countries of Great Britain.
What advice can you give fellow students who are considering the Education Abroad program?
Start planning early if you can. It definitely made life less stressful and chaotic to have more time to get courses approved, complete all of the applications and make any and all preparations. Keep up with friends and family back home! I never got full-on homesick, but everyone experiences times of missing people, events and celebrations. Just remember that what you’re getting to do and go see is an incredible gift and experience, so embrace it through any rough times and look forward to reminiscing about your experiences as you catch-up with everyone back home once you return. Get a currency converter, use RyanAir and/or EasyJet if you travel throughout Europe, accept and embrace the fact that you don’t need to haul more than a huge checked bag, carry-on and backpack with you wherever you end up choosing to go.