True Words: Why you should go to Europe

Check out footage with interviews from those that went to Europe, and some of the pictures they took as well!

From the green pastures of Ireland to the hills of Scotland

Scotland as well as Ireland, are both very beautiful places. Scotland was my second favorite place to visit. The culture is not too different from Ireland but the environment was a bit different. As you can see from the picture above, this is a hill that is considered an island in the ocean. I thought this was a very neat environmental site as one of my first views of Scotland.
 

As part of our studying aboard program, we took several tours around each city in every country we visited. This castle pictured above is in Edinburgh, Scotland. This castle was the home for the royalty who ruled over the land of Scotland before England had conquered the land. Unfortunately we did not go in the castle (though I would have loved to because its very old and so huge!) but I guess it gives me a reason to visit the city again! It was a very interesting and beautiful town.

The picture to the left shows a large stream that was entering into Loch Ness home of the Loch Ness Monster. This region of Scotland was very amazing I enjoyed visiting it, taking pictures and just hanging out walking through the small village along Loch Ness.

As another part of our bus tour and along the ocean coast,
there was this beautiful church and a lovely forest. This tree to the right was very unique and not like any type of tree that I have ever seen. The United States do not (unless I haven't seen them) have these types of trees. All the branches were intertwined and the leaves were a tear drop shape. By far the coolest tree I've ever seen and probably will ever see.






The next few pictures below are all scenic views of the forest, hills and housing that the Scottish people live in everyday. Being such a nature-oriented person, these were absolutely gorgeous with different colors such as oranges, reds, browns and greens. It was fall at the time we had traveled to Scotland (meaning my classmates and I) so the colors were outstanding! Check out the pictures below. Enjoy!

As you can see Scotland is a perfect place to visit! If you really like scenery and wildlife as well as travel to famous cities Scotland is a beautiful place to see! In my opinion, Scotland was one of my top favorite places to visit in Europe out of a total of 12 countries we visited! Hope you enjoyed reading. To check more stories and blogs about traveling in Europe visit the NDSU Center for Global Initiatives at http://bit.ly/nvS003

- Michelle

Traveling around the green pastures of Ireland

Having the chance to tour Europe was a great experience and I had no idea what I would get of it until it happened. Of course, there are those countries you think will be your favorite and sometimes they are but for me, that wasn't the case. One of the countries I believed would be okay to visit but turned out to be my favorite was Ireland.

Ireland is by far one of the most beautiful places in Europe. It is very scenic, green and the Irish people are absolutely nice and helpful. That is the reason why I believe Ireland is so fantastic.

As many people probably know, Ireland has many castles. On my entire trip around the island, my classmates and I pointed out a countless number of them, ranging from small to big, to new or old. Each of them had their own unique designs and stories about why they were built.

This "castle" is very modern compared to others in Ireland. This picture of a castle wall is not really a castle. On the other side of the green lawn is a building or structure that the king or queen of England would stay in if they were visiting Ireland. The purpose of this "castle" wall was to have a beautiful view from the royal bedroom. On the other side of the wall is the village of the poor. Another reason why this wall was built was so that the king or queen didn't have to look out at the poor village.

After traveling by horse drawn carriage for a few hours, this castle to the right was one of the stops we made in the park. This castle is very old and we were fortunate to be able to go inside to explore it. The castle was very interesting and had a spectacular view from the top.




Another one of the castles we visit was the famous Blarney Castle which holds the Blarney Stone. Below is a picture of the castle. This castle has been standing for several years and is very old. Some of the rooms within the castle have been destroyed or are deteriorating away. Most of the walls were covered in moss and the brick was starting to change to different colors. Many people visit this castle every year to kiss the Blarney Stone which is supposed to bring any person who kisses it good luck for 7 years. I loved wandering around the castle as well as the gardens and other scenic things within the Blarney park.

Not only are the castles amazing in Ireland, but the scenery is as well. As we traveled to each city, we were continually seeing several sites. Some of the cool sites we had seen were green pastures, the ocean and forests. Below are pictures of all this kinds of sites.

This is the northern coast of Ireland with a castle on the top of the cliff. It was so beautiful!

To the right is on of the large green pastures we had seen from the Blarney Castle as well as the forests. This is a picture during the fall but, I'm sure it looks absolutely amazing during the summer too.

Here again is the northern coast of Ireland but a little less rocky from the above picture. This day was so windy and cold that most of us could not stay real long. But again very beautiful and worth seeing!





Overall, Ireland was my most favorite country to visit. One day I hope to visit the beautiful island again and perhaps go to other places my classmates and I were unable to visit. If you ever choose to travel to Europe plan to travel to Ireland you won't regret it!

Thanks for reading!

- Michelle

Foods Around the World

When traveling abroad you get the opportunity to try many different types of foods.  If you are an adventurous person while eating food studying abroad is something you may want to think about!

Going abroad really helped me get over my fears of trying new foods.  It made me at least give foods a try before saying I don't like it.  Trying different foods gives you a better look at the different cultures in Europe. 

Starting with the plane ride, you already get a different food choice then what you are used to in your home.

The airplane food was given to us after about two hours into the flight.  On the way there we got a salad, pasta, and a roll.  It was a hot meal and got us ready for the European lifestyle. 

Our first taste of Belgian food was Fries and Mayo.  The mayo is not like the american mayo we eat every day.  This is made with more olive oils and not as gelatin as it is back in America.  We were kind of sceptical about trying this for the first time but after the first time, we ate it over and over again. 

The next thing that Belgium is famous for is its delicious chocolates.  Every different types of chocolates you can think of, Belgium has them.  There were milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and any other types you can think of. 

When you go on the study abroad program, you get to go on a chocolate crawl.  This allows you to go on a tour of the different types of chocolate places in the city of Antwerp.

With every meal pretty much you get a salad as a starter.  These salads come with different types of dressing. 

Also with every meal, you usaully get a kind of soup with your main meal.  The soup over there is more rich and has so much more flavors.

If you did miss the taste of american food, there is always different types of foods that can give you the taste of the american way.  There is meats that you love like steak and ribs.  At one place you can get all you can eat ribs.

We had steak in Ireland and it was delicious.  Cows in Ireland only eat grass and not any preservatives or chemicals.   Also with your steak you get the best kind of mash potatoes!

When we went to Paris, we tried a new type of food called Flan. This was a thin crusted pizza with different types of toppings on each on.  The main types you can get are, ham and cheese, cheeseburger, honey and eggs, and potatoes and cheese.  For dessert you can get Chocolate, chocolate and bananas, or apple and cinnamon.  

Ham and Cheese



Apple





Chocolate

With our last night in Antwerp, Belgium, we went to a Japanese resturant.  We got to wear kimono's and eat very different food then what we were used to.

  Our first course was sushi.  This was very different then what we were used to.  We all didn't know what we were getting ourselves into when we came to this resturant.  Everyone however, tried the food.  Some of us couldn't finish it all and others ate the whole plate.  It all depends on what you liked.

The next couple of courses were made by a chef right in front of us. 

We got to eat grilled salmon, fish, steak, and noodles.  



After your very huge meals you get over in Europe, you get the best dessert ever.  There are many different types of desserts you can get.  From fudge brownies, to ice creams, to Italian Gelato in Italy.  There are so many different countries you can get different desserts at. 

Fudge Brownie



Fruit Ice cream





Italian Gelato

But don't worry if you every want a taste of American food again there is alway a McDonalds right around the corner in every city.  Eating at a McDonalds every so often made me not miss home as much as i thought i would have.  

This was a very different experience for all of us.  But it opened my eyes and makes me want to try new food.  Going to Europe, we got a chance to eat a lot of different foods.  It was a great eperience for all of us to go on. 

-Sara



for more information about studying abroad go to http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Taste the flavors of the European theater.

In my experience feasting like the locals is one of the best ways to experience the different way of life around the world. I have had some of the best times abroad going into the restaurant and beer joints that are not tailed to vacationers, and other tourist. Like the saying goes, “When in Rome do as the Romans”. Remember that you are their gest, and their rules.

            Some of my buddy’s and I got some bikes and spent a hole day riding around Rota, Spain eating and drinking. We stopped at an outside ice cream stand. The flavors were had predict because it was all in Spanish and I do not know how to read Spanish.  There was one flavor that I had heard of, whisky ice cream. I had to try it. It did taste like booze but not exactly what I was thinking. Through the day we keep hearing big bottle rockets taking off. We went into a local bar and learned that there was a soccer game on and when their team scores they shoot them off.  From there we went into a sit down Japanese restaurant. It was nothing like a Japanese restaurant in the states. The food was cooked in front of us and they poured sake down your throat after the dinner, no cost for the sake.

London By Day

Ever watched a movie and thought, "Wow, I wish I could go there?"  Well if you study abroad you could go everywhere.  When I studied abroad with the Center for Global Initiatives, I went to 12 different countries.  Some of the major things I saw that were famous monuments in London were Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.

The most famous clock tower ever is Big Ben.  When I saw Big Ben I knew that I was in London.  Big Ben is attached to the parliament building and is the most famous clock face in the world.  Big Ben can be seen from everywhere in London.

The next major building in London that I saw was Buckingham Palace.   This is where the Queen of England lives.  Also when we were there Kate Middleton's wedding dress from the Royal Wedding was on display there.  Buckingham Palace was gated with golden gates and was armed by all the English Guards.

This huge building stretched along 3 road blocks.  This is called the Parliament building.  This is where the parliament meets and has meetings.  When we were there the 800 judges were being ignited into the parliament.  They walked from the Westminster Abbey to the Parliament building. 

The last famous building that would be on anybody's list of London landmarks.  Westminster Abbey is the most famous Abbey in London.  However it is actually located in Westminster region.  This Abbey is where Prince William and Kate had their royal wedding and millions of people watched on television.  Westminster Abbey has over a thousand years of history in it.  It has famous people buried in there such as kings and queens, also Charles Darwin and Issac Newton.  Westminster Abbey was the most BEAUTIFUL Abbey I have ever seen while I was studying abroad.





Even though London was very expensive, it was an awesome experience.  Seeing all the different landmarks in London was a experience of a lifetime.  So if you have the opportunity to study abroad, DO IT!


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-Sara 

Paragliding in the Swiss Alps - Interlaken, Switerland

While my classmates and I were studying abroad, one of the most adventurous, fun and beautiful places we had visited was Switzerland. As we traveled by bus to the city of Interlaken, the Alps blew me away with their radiant slopes as well as their snow-covered peaks. We were all very excited to spend the next few days in the gorgeous country and perhaps do some outdoor activities that we would remember for the rest of our lives. Some of these activities included para sailing, paragliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, canyoning and canyon jumping. Of course at the time I was contemplating between so many of the choices that it was hard to decide which one to do. After talking with my classmates and figuring out the prices for each activity I came to the decision that I was going to go paragliding. One of my classmates, Mike, decided he too want to try paragliding, so the two of us called SkyWings (a paragliding company) to come pick us up to start our paragliding adventure. Once the van had come to pick us up right at our hotel, three other individuals were in the van also coming along on the journey to experience this fun-filled event. As we drove to the top of the Alps climbing higher and higher in elevation, my nerves began to shake inside me. That's when I told myself, "Were in this for fun! Don't worry about it. It's going to be awesome!" Instantly, my nerves disappeared like a flash and I was so pumped to do it! As part of our journey up the mountain, all five of the paragliding instructors were riding with us. One of them said "So as part of paragliding, each rider gets to choose which instructor they would like to ride with. This means the girls get to choose first!" Of course myself as well as one other individual riding with us was female. I told him it didn't matter to me so he lifted up five sheets of paper and told me to draw one. The one I chose was named Bobby, the gentleman giving us instructions on how to fly. Once we stopped at the top of the mountain, stepping out of the van to look out at the scenic view was so incredible. Looking down on the beautiful town of Interlaken thinking "Wow I'm going to be flying over that in a few minutes" just blew me away. Bobby and I and all the others hiked to the edge of the cliff were we started setting up the equipment to go gliding. First, the instructors laid out each parachute and attached the bungee cords to it. Second, Bobby told me to put on a red jacket to keep me from getting cold, put on a harness that looked like a sagging backpack as well as a helmet. While I continued to put on my equipment, Bobby finished putting the final pieces together for take off. I began to think "I can't do this.. I sooo can't do this..." my knees were beginning to shake and before I could figure out how to calm myself down, Bobby told me to come over to the parachute so we can take off. Bobby attached his harness to mine and the parachute to begin flying. "So were going to take a few pictures before we take off so you can always remember." He pulled out a camera he was going to use for the flight that was attached to a long stick and snapped a few.

"Are you ready to do this now?" he asked. "Yes lets go!" I told him as I began to get nervous again. "Okay, on the count of three I want you to start slowly jogging and even when you feel the parachute begin to lift up continue running." he said. "Alright on the count of three........ one........ two......... THREE!!" We began running. I closed my eyes and within what felt like two seconds, we ran off the cliff and the parachute lifted off the ground and caught the air above us as we began to soar over the mountains and the city. Opening my eyes to the miraculous view was so breathtaking it was like nothing I had seen before! Bobby began turning the parachute back and forth so I could see different angles and views of Switzerland. "Lets take some more photos." He said. We again snapped several photos of us gliding.

 After a little while into the flight, he asked me if I want to try flying the parachute. I told him yes definitely! As I grabbed the two handles one on each side he said "Ok, to turn left, pull down with your left arm and lift up on the right arm." I began thinking "This is going to be hard to pull." but within a few seconds I did what he told me and began turning left. "Wow that's so easy!" I told. He continued to let me drive the glider a few minutes longer enjoying the beautiful view, until we reached about halfway down the mountain.

"Alright, I got a question for you," Bobby stated, "Do you like roller coasters?" I told him, "I absolutely love roller coasters!" Bobby then said, "Alright then you are in for a fun ride!" Again within a few seconds he pulled hard on one side of the parachute then the other, creating a waving motion that made your stomach drop just like the peak of a roller coaster. Before I knew it felt like I was free falling! It was absolutely fun and I couldn't believe you could feel like this when you para glide let alone a parachute! Soon enough he slowed down the heavy waving motion as we were getting close to the ground. I began to think "What?.. Its almost over?..." I was having such a fun time I didn't want it to end. Bobby instructed me to lift my legs a bit when we get close to the ground and that I may have to run a little bit to slow myself down. As we approached the ground I lift my legs up and basically just stood up. "Wow that was a super easy landing. I thought that would have been a lot more complicated." I said to Bobby. "That's actually what most people think. I like to try to make the landing as easy as possible if I can." He said. After about 10 to 15 minutes that passed by most of the instructors had all the equipment picked up and in large backpacks to take the next set of paragliders. I waited for Mike to land of course share our experiences about the ride. Together, Mike and I walked over to pay for the ride and the photos of the trip and all I could think about was that what I just experienced was the the coolest thing I have ever done in my life. I was in shock by how much fun paragliding is and the breathtaking view I got to experience while doing it! I told myself several times someday I want to do it again even though I may not be able to in the beautiful country of Switzerland. Anyone who loves to sight see or go on roller coasters I recommend you go paragliding! It was one of the best moments in my life! I would like to thank the NDSU Center for Global Initiatives for providing such an opportunity to experience paragliding as well as the continent of Europe in 5 weeks! I couldn't have had more fun checking one of my bucket list items off the list! If you would like to learn more information or see what other kinds of experiences study abroad students have had visit http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!
Michelle

P.S. Watch this video of me paragliding in the Swiss Alps!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl6kGBRfu3w