Why I'm excited to Study Abroad...Again

"Again?!?  What do you mean again?"
That is what I imagine your internal monologue to be saying.  And yes, I do mean again.  The summer between graduating high school and starting at St. Mikes, I took all the money I had been gathered (all the babysitting finally paid off) and studied at the University of Granada in Spain for a month.  It was AMAZING!!!  I could not have asked for a better experience.  It was my first time flying alone and being out of the country alone, so I was a little freaked out.  I decided to join the college group rather than the high school group when I was there, so I was afraid that I wouldn't make friends as easily.
Boy was I wrong!  I met some of the best people while abroad!  And my program was great, I went through Sol Education Abroad and we had activities 3-4 times a week and a different excursion every weekend.  It was great because after my last class, we would all meet up and go see a flamenco performance or visit the Alhambra.  Every time, it was something different and new and I loved seeing the city and learning about its history and culture.

The night Spain won the Euro Cup 2012

Swimming and cliff diving in the Mediterranean

Facades of houses in the Al Baisin

One of the ceilings in the Alhambra

Inside the Alhambra

Inside the Alhambra

Heather and I, the two California girls

And now, I'm working with my advisers at St. Mikes to find the perfect fit and the classes that will transfer to my majors.  Knowing what an awesome experience I had a couple summers ago, I am so excited to explore a new city, a new school, and with a new group of friends!  The adventure is just beginning!

Spring Break and Extended Service

So one of the things I am counting down to is Spring Break.  But unlike most people, I'm not waiting to go home and relax and watch a bunch of Netflix.  I will be going with an amazing group of eight St. Mikes students and two faculty members to the Dominican Republic!
Say whaaaaat?!?
Isn't it crazy! It has been my dream to go on the Dominican Republic Service Trip ever since I found out about the MOVE program while applying to St. Mikes.  Before you go internationally, you must go on a domestic trip.  Last year, I went to New Jersey to help with Hurricane Sandy relief over spring break.  It was one of the greatest experiences I've had so far at St. Mikes.  I got to bond with a group of six students and one faculty member as we sorted through donations, cleared away the debris, and talked with the locals about their experiences.

Looking at the lot that used to have a house

Cece and I breaking things down

The St. Mike's Group!

One of my favorite moments was when we spent the day calling people who had 50% or more of their houses lost to Sandy and gave them $100 gift cards to a local super market.  Hearing the joy in peoples voices when I told them we had the gift card for them was amazing, it's giving me chills right now remembering it!  People were so grateful for the generous donation, and some people would pass their gift to another family that might need it more than they did.  It was great to see the impact we could make and how generous the community was.
Taking that experience with me, I applied at the beginning of the year for the Dominican Trip and got in! I can't believe that was last semester, and here I am, a week away from departure!  Last night, we went to Allison Cleary's house (she leads the two international MOVE trips, DR and India) and had traditional Dominican food and danced to Dominican music.  It was so much fun, I was so sad the night ended, but I know that our trip is going to be amazing!  All of the people going are such nice people, I can't wait to bond even more with them through our trip!  I will be sure to blog and have a bunch of photos from the trip!