Study Abroad Within Studying Abroad

One of the many reasons why I chose to study abroad at Franklin College in Lugano is because they offer an Academic Travel class.  Basically, once a week, the class of your choice meets, and then in the middle of the semester, you travel will the class for ten days to study in the region that you have been learning about all semester.  It is a mini-study abroad within the main study abroad.  It is such a great concept because I will be able to not only study in Switzerland, but also in another country entirely.  The class I am looking into taking is set to travel to Brussels, Paris, Geneva and Strasbourg.  We will study the basics of international relations, and have the opportunity to see The World Trade Center, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Science and Culture Organization, the main institutions of the European Union, and the Council of Europe.  The objective is to help us learn about what problems these organizations deal with, and how successful they have been in resolving problems.  I am thrilled about this opportunity to travel to an extra four countries while I am overseas, and Franklin College does an excellent job in encouraging students to see the world.   

From Switzerland on the Mind to Switzerland consuming the Brain

Well, it’s official. I have been accepted to Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland and I am about to log on and click “commit”. I didn’t doubt my ability to get it, but whenever there is an “apply to either be accepted or not” type of situation, my nerves run wild. The process involved a series of basic questions, followed by three essays, and finally a phone interview. I checked my email every hour of everyday for about a week straight. Finally, on a Thursday morning, it came. I immediately texted my best friend, who also applied, to see what her results were. We both got in, within minutes of one another. I was ecstatic, as was she. So now, I am traveling to Europe for 4 months with my very favorite companion, and I couldn’t not be more excited. The next few months will be filled with planning (my favorite thing – actually though) and come August, we will be on our merry ways. From now on, I am going to post each week about something regarding our adventure. I am thrilled to embark on this wildly new and extremely exciting opportunity.

Ciao!!

A Sunny Surprise

A few months ago, I called my mom to ask her if she would come out to Dallas from home in San Francisco to spend my birthday with me. She told me she would love nothing more, and that if she could fit it into her schedule, she would fly out. She asked me to double check my schedule to be sure it would work out and be worth it for her to come. Just as I picked up the phone to call her and tell her to definitely come, I was met with a big, fat “no” to a mommy-filled birthday. Much to my disappointment, my mom explained that it was not reasonable, as they would be in Hawaii right before on a work trip of my dad’s. Totally unfair, I whined, but moved on.  Then, a sorority announcement came about that held the dates of Dad’s weekend, which fell right after my birthday. I asked my dad to come out, and had a restored hope that at least one of my family members would be around to help me start my 20’s.  He made no promises, but agreed to try to make it work. This past Monday, I rang my dad to see if he had thought about coming for the weekend any further. He teetered back and forth for a minute or so, and then finally declared, “okay, yes, I’m in. I’ll be there.” I was ecstatic about this confirmation. However, two days later, I called my mom for my usual morning check-in-chat. She told me she had a question for me that involved an upside and a downside.  Immediately anxious, I told her to ask away. “Well, would you want to join us in Hawaii in two weeks? We can celebrate your birthday there.” I was speechless from this offer. The fact that this was even a possibly was a shock in itself. It was an offer I was in no way going to pass up, no matter how many hours of work I’ll have to catch up on or how many hours I have to spend on a plane. I could not have dreamed up a better birthday present, that’s for sure. 
This is probably the most spontaneous thing both my mother and I have ever done (yes, we are notorious for our meticulous planning ahead) and I cannot wait to spend my 20th birthday under the sun with the best company I know.