ANM268's blog

Perspectives Expanded

Before this program, my career goal was to become a journalist, and that hasn’t changed. I’ve worked at multiple media outlets, including the Austin-American Statesman, The Pitt News and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where I’ve reported minimally on environmental issues. During my reporting internship at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last summer I wrote an article that explored how climate change is impacting and will impact Pittsburgh’s infrastructure. I wrote about, and subsequently learned a lot about, the city’s failing stormwater management system and rising temperatures.
 

Dutch Dining

 
One of the more disappointing discoveries I made during my study abroad experience is that Dutch cuisine is, for lack of a better word, underwhelming. It’s actually quite famous for being bland with lots of veggies and not much meat. Dutch people’s affinity for fish was influenced by its location on the North Sea, and the country’s colonization gave rise to lots of Indian and Indonesian restaurants. 
 

Museums in the Netherlands

Amsterdam is known for its labyrinth of canals, eccentric homes, and, of course, its vibrant nightlife. But one of the city’s most prominent features that I got to experience while studying abroad is its array of museums. There’s more than 50 museums in Amsterdam which cater to numerous interests: diamonds, photography, cats, as well as art and history. I purchased a Netherlands museum card, which allowed me to visit nearly a dozen museums for about $60. 
 
 

A Day Trip to London

While we were in Birmingham for the studying part of study abroad, the last day of the program we went to London for a day and it was a fantastic time!
 
We took a train to get to London initially. It was really fun getting to travel by train since that is not the most common way of traveling in the US. When we got off the train, we were initially going to take the Tube (or subway), but it was very hectic. Instead, we all piled into taxis and made our way to the hotel.
 

Reflecting on Goals

While I was abroad in the United Kingdom at Birmingham City University in Birmingham, I believed that it had an immense effect on me when it came to some of my goals that I would like to achieve either while I am still studying at Pitt or later in life when I have a job.
 

What Stands Out About the UK?

When I traveled to Birmingham in the United Kingdom, I expected the university and the culture of the city to be different from here in Pittsburgh. However, once my group arrived, two things were different to me right away. The first one was that even though the university was in a city, it was a more vibrant and colorful university compared to the color and vibrancy here in Oakland. The second one was how the interactivity between the younger and older generations in everyday life felt like it was more real compared to back home. 
 

An Enlightening Experience

At the end of sophomore year, I started to feel like I had an idea of what I wanted to do after college. I had already decided my major was Economics, and I was taking Latin American Studies classes to fulfill requirements for my certificate by freshman year. Yet, sophomore year was crucial because I found a way to complement the things I was learning, and I developed a strong interest for economics in developing countries and the role international organizations play in this field.

Learning to Adapt

Looking back at my experience in Chile, I feel like I usually remember many of the big events, like experiences I did not expect to have. Some of those unforgettable experiences are when I hiked up part of a 9000 ft volcano (Villarica), or when I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in my life. I can say these events helped me view life differently, to view it more simply and less worrisome. But, I think remembering them sometimes can overshadow the small, yet meaningful things about my study abroad experience, such as the challenges I faced.

Similar but New Foods

I love traveling for many reasons, but one that is instantly exciting is trying new food because I am not a picky eater. In my house, my family and I eat a lot of Colombian dishes that have traditional ingredients like beans, rice, and plantains, which are also very commonly found in places like Mexico or Puerto Rico. But Latin America is a very diverse region, and I knew before going to Chile that what a lot of countries in Central America or the northern part of South America eat was probably very different from what countries in the southern parts of South America eat.

An American in London

Studying abroad taught me a million and one lessons, ones I didn’t even know I needed to know. From traveling on planes, trains, and automobiles, to celebrating home country’s holidays, to breaking down language barriers in non-english-speaking countries, I believe there is no better way to catalyze one’s global competency than studying abroad. However, because there is so much to learn and explore, no one can ever be fully prepared for what they’re getting into. And I am no exception.