study abroad
The U.F. in Europe program focuses on sustainability politics and ethics. Traveling between Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy, a U.F. faculty member facilitates classroom discussions while students learn from experts in their respective sustainability-related fields. While the technicalities of my courses were incredibly engaging and important, a far more entertaining aspect of my travels was how they connected to my greater understanding of the world and my place in it.
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starting out
genoa,
italy
Going into this program, I was one of two students who had never left the United States before. I was hyper-aware of just how much I didn't know, so I tried my best to board my airplane with an open mind and spent my flight preparing for worst-case scenarios. After all, anything can exceed expectations if they're set low enough.
Despite these precautions, I was blown away by how easily I handled traveling abroad, how flexible my expectations actually were and how confident I became in my decision-making. While other students lamented the lack of air conditioning and the price of bottled water, I rejoiced in the fresh air and understood that purchasing bottled water was a necessary cultural concession. While initially I feared accidentally offending someone or embarrassing myself by misunderstanding a street sign, I found that functioning abroad still falls within the bounds of the human experience, and that so long as there were people, I had no reason to worry.
practical learning
There were many practical trips and firsthand learning opportunities during this program. The lead professor collaborated with local experts to show us many examples of sustainability and their practicality in daily life. We visited such places as a solar energy co-op in Freiamt, Germany, the United Nations Office at Geneva and World Trade Organization, and the School of Gastronomy in Bra, Italy (birthplace of the Slow Food Movement), we were exposed to a wide variety of complex sustainability systems.
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The program's workload consisted of a variety of readings and discussion posts directly applicable to our day trips. Students were responsible for researching the given prompts and providing peer responses. In-person paideia-like "fishbowl" group discussions also took place, as did mini lectures and documentary viewings. The courses were capped off with two final essays, which were generally meant to make us consider applications of our recently learned sustainability techniques and apply them to our communities back in the United States.
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The mobility of this program was a massive advantage, allowing students to see a variety of places while experts in each field (agriculture, energy, food science, tourism, government, etc.) provided a deeply informed perspective. Between the four countries, small towns and large cities, community enterprises and global organizations, we gained insight that would prove invaluable moving forward.
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story: expect the unexpected
Strasbourg, france
This phrase is best exemplified in my solitary navigation of French public transportation. Wanting to minimize complications, I brought only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack on this 28-day international trip. I had compromised on many wardrobe choices, but when I learned that we'd be going to formal institutions like the U.N. headquarters in Geneva or the U.N. Environment Programme, I knew I'd under-packed to my own detriment.
As everyone else had plans, I decided to venture into downtown Strasbourg on a free afternoon so that I could purchase a nice outfit to wear to said institutions. With only the shakiest foundation of 11th grade French to stand on, I guessed my way around the city I'd only ventured into once as a part of our group. By studying my slightly inaccurate city map and asking friendly locals, I managed to make my way into and out of the downtown area, and I only took the wrong train for ten minutes before I transferred onto the right line that would bring me back.
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how i changed
My time in Europe tested my capacity for flexibility, forced me outside of my comfort zone and pushed the bounds of my abilities as a global citizen. I began evaluating my self-image, questioning what I had assumed to be true and what I could do to continue changing. I realized that many barriers I'd imagined were self-imposed, and that my limits could change just as I could.
When I came back to the States I was motivated to live a more active life. I took more initiative with the things I wanted, going on to confidently obtain a UAA internship I previously wouldn't have applied for, too insecure in my capabilities and skills to feel worthy. Facing the prospects of life after graduation, I researched and applied for programs and career opportunities that I finally felt qualified to purse, and found myself accepting the JET Program's acceptance.
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Learning firsthand about the cooperative policies and measures undertaken by European countries reassured me that I was pursuing the right path. I gained a confidence that I hadn't known existed inside of me, born from semesters of hard work and grown under the challenges of living abroad.
Jacksonville, FL
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my mom was relieved to have me home
st. john's river, florida
Below you'll find a chronological photo gallery of my journey. My professor had kindly teased me for constantly taking our my camera to document our travels, but I'm sure he'd be delighted to see the fruits of my labor!
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Feel free to scroll through them and travel through the U.F. in Europe program, as seen through the eyes of both myself and my camera lens.
