ABOUT K
ACADEMICS
ADMISSION
ALUMNI RELATIONS
GIVING TO K
NEWS & EVENTS
STUDENT LIFE
HORNET HIVE
ATHLETICS
SITEMAP
WEBMAIL
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DSpace Home
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Education
    • Education Senior Individualized Projects
    • View Item
    •   DSpace Home
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Education
    • Education Senior Individualized Projects
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    EI Sur al Norte

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Kristine-SholtySIP.pdf (2.150Mb)
    Date
    2011
    Author
    Sholty, Kristine
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The following group of stories I have written are the reflections of my time spent living in Western Europe. In August of 2009, I left for Karlsruhe, located on Germany's western border in the Baden-Wiirttemberg region. I worked for a freelance journalist who edited Wristwatch Annual. I wrote articles about posh lifestyles and translated automatic and mechanical watch details from German to English. I entered the world of luxury watches, a popular trade in central Europe which I never knew existed. I learned how these technical marvels work, I learned how to speak German, and I learned the basics of how to live in a foreign country on my own. The following two weeks I spent backpacking solo, visiting friends or exploring a city on my own. I made all my travel plans and somehow managed to get by with basic German training and only seeing one familiar face for the past two months. In September, I moved to Caceres, Spain, near the Spain-Portugal border, where I studied at the Universidad Extremadura. I moved in with a host family and gained knowledge of new people, a new city, and a new culture that flourished with each step forward. I traveled to other Spanish countries and had the pleasure of having my family and boyfriend travel to Europe to see me. I went through some of the most exultant highs and dismal lows I have ever experienced in my 22 years on Earth. My return to the United States in February 2010 was the equivalent of letting out a big sigh and crumbling to the floor. I was relieved to return to American culture, but I also felt no challenge or pressure-to some extent, I felt useless. I didn't have to make life-altering decisions like I did when I was traveling or when I was faced with cultural barriers. I didn't have the same problem of time-management. The competition of German, Spanish, and English thoughts ceased and there was no replacement for the task. At the time the break was agonizing until I started my studies at Kalamazoo College again, but looking back it was important step of an,alyzing my previous experience. Even with all the challenges that I faced living and traveling in a foreign country, I learned an immense amount in a short period of time. I want to go back, use what I learned, and challenge myself more. I want to learn from my mistakes and I want to reflect on the culture I experienced. Most of all, I want to embrace the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10920/22309
    Collections
    • Education Senior Individualized Projects [573]

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2013  Duraspace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
     

     

    Browse

    All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitles

    My Account

    Login

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2013  Duraspace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
     

     

    K logo
    Kalamazoo College
    1200 Academy Street
    Kalamazoo Michigan 49006-3295
    USA
    Info 269-337-7000
    Admission 1-800-253-3602
    ABOUT K
    ACADEMICS
    ADMISSION
    ALUMNI RELATIONS
    GIVING TO K
    NEWS & EVENTS
    STUDENT LIFE

    Sitemap
    Map and Directions
    Contacts
    Directories
    Nondiscrimination Policy
    Consumer Information
    Official Disclaimer
    Search this site





    Academic Calendars
    Apply
    Bookstore
    Crisis Response
    Employment
    Library
    Registrar