Globetrotters: Students wander outside norm, explore different cultures with Spring Break abroad
By Jayme Brown
Contributing Writer
After delayed flights, cramped bus rides and an early morning nap on the baggage carousel at the Newark Liberty International Airport, I was concerned my Spring Break trip to England might never get off the ground. Nothing seemed to be going right: mechanical problems left us stranded in the cold basement of the airport in New Jersey with only our luggage and each other. At that point, our class was still just a class — most of us were awkwardly trying to get to know one another. After a few intense games of slaps, we started to bond over our plight. We finally fell asleep on the only carpeted surface we could find — the top of the baggage carousel. It was a long night.
Although we ended up arriving a day late and endured a chaotic 20 hours of travel, all was forgiven when we landed in London and reality set in — we finally made it! In the classroom component of ‘Jane Austen in Context — Hers and Ours,’ we had read many of Austen’s novels, but it was time to immerse ourselves in her world. In studying Austen, we visited several great sites related to the woman herself, as well as the time period she lived in — her former home in Bath, her grave in Winchester Cathedral and the impeccably preserved 18th century town of Lacock. Professor Mike Goode didn’t just stop there, though — we visited places that played integral roles within Austen’s novels. To stroll down Milsom Street in Bath and recall the way Austen described characters of her own creation doing the same more than 200 years ago was a thrilling experience.
The next few days also had us exploring the oldest commissioned naval ship in the world, hiking through the English countryside, sipping tea in an 18th century tea room and climbing through the ruins of the Roman baths. Goode had us walking until our feet ached, forcing us to guzzle coffee to keep us awake, but he acted as a fantastic tour guide and managed to show us a multitude of incredible sights. Along the way, we met a friendly Norwegian man who left us with some valuable advice (‘Remember to think of your future!’), gave academic presentations on street corners and cliffs, received some ridicule for calling English football ‘soccer’ (we now know better) and tried our best not to look like maniacal tourists on the Tube.
Unfortunately, after our initial travel disaster, the rest of the trip didn’t go without incident — passports were misplaced, wrong turns were taken and alarms were slept through. Nonetheless, I couldn’t imagine a more exciting and fulfilling Spring Break. By the end of my nine days abroad, I had gotten to know my classmates on a level that never would have been possible within the confines of the classroom. I had lived next door to one of them for an entire semester and only got to know him through our trip. I can sincerely say my decision to partake in this short-term abroad program was the best choice I’ve made as a Syracuse University student.
By Angela Binion
Contributing Writer
I was walking through Archbold Gymnasium at the beginning of the school year when I saw a flier advertising an adventure trip to Costa Rica. The pictures of rainforests, canopy tours and whitewater rafting stuck out to me as I passed, and I knew then this was something I wanted to do.
I did my research and learned about the one-credit Spring Break trip called PED 300: ‘Outward bound: Costa Rica.’ Long story short, I applied, was accepted, attended two pre-departure informational meetings and eventually went to Costa Rica.
Heading to the Syracuse airport at 5:30 a.m., I was greeted by a group of people I didn’t know or even recognize. We sat awkwardly making small talk until it was time to board. Our flight connection brought us to Charlotte, N.C., and less than an hour later, we were on our way to San Jose, Costa Rica. The awkward small talk died down as we found similar interests to discuss and the real conversation took over.
At the San Jose airport, we met our guide when we were piled into a 16-person van with our luggage stored on top. In just the two-hour drive from the airport to the base camp where we stayed, I noticed some differences in culture between the United States and Costa Rica. People in Costa Rica don’t use turn signals; car horns are used frequently; and the double yellow lines dividing the road are arbitrary.
My time in Costa Rica included a brief hike on a volcano, an exploration of a Catholic basilica and an abandoned leper sanctuary, a trip to the beach complete with surf lessons, a walk through a national park, a whitewater rafting trip on two separate rivers, a zip-lining experience through the rainforest and a dinner at a local restaurant.
As amazing as these activities were, what made the trip were the side stories and the people on the trip. The random group of people I went to Costa Rica with — other freshmen, sophomores, a junior and several seniors — made the trip memorable. In the situation we were thrust into, it was almost difficult to not become friends with these people. You had to trust they would catch you when you jumped off that rock or they would do their part in the day’s cooking and cleaning.
Age and background barriers dissipated completely as we became more comfortable with each other and began to share the secrets of our inner workings. We broke down our personal ‘walls’ and conquered fears, each growing individually. Although it’s still early in my college experience, I can see the people I went to Costa Rica with will become some of my closest friends — we’ve already made plans to hang out again soon.
Based on my experience there, I encourage everyone to step out of his or her comfort zone and go to an unfamiliar location with unfamiliar people. It’s incredible how much you can learn from the experience and how much more you can learn from the people experiencing it with you.
By Fabiola Lara
Contributing Writer
My first experience in Costa Rica was marked by the outrageous traffic. Drivers slithered their way through cars, slightly avoiding car wreck and urging people to keep moving: ‘Vamos! Camina, camina!’ After what seemed to be hours, my group finally reached our base camp, the place where strong bonds and personalities would soon unwind under their timid cover.
My decision to partake in this Syracuse University Abroad experience was entirely unplanned. Last semester, in late September, I opened an email promising an experience that would ‘make Tarzan jealous,’ and due to my lack of Spring Break 2011 plans, I decided to test my fears and put aside all insecurities I had when reading the activities that initially felt extreme.
The group consisted of 12 incredibly talented, unique individuals. Although we all made the mutual decision to embark on this eight-day adventure, it was especially rewarding for me to be part of a trip where students were selected at random and no one had previously met.
Not only did I find myself discovering that each person was to thank for my unforgettable experience, but the arduous activities we partook in each day consistently pushed my limits and boundaries that otherwise would not have occurred.
My energy was entirely consumed by activities such as surfing and boogie boarding, zip lining through the jungle, whitewater rafting and waterfall rappelling, which all resulted in me ending each day exceedingly exhausted. But every second was treasured because of the nature that became our sole surrounding.
The last day, which consisted of waterfall rappelling, was particularly bittersweet for me. After pushing myself to rappel the first waterfall — 70 feet — I felt an immense sense of fear that was silent throughout the trip. As we approached the second waterfall — 250 feet long — I began to cry, was instantly comforted by my newfound friends and made the decision to be one of the first people to go. While on the waterfall, I felt the most fear I had ever felt in my life. I prayed, swore and vowed to never rappel again, but as soon as I looked down and saw how close I was to the bottom, I felt accomplished.
However, my few minutes of joy were short-lived when a knee injury from the previous waterfall persisted. An instructor and a fellow student carried me on their backs through a rocky creek to where a truck was waiting to transport me back to base camp. Although my small joy was marred by the internal bruise that still pains me, my mood lifted as I was touched by their kindness.
Water, sun and air were key elements of this trip — not only did I bathe in nature’s wonders daily, but I feel that after this trip, I realized how selfish we can be as human beings. We consume ourselves in our everyday lives to a point that we forget the beauty that surrounds us. Through this trip, I feel nature has given me a place where I can reach total mental tranquility through its meditative attributes. I will carry this experience and my newfound greater love for nature for the rest of my life.
By Andrew Galazzo
Contributing Writer
Interfaith. Wait, back up — let us start with ‘faith.’ That’s not a term commonly heard in conversation with our generation. When we talk about God and our faith, we tend to think about how our parents or grandparents tried to get us up for church or temple at inconvenient hours every Sabbath day. But interestingly, it is our generation that’s experiencing a larger ‘return to a general sense of spirituality.’ So where does that leave us: God or no God?
This semester, I am involved with a program called ‘Many Faiths, One Humanity.’ We are a cluster of 11 students and six faculty members representing different faith paths (if we choose to be associated with one), geared toward promoting interfaith dialogue. Our paths range across Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Paganism and one student not associated with any tradition, but seeking to understand all more deeply. We came together the first week of this semester not knowing most of the other people in our group. Since then, we’ve told our personal stories describing our paths and listened to numerous speakers who provide dynamic perspectives on different faith traditions. We culminated our experience by spending Spring Break abroad in London.
Anyone who has ever been to London probably already knows what I mean when I say it’s a world capital for religious and cultural pluralism. Schools here operate in approximately 300 different languages. Walking around London for a week, I saw people of numerous nationalities. We visited churches of many denominations —a Buddhist Zen center, synagogues, mosques, a Mandir, a Sikh Gurdwara and Pagan sites, including Glastonbury Tor and the stone circle at Avebury. More than that, we participated in the practice of each tradition at these sites. We attended a Catholic mass on St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated Purim at a synagogue and took part in ‘Langar’ at a Sikh Gurdwara. In these experiences, we realized that to learn about another faith tradition is not enough to gain an understanding of it because one must practice and partake in those faith traditions one wishes to understand.
In our daily conversations, a faculty member said he felt open interfaith dialogue has the potential to resolve many issues and misunderstandings between faith traditions. Here, we experienced success with this idea. However, the lingering question was whether it would really work or if he was just being naïve.
That I leave for you to decide, but challenge you to engage someone in conversation about a faith tradition you don’t understand or know much about. It may be uncomfortable, and you may be confronted by difficult topics like Islamophobia or the Holocaust. Express your views respectfully and listen to another’s attentively. No harm, no foul is the rule for progressive dialogue.
Published on March 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
