Education Abroad

: "Karen Tribe" - Thailand; 1602614418923, This moment took place while I was in the hill tribe village. I was completely mesmerized by this woman - her traditional beads, her head covering (which I learned stems from ancient Burmese traditions, as this village is very near to Burma), her traditional handwoven dress... It is inspiring to see how simply others live. It is inspiring to see the community that exists in these areas. What a privilege!

: "Rollin" - Italy; 1601417819221, This was one place that really took my breath away: the greenery, the sun, everything. If I could take my parents to any place, it would be back to this place.

: "With An Open Heart" - Leeward Islands; 1594413383839, Throughout my experience sailing between the Leeward Islands, I was taken back by not only the density of history we learned aboard, but the intensity of energy on each island that rang true of how powerful the history is and how present it stayed on each island. Islands were in obvious distraught due to recent hurricanes and local lack of funds to recover, but this never shook the smiles on the local communities faces. We were given the chance to hike through volcanoes and work on the farms of local islands and each second spent among these beautiful souls I felt a shift in my own angle on life and the will to pursue my own passions despite all conflicts. The stories and day to day lifelines of each community on their own islands, taught me so much about stepping my foot into the world outside of my own. Too often we are caught in our own bubbles and forget the pleasure of popping that comfort zone and branching out, to whatever degree you can.

: 2018 Education Abroad Photo Contest Entries; 1572370474880, Sage Romey - Senegal

: 7 Rila Lakes Field Trip; 1593554022407, This is a photo of the 7 Rila Lakes. We took a field trip there as part of my Intro to Bulgarian course and spent an entire day marveling at the natural beauty of Bulgaria. I managed to reach all seven lakes during the hike, and after stopping for lunch, my Bulgarian teacher had us sing some Bulgarian folk songs she'd brought. None of us were native speakers and we probably didn't do the songs justice, but other hikers stopped to listen and it was a beautiful song in the spirit of the lakes.

: A Gnawa Lesson; 1594413383839, This photo is of me learning to play a Gnawan song. Gnawa is an important musical tradition in Morocco, with Gnawan music being played at many of the important festivals and holidays in Morocco. This particular day was right before Aid-el Mawlid, the Muslim holiday celebrating the Prophet Mohammed's birth. I learned to play a certain rhythm and tried to sing the lyrics of the song, which were about Allah, and while I have a long way to go before I am a Gnawa musician, I had fun.

: A Tihar Sendoff!; 1594318022709, Nepal plays host to several festivals. We happened to be lucky enough to be there during two of their major ones: Dashain and Tihar, which take place during almost the entirety of October. This was on our last night of the trek in a village called Phaphlu. Dancers perform in the streets for donations, oftentimes inviting the audience to join in. It really was a spectacular sendoff.

: A Viking in the Cloud Forest - Monteverde, Costa Rica; 1602622060654, While on a small weekend trip, I had the chance to visit the Cloud forests of Monteverde. This is a really special place because there are not many cloud forests left in the world today. I am grateful that I got the chance to see this one, especially from the hanging bridges above the canopy. I am proud as a Viking to support the environment, even in other countries.

: A new cultural awareness of happiness being our main priority - Zanzibar, Tanzania; 1602700587844, This is a photo of me with one of the local girls in the community that we spent most of our time in. She was one of the students that came to our after-school tutoring program, and always had the biggest smile on her face. Her smile was contagious and reminded me that happiness should always be our number one priority above all else.

: Ait Benhaddou - Morocco; 1602622511902

: Amazonian False Scorpion - Ecuador; 1601490682801, Our guide in the Amazon, Rolando, saw this false scorpion (actually a spider) on the ground and picked it up for us. In the picture, it's sitting on my elbow, while Jeremy looks a little bothered in the background. The Amazon was one of the most incredible things I've ever experienced. It's so beautiful, and feels so peaceful. My time in Ecuador, and especially my time in the Amazon, made me realize how much I want to travel more, and try everything I can (like holding the false scorpion, or eating live beetle larvae at the local village). The trip inspired me to pursue a career abroad, particularly in developing countries like Ecuador.

: Andasibe, Madagascar; 1600980960049, This photo is of me and a group of children living in the village of Andasibe. Every night they would gather there and play soccer and sing songs until the sun set. The children loved us and often gave us makeovers, consisting mainly of intricate hairdos.

: Andasibe, Madagascar; 1594312513535, These are my two little brothers who were terrified of me for the first week of my stay. One of my friends captured this photo, the first moment they held my hands and let their guard down around me.

: Ascension Cathedral; 1594072700818, I love this photo for so many reasons. The way the cathedral looked in the sunlight, the fact that it was such a cloudless day in Veliko Tarnovo, and the fact that the jet streams in the sky in the background remind me of shooting stars. I couldn't be more grateful to be in such an incredible country like Bulgaria!

: Avenue of the Baobabs; 1594415461428, This photo was taken at the Avenue of the Baobabs, a sacred stretch of land on the west side of the island. These trees are somewhere from 900-1000 years old. Traditional healers in the area use the bark to make a tea to strengthen bones and give energy.

: Beauty of Austria and Friendship; 1601414610927, This photo was taken on top of Schöckl Mountain located in Graz, Austria. It's the local mountain here in Graz. It is special to me because it was a hard hike to get to the top. My friends and I bonded over that experience. It showcases the beauty of Austria and the beauty of friendship.

: Between the Breaths - Leeward Islands; 1602614418923, As a student here at Western I have found myself studying so hard to reach my goal, but abroad I was able to experience the goal I am after and seemingly rejuvenated my passions to find excitement in continuing on with the daily grind. As a SCUBA diver, it's hard to explain the emotions and thoughts you experience while underwater. Alongside the silence comes a quiet mind, or a place to let your thoughts drift off with ease. In this picture we are diving off if the coast lines of Statia, an island within the Leeward Islands, and ventured to an abandoned anchor. The anchor itself was immovable and forever stagnant, but the life around and atop the anchor encouraged you to take slower and deeper breaths, to stay down a little longer. Each dive brought to my attention how much I adore the lifestyle of diving, and how the path I am chugging along, is surely the right path.

: Bird: Japan; 1593551336121, During one of our lessons we had a traditional calligrapher come in to teach us. We got to choose a kanji character and he showed us how to write it with the correct stroke order, and then we did it ourselves. I chose the word bird because I like birds. I was really proud of how it turned out!

: By the Ming Tombs - China; 1602699235127, This photo was taken at the Ming Tombs near Beijing China, very close to a section of the Great Wall of China. The entire area is scattered with burial grounds of Ming Dynasty Emperors. To try and stay cool in the summer heat I chose to sport my shirt from Western Washington University's intramural sports competitions.

: Calle Betis - Spain; 1602695907836, Calle Betis (the row of buildings) and the Puente de Triana (the bridge), both pictured, are two of the most popular gathering spots in Sevilla, Spain. This is where the locals spend their time eating tapas with friends, and shopping at the Mercado de Triana (Triana Market) for fresh fruits and vegetables. Sevilla became my second home while I was there, and this little slice of the city was a huge part of that. This photo was taken on my last night there, right after the sun had set.

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