18 Countries in One Year

Kreesta Vesga
University of Alicosia, Belgium Cyprus and Vesalius College, Belgium

One of the best decisions I have evermade in my life was to take a year to study abroad. Before attending UH Hilo, I knew that I wanted to study abroad, and I even had an idea of what I wanted to do: one traveling program and one stationary program. I looked into the traveling programs and found Global Learning Semesters, where students had the opportunity to travel in a number of different programs; the one I chose, Semester in Europe, took me to 12 countries in one semester. Based in the capital city of Nicosia, Cyprus, we traveled to: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. I made many new friends from all over the US, as well as from Cyprus and Greece. During the Semester, we were given a week off from school (known as Thanksgiving break in the U.S., but obviously they do not celebrate it); my 3 friends and I decided to do a trip of the United Kingdom-England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. It was a great decision on our part because all four places were wonderful. Because I was going to be in Europe after Cyprus, I decided that it was best not to return home for Christmas break. So instead, I stayed with my family in Spain, and they took me to visit northern Spain and Portugal.

For the Spring semester, I decided that the place I should pick for my stationary study abroad would be Brussels, Belgium. UH Hilo had just made a consortium agreement with Vesalius College in Brussels in the Fall, so it was a perfect choice for the spring. Studying in Brussels allowed me to experience European politics, and new international relations areas; and as Political Science and international relations is my major, it fit perfectly with my education goals. I was also lucky to participate in an internship at the European Federation for Street Children (EFSC), where I learned much about non governmental organizations and their role in the European sphere. Studying in Brussels not only allowed for a high level of education, but also provided for a great hang out scene; both during the day and the night, there was plenty to do and see. This semester we were given a 2-week spring break, which I spent briefly in Switzerland and mostly in northern Italy. The end of the semester was pretty tough because the final tests at Vesalius aren’t very easy, but I pulled through.

Overall, I am very glad that I carried through with my study abroad plans. I got to see 18 countries in one academic year – something that some people never get to do in their lifetimes. I take away only wonderful experiences from my travels, and will never forget the adventures I had. A recommendation for future Global Nomads: bring a travel journal; it helps you with when and where you went, as well as with some memories you might have otherwise forgot! It certainly helped me, and now I can look back at all the things that I did and feel accomplished and wellrounded.