Post-trip Reflections

As I attempt to adjust back to being home in Phoenix, I find myself filled with nostalgia. I keep trying to remember how afraid I was to take this trip, and now I can't even explain why I was so anxious. This trip taught me so much about travel, people, and myself:
1. Always expect the unexpected when traveling, and even then, be prepared for sudden changes. This sounds simple, but for a person like me, change is very hard to cope with. Certain experiences throughout the past month helped me deal.
2. People are more friendly and kindhearted than you'd expect. There is always a friend to be found if you look hard enough.
3. I can do anything I want to do if I believe I can. Yeah, I know, it sounds cheesy. But it means a lot to me. I was terrified for this trip, and I am so incredibly proud to say I left the experience with an abundance of amazing pictures, fun stories, incredible friends, lessons learned, and, most importantly, hope for the future. I could not be more grateful that I was able to embrace this experience as I did. <3

Warning: the following blog post is not going to be a diary entry of the insane amount of fun I had during the Honors First-year Global Experience last month. Rather, it will be a reflective analysis (sounds boring, I know) of some things that have been on my mind since my return home and subsequent recuperation period from London on 30 July. Hopefully it is still somewhat entertaining. To make things easy, I will make a list of "things I learned".

1. Major cities really are like living, breathing organisms.
I've seen and read several interesting media about the idea of cities as "living", based on the classical scientific definition of life as a reproducing, eating, excreting type of object. After living in two of the world's large cities, I feel like this notion makes perfect sense. The cities feel like they're moving, breathing collective breaths of night and day (especially London, where night times were subdued as the city actually did go to sleep). The infrastructure itself felt like an extension of the human mind--I was constantly thinking of how everything was built by humans.

2. New Yorkers are not inherently rude, despite what the stereotypes say.
This is an interesting idea about how physical geography can influence human interaction. Manhattan itself is a small island, where millions of people live and work with no surrounding land area to diffuse. Because of this, New Yorkers have become desensitized to the increased amount of day-to-day human contact compared to a smaller city. It all is based on population density; the higher the density, the more "used to" humans people become, and it seems possible that this desensitization is perceived as rudeness to an outsider. At first, I also felt like native New Yorkers were rude (based on some preconceived notions as well), but when I left, I realized why I was wrong. After experiencing daily life in the city for two weeks, I too was someone immune to the sheer masses of people surrounding me daily. I did not act intentionally rude to anyone; rather, I almost acted as if I was not on an island with millions of other people. This should not be perceived as a loss of respect for humanity or a loss of common courtesy.

3. Experience dictates experience.
Preconceived notions can be dangerous, and often times they are inescapable. In one of our group discussions after an excursion day, Dr. Berry mentioned how New York City is seen by many young people as having taken on a caricature of itself, where it has intentionally tried to fill it's sort of phantom aura or preconceived idea of what it is as a place. This idea has been translated to the minds of people who have never visited New York City, and thus when they do travel there, they can be disappointed by how the city didn't meet their expectations. New York City has this sort of glorified presence in the minds of Americans as being a hub of success, but when one travels there, one realizes that it is a city where real people live just like any other place.

4. Being introverted is neither positive nor negative.
In cities as large as NYC and London, privacy and alone time are hard to come by. A personal revelation I experienced is that I cherish my solitude. I do enjoy the company of other people, but I also need time by myself pretty often. Fortunately, my experiences in both cities have allowed to feel more comfortable being alone in larger crowds, and some of my shyness has been eradicated. I feel like I can be more personable. However, I will always look forward to the time of day when I can relax in the comfort of my own mind.

5. The idea of place is, and always will be, important to humans.
This might be the most important thing I realized this past month. There is a fascinating and vital connection between where a human lives his life and how that life is lived. In other words, where one lives dictates one's life experience for several reasons. The place that we establish our lives, raise families, work, play, die, becomes important because of our physical and emotional connection to geographical locations. Humans make cognitive connections to locations as a way to contextualize our specific place on this planet. This ties in all the other lessons I learned. Both New York City and London are these iconic "places" that to outsiders represent a certain thing or things. But, to the people who were born there, who live there, or who will live there, they represent a single, simple idea: the idea of home. 

One thing Dr. Berry mentioned that really stuck with me was the importance of travel to getting to know ourselves. Travel, defined by leaving one's home, by leaving one's own place, allows us to examine how we react when we're put in a new situation. This trip did exactly that for me. I have officially been bitten by the travel bug because I now crave to gain even more exotic experiences as a vehicle to become completely acquainted with who I am.

Thank you to Dr. Berry, to my classmates, and to the Honors College for giving me this opportunity.

-Kyle Goble

The Morning of the Last Day of the Trip

On the morning of my last day of the study abroad trip, Autumn and I woke up early to take a morning excursion to Stonehenge. I had wanted to visit this site for the longest time but wasn't sure if I would have time to fit it into my stay. I was so excited that it worked out and I found it to be the perfect way to spend my last morning in London. For me, Stonehenge seemed to be one of those special places that took me back to the idea of early human history and how much of it is still unknown. I think I am so fascinated with Stonehenge because there is mystery surrounding its purpose. The actual rock formation itself is located in the English countryside.The site was more magical, in my opinion, because these massive rocks were even more incredulous when contrasted against the emptiness of the green landscape. It was so peaceful just walking around Stonehenge with the crisp air and wind blowing all around us.The morning could not have been more perfect.



 

Coming Home

I've been home for one jet-lagged day now, and as I begin my second only-slightly-less-jet-lagged morning I hope I can reflect on the importance of our trip in some coherent and important way that doesn't descend into exhausted rambling.

After a 16 hour travel extravaganza (during which I saw the actor who plays Ron Swanson for all you Parks and Rec fans!) I'm thrilled to be home, to sleep in my own bed and to take a hot shower, but I'm also a little depressed that our time abroad is over. I feel that I've grown so much in the past month, and returning home makes me wonder if I'll be able to sustain that growth. Will I remain as brave, bold, and independent as our trip made me feel? Can I carry my change over into the "real world" or was it only a reaction to extraordinary circumstances? Though I wonder, I feel in my heart that the answer to these questions is yes. I feel like a renewed person- a miniature superhero ready to conquer this term, next term, and, generally, the rest of my life; the feeling is brand new.

I also feel that yes is the answer to the question of our continuing friendships. The group of people that was selected to go on this trip could not have been any more perfect. So many backgrounds and personality types were represented, and yet we all meshed surprisingly well. By the end of our month together, I felt that there was not one member of the group who I would not be pleased as punch to see again; I hope that we can maintain the connections we made in NYC and London for many years to come. I'm even willing to sacrifice my strident non-Facebook-having crusade to ensure it.

I wish I could "insert picture here". I wish there was one image that represented and expressed the excellence that this program was in my life, but, really, there are many memories and many feelings which, though I'll carry them with me always, couldn't be summed up so easily. They mean far too much.  

--Katelyn        

Last Day by Sarah Saxton

Hello again everyone, this time from London. Today was our last day of our trip which

is infinitely sad, but I and a couple of others in the group drowned our sorrows in a

day of crash touristing. All in the course of the day we visited the Kensington Gardens,

Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, the Hard Rock Cafe, and took

a boat tour of the Thames. It was most definitely a very London-esque day and a

wonderful way to close out the trip.

I have learned during this trip that there is an adjustment period each time one visits a

new place, but in time it becomes easier to assimilate into the culture of the destination.

I, for one, feel much more comfortable traveling and have a renewed love for being

abroad. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible and for my classmates

who only made the experience more enjoyable.

Sarah Saxton

My Last Day In London

Hello again, everyone! It's Carrie here. The past 2 weeks in London have been absolutely incredible, but I must say I think today was one of my favorite days, and a perfect way to end the trip! We started bright and early this morning to head to Kensington Palace and Gardens. When we got there, the palace was under construction, but the gardens were beautiful. Around 11am we headed to Buckingham Palace to watch the ceremony of changing the guard, but it was slightly difficult to see so we didn't stay long.

Early in the afternoon Sarah Saxton and I went on a River Cruise from the London Eye down to the Tower of London. We saw many of the most famous sites in London from the river, and luckily the weather cooperated temporarily. Since the boat stopped at the London Eye, Sarah and I had the opportunity to walk to an adorable bakery and ate some tea, scones, and macarons. We were also right by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey at this time so we found ourselves taking some quintessential London pictures, red telephone booth and all.

In the late afternoon we tried to actually go to the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go in. Instead, we went down to Oxford Circus and did some souvenir shopping. For dinner, Sarah, Kendra, Jake, and I decided to splurge on our last night and go to the Hard Rock Cafe by Buckingham Palace. We enjoyed a delicious dinner before coming back to the quaint little Sundial Court to finish packing for the long journey home tomorrow.

Overall, this trip has been an amazing learning and growing experience for me. I've made many new friends, traveled two of the biggest cities in the world, and found out a lot about myself along the way. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and I can't wait to go home and share all about it! I hope you all have enjoyed hearing about Our Tale of Two Cities!

~Carrie

The Weekend When I Was a "Galway Girl" By: Sarah Staron

Two other students and I hopped the pond to the lovely country of Ireland for a weekend of live music, celtic folklore and breathtaking views. From the moment we stepped off the plane we were greeted by Irish charm and expansive greenery. On Saturday morning we took a three hour walking tour of Dublin and learned about the socio-political history. One of my favorite parts of the trip thus far has been touring the Irish countryside. It was inexplicably beautiful with rolling hills, glistening lakes, and some of the greenest greenery I have ever laid eyes on. Don't worry, I have pictures. Even with the "unseasonably" warm weather, I was still cold and unprepared for rain (I blame my Arizona upbringing), so I had to purchase an Ireland sweatshirt. An unforgettable weekend, all thanks for the First Year Honors Experience!

Falling Slowly

One morning in London I went to the Charles Dickens museum. The museum is located inside Dickens' old house down on Doughty Street. It was very interesting walking around the neighborhoods that Charles Dickens was so familiar with all those years ago. I tried to envision what it was like to live in the 1800's and it was amazing to see some of the structures that were still in place. Charles Dickens was a very prestigious writer and is still well-known today. On this trip I had to read Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Hard Times - So I am very familiar with his writing! Dickens was a very interesting man and obsessed with maintaining an impressive status in his community. His efforts were clearly seen in his four story house. The house and museum was beautiful. Every room was restored to its "original" state and filled with the authentic furniture Charles had owned. I toured his dining room, study, bedroom, and learned all about his life within his family and career. Touring the museum didn't last long, but I learned so much more about Charles Dickens by being in his environment. When I first started reading all the novels I wasn't fond of Dickens' writing style and would dread to endure another story. However, after learning all the struggle he experienced throughout his life, I have gained some respect for him. He was man who didn't agree with child labor and wished social classes would be generous and courteous to each other, which was rare in the Victorian Era. As the day turned into night I went and saw "Once the Musical." This was my fourth and final show on this trip and I knew this production in particular was going to be special. The story of this musical is about a man who is a very talented guitar player and singer  who had his heart broken. He then meets a girl who inspires him to continue with his music and they both make an album together. The story was absolutely memorizing and reminded me the importance of individuals in my life and how much they can make a difference.

July 22nd: Cambridge

  Hello, this is Autumn Pepper! Last Monday we all took a trip to Cambridge. It was so gorgeous! When we left in the morning we had to figure out how to get to the right coach station, but once we made it on the bus I think we all slept. Once we got there we made our leisurely way to where we were supposed to meet our tour guide, and then broke off to check out the little market happening right in front of our starting place! I bought a Jamaican chocolate muffin and a leather pen. You never know what you'll find! Our tour guide was so fun. She told us a lot about the college and about the community. I enjoyed her company very much! So many scientific discoveries happened in Cambridge. It really is so rich in history, it's unbelievable. We found the place where the tree stood that made Newton wonder about gravity. We passed by the buildings where the electron was discovered. We entered a chapel that was built during the Wars of the Roses. And then we had high tea! It was by far my favorite meal since being in London. We had little mini sandwiches, scones, and cakes--along with tea, of course. It was so filling and delicious! After tea we all relaxed a bit and did our own thing. Kyle and I went to the water's edge and just relaxed. It was so, so nice. Then we all came home and took it easy after a long day...but then Julie and I went out to salsa dance! London has truly been a surprising place. You can find so many great and unusual things to suit your fancy. It's the second to the last day here, and I'm going to HAVE to come back. Travel has taught me that I have power over my life and that I can truly just succeed in whatever I want to try. What this trip has given me is priceless, and I'm so grateful to everyone who has made it possible!

This was the Eagle: a little iconic restaurant in Cambridge.

The grass was incredibly green in this part of the university!

This is the breathtaking ceiling of King's College Chapel.

A replanted tree on the site where Newton saw the apple fall! You all know what happened after that.

Just a few handsome Americans walking through Cambridge. :) (this is our whole group)

July 24th

This entry is for two days ago on the 24th.  Time flies when you're having fun!  Myself, Chole and Sarah Staron first went to the Docklands Museum.  That museum contained so much information and knowledge that I knew nothing about; it was a museum unlike any other I'd been to.  I am used to going to art, science, or history museums, but a Docklands museum was different in itself.

Afterwards Chole and I went to the Tower of London where we saw some torture tools, prison cells, the Tower Bridge, and of course The Crown Jewels.  They were breathtakingly beautiful and well worth the hour we waited to see them.  My body was covered in goosebumps by the time we saw them all; I was blown away.

I gave myself some downtime in the afternoon because that evening a few girls and I attended a musical called Once.  You maybe not be familiar with this production because it originally came out as a relatively small movie, and now it is a musical.  When we showed up we got automatically upgraded to better seats, and the musical itself was quite good.  During intermission they turned the stage into a bar which was fun.

Traversing New York and London by myself has given me more confidence than I already had regarding traveling and more importantly traveling alone.  I now feel more comfortable in taking risks in choosing my future setting for either schooling or the rest of my life.  I think I would be completely comfortable moving across the nation, or the world.  I love the idea of setting up shop somewhere new and discovering a new adventure everyday.

                                                                 Outside of the Tower of London

                                                                   Tower Bridge

                                                                   The White Tower

                                                                     Beautiful!

July 24, 2013

It's Olivia again!

Today, Cait and I took a trip to the Museum of Britian. The Museum was incredibly beautiful. The ceilings were the highest I've ever seen. There was such detail in everything that even the staircases were beautiful. There were various exhibits on art from all around the world including China, India, Africa and South America. Cait and I decided to split up after the museum and explore on our own. I went to find lunch and did a little bit of window shopping. The fashion here is pretty different than in America but I think most of the group really enjoys the style of clothing here. I of course had to make a quick stop at Starbucks where they serve different drinks than at the American Starbucks. Of course, I ordered a Venti which here is really the size of our Grande. Everything is smaller in London!

A Beautiful Day--in EVERY Way Possible

Well this post is a little late, but Thursday the 18 of July was one of my most favorite days of this entire trip. It started with an early morning breakfast of friends who would rather be asleep, and then catching the Tube to head over to Highgate Cemetery. We arrived to the stop that we were supposed to get off an hour before our tour was scheduled to start though, so we took our time walking over to the cemetery. We were originally going to walk all the way around the city (which happened to be positioned on one of the steepest hills I have ever seen in my life) but Julie stopped and asked someone for directions, and we found a shortcut. Not only did this shortcut save us from trying to defy gravity, but it also took us though a beautiful deli and garden--but most importantly, a PLAYGROUND! There was a tire swing, a rope obstacle course thing that looked like it belonged in military training grounds, and much more! It was fantastic and everyone's inner seven year old came out to the forefront. :) After the play break, we made our way over to the cemetery entrance and met our perky tour guide. This woman knew almost everything there was to know about Charles Dickens. The tour she led us on in the cemetery taught me more about one man's life and connections than I know about any other person. It was incredibly detailed! She started this particular tour last February for Charles Dickens' Bicentenary. She led his own family on the tour and it was very successful. The cemetery itself was absolutely gorgeous. It was huge and very green.

That evening, we went to see Billy Elliot the Musical. Oh. My. Goodness. It was the story about a boy who was brought up in a family of miners. However, the town had gone on strike and the older brother and father were huge members of the community leading the strike. The father and brother also want Billy to grow up and become a boxer, but Billy's heart lies in the field of dance. His mother passes away, and his father and brother forbid him from dancing, but he still secretly dances. It was unbelievably amazing. My favorite part was when the 12 year old actor does a solo performance to the song "Electricity." His passion and his love for dance clearly poured through every moment of his body when he moved and in the end, he received a full standing ovation, 500 strong. He tried so hard to hold his end pose for as long as he could, but he broke character and let the pure, innocent look of surprise and gratitude and amazement sweep over his face. It was the most incredible look in the world, and I wanted to stand there and clap for him forever. I absolutely loved the musical, and I am so glad and so lucky I had the chance to see it. 

London and Things

London, Day 3:
Hello from London. This is Jake from the UA Honors and such.
The weather here is exceptional so we spend our days walking the dickens out of London.
Yesterday was Dickens' friends and family at the Highgate Cemetery, today was Dickens' house, and there was a lot of walking in between all of that. And shopping. And eating. Oh, and learning! Almost forgot. Much learning swims around the Sundial Court and throughout the streets of the Motherland, and there is more learning still to come as we travel deeper down the Dickens hole...That doesn't sound right...
Well, De Berry is maxin' and relaxin' all cool while some of the crew are getting psyched out of their minds about some dance electronic music EDC festival thing that's happening tomorrow. What am I doing? Getting pumped for making some epic pasta and jamming to British pop music because I am about that life. There are still numerous things that must be done such as:
Meet Daniel Craig
Meet Pierce Brosnana
Meet Carey Mulligan
Meet Emma Watson
Meet Sherlock Holmes
Meet Peter Pan
Meet Harry Potter
Eat

That sums up the majority of this colourful life. I hope all y'all aren't missing us too much, and I'll see you next time on Our Tale of Two Cities.
Stay classy.

Across the Pond

Preface: We didn't have any wifi connection yesterday, so this blog post will talk about yesterday's adventures.

Yesterday felt like the longest day ever. We arrived at Heathrow at 6:35 and went through customs. The line was really long but the process took 5 seconds. After customs, we got our baggage and then headed outside to grab a taxi. Obviously, the first thing that we noticed was that the cars drive on the other side of the road, and the steering wheels are on the opposite side of the car. 

We took a cab all the way to our dorms, and upon arrival, I'm not going to lie, it was kind of a disaster. Our rooms weren't ready yet and everyone was dead exhausted, so we hung out in the basement and almost everyone took a nap.

After a while, we got up and walked around a little bit. I have to say, London isn't what I expected it to be, and I'm not sure if I mean that in a good way or a bad way. However, it was fun to see what was around us, and I LOVE the accents.

After walking around, we came back and finally got our rooms. We unpacked and rested for a while, and I did laundry, and then we met up at 8:15 to go out for Cait's birthday.

We went to a place called Globe, which was really good, to be honest. Afterwards, we walked around a while and then finally headed back. I think a lot of us just immediately passed out, which was good because the jet lag is just awful. 

But, I knew that we were all looking forward to the next day in London.

First day in London!

Hey guys! Today was our first whole day in London; it is so amazing! It was also our first day of the group assignments. My group and I were assigned a Charles Dickens walking tour. First, we walked from our dorm to Gray's Inn, in which Dickens worked as a clerk in 1828. Gray's Inn is one of four Inns, which controls admission to the Bar for lawyers in London. Below is a picture of one of the courtyards.

Next, we walked along Saffron Hill, which holds numerous sites in the Dickens novels. The street was narrow and winding, giving us a feel of the old London. While we were walking along the street, we could really picture the London which Dickens wrote of.

After that, we traveled to St. Paul's cathedral. This place was beautiful! As you can see in the picture below, locals were sitting on the grass and eating lunch, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Here, we interviewed several locals, asking them about their relationship to the church and their background knowledge of Charles Dickens.

Lastly, we visited Borough to explore the street market. The Borough market has many foods and treats. I had some caramel fudge that was to die for! We decided to venture into a small cathedral that was right next to the market. Here, we met many great locals that told us a lot about Charles Dickens and the surrounding city. Below, I have included a picture of the inside of the cathedral. We weren't supposed to take pictures, however, the guide didn't make me delete it (oops).

Anyways, it was an amazing first day in London! I can't wait to explore the rest of the city!

Goodbye New York!

Wow, New York was a blast. It was unbelievably incredible. So many new experiences crammed into two weeks! Lots, and lots of firsts! In order, it was the first time I was traveling anywhere with people that I wasn't super close to already. Then, I led people on a subway for the first time (the only other place I had been on a subway was China and every time I was on that subway, I subserviently followed the directions of someone else in charge). I saw the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and New York skyline in something more than just a movie. I navigated through the city on my own, including figuring out the train system and riding a train completely independently (and on the Fourth of July on top of that). I deliberately chose to spend time with family instead of friends (I spent the Fourth of July with my family). I sat down and ate at at a restaurant by myself. I took the subway system to a brand new location, completely by myself. I walked into random religious institutions and asking the believers what they stand for. I fell in love with a painting for the first time (it was Springtime by Cot found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). I went to a museum by myself and spend five hours just taking everything in (the Museum of Natural History is unbelievably amazing). I chose to discover more about myself, by not surrounding myself with people all the time. I learned how to be a little more independent. I decided that I definitely do not want to live in Manhattan, and if I can help it, I wouldn't live anywhere in New York--although, I don't think I have a problem with visiting it frequently. I was impacted by the 9/11 Memorial. I was unbelievably productive while I sat in a study room (that reminded me greatly of Harry Potter) in the New York Public Library. I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and found the spot where one of my favorite Bollywood movies was filmed. I photographed a love story on the empire state building.

All in all, these past two weeks have been incredible. So much happened and I feel like I have grown so much. I am ready to leave New York and take one whatever challenges London has to offer me! Goodbye New York! I'll see you soon :)

Getting Ready for London!

Hi everybody! I'm Kaitlin Bianchi, a sophomore honors student at the University of Arizona majoring in Neuroscience. Today is our last day in Manhattan. I know I speak for everyone on this trip when I say "WOW!!" I can't believe it has already been two weeks in New York City. The time has flown by! I've already done so much on this trip that sometimes all the things that have been done seem to mesh together and don't stand independent in my mind. Its easy to lose track of time in this bustling city that never seems to sleep. After only this relatively short time here, New York has already began to feel like my home. The idea of leaving for London is both a little bit sad and also extremely exciting at the same time. Just as I was starting to conquer the subway system, now off to the more challenging London Tube system I go. I can't wait to be in London, to see a country that so greatly influenced our own. Our suitcases are packed and we are checked out of our rooms. England here we come!!



 

The 9/11 Memorial

Hey, this is the other Katelyn (the Journalism/Creative Writing/Anthro one) and I'm finally wound down enough to write a blog post, just as we're winding down in New York City.  I've always dreamed about coming here in a Woody Allen/Spike Lee/Martin Scorsese fueled fervor, and I'm happy to report that, though slightly less neurotic and not quite as grimy, New York City was absolutely perfect. From day one, when I was first taken on a wild cab drive by a barely English speaking guy who left me somewhere around 30th St. before coming back to my rescue, I've dreaded leaving NYC (though admittedly London cushions the blow). Still, I feel certain that one day I'll be back here- hopefully as a Columbia J School grad student, but I'll settle for anything.


Speaking of neuroticism, I've noticed a sense of anxiety permeating this city; Dr. Berry said that New York City has PTSD from the 9/11 attacks, and I think that's a fairly accurate assessment. "If you see something, say something" is plastered everywhere, and the sentiment has a little more resonance here. On Friday, my small group was sent to the September 11th Memorial: two large fountains pouring into a never-filled center gap, with the whole affair lined by the names and locations of the tragedy's victims. The vastness of the memorial is affecting, but, as my group discussed, it was also emotionally confusing. We all agreed that the concept of making an absence present or felt was well represented by the two gaping pits in the fountains' middles, but additionally found the design of the memorial rigid and a little cold in a way that felt too encouraging of mourning. Oddly enough, I thought the best parts of the memorial were the kiosks that could be used for finding the quadrant on which specific victims' names were carved. Two were born in Tucson. I wish I had thought to take pictures of them, but I felt too overwhelmed by the place, by the idea that so many people had died, perhaps right near where I was standing; on the walk through TriBeCa to the memorial I could swear I remembered footage of the bloodied and sobbing rushing through ashy streets. That, in the end, was what made this memorial very different from others I've been to. The single distance here was time, and even then, it's been only 12 short years. However staid the memorial's design, the memory of the memorialized was raw.    


 Our visit provoked discussion about other tragedies, other memorials, our faint memories of 9/11, and our ideas about how the event in question shaped our upbringings. Have we been taught to be more suspicious, less trusting? Do we believe the world is a more dangerous place? What about 9/11 exactly made such an impact, left such a shock? We couldn't answer all of our questions, but we did think, and we did remember so the memorial was ultimately successful, and I think I will carry its impact around with me for far longer than this program lasts.    

The center of one of the fountains (clearly Photojournalism is a class I'm taking next semester) 

Some of the engraved names- these were first responders, and their professions are listed

A few left flowers or American flags in the indents of the names. I wondered if these victims were random selections or personal relations.

Looking down to one of the corners of the square fountain

The under-construction Freedom Tower from inside the memorial's security checkpoint

There's nothing better than waking up at 4:30am to see OneRepublic in concert for Good Morning America. I'm Kendra Dadisman, an honors sophomore student at the University of Arizona majoring in Pre-Physiology. This morning we arrived at Central Park to see the band OneRepublic perform for GMA and we even made our own sign (below)! While waiting for the show to start, we had time to just relax and appreciate the beauty of Central Park, and look back on all the things we've done in the short amount of time we have been studying here. OneRepublic put on such an amazing concert, and I'm glad that we took the opportunity to go this free concert during our stay in New York. 

Free t-shirt, glasses, and our homemade "Ryan Tedder We Love You" poster
Left to right: Kendra Dadisman, Carrie Dittmer, Sarah Saxton, Shivani Misra, & Jacob Dadisman
Not pictured: Sarah Staron, and Chloe Heinemann

OneRepublic performing "Secrets" on Good Morning America

 The second half of the day I went with Sarah Sharon, Chole Heinemann, and Edgar Aguyao to the Empire State building. On our way there we ran into a man who tried to sell us tickets for the Empire State building for $45, and that was outrageous so we just ignored him and entered the building. It turns out that he didn't even work for them and it was just a scam. The view from the 86th floor was magnificent despite the mild rain and fog. This icon of New York City along with the Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, etc. come together to create a unique and diverse city infested with yellow vehicles, tourists, businessmen, and skyscrapers galor.

View of New York City from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building

These two weeks we've spent so far on this trip have be quite amazing! I have learned so much about a city so different from Tucson--from the lifestyle, attitude, atmosphere, architecture, etc. This opportunity to explore a new culture is fantastic, and I look forward to the adventures we will have in London!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Hey it's Olivia again. Today, Julie, Carrie and I went to the New York Public Library. When we entered the library we were shocked to discover there aren't any books! It's only a "research library." A little upset, and a little confused, we simply went to the exhibit on the history of children's books. The exhibit showcased old-fashioned children's books which included stories intended to instill fear in children to prevent bad behavior. There were also books from our childhood such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Phantom Tollbooth. After the museum we went to the Grand Central Station subway stop and got to experience the beauty of the station. It was surprisingly small compared to what we expected but was still exciting to see. We finished our day off shopping at Pier 1.

Hey! My name is Edgar Aguayo and the date is supposed to say July 10th.  I was having way too much fun at Phantom of the Opera with great people to even remember making this post last night.  Anyway, the trip has been going better than expected.  Everyone here is great and I'm glad I wasn't shut out seeing as I was the unknown factor. I'm a man of few words so I'll just leave it at that.

I hope Sharon Sharon doesn't get mad that I stole her photo...

Harlem

My name is Chloe Heinemann and I am a sophomore at the University of Arizona. I am majoring in English and minoring in Education and Spanish. Today in the Big Apple I toured the historic neighborhood of Harlem. Completing the usual routine, my roommate Sarah and I had breakfast at the Morningstar Cafe. We have spent nine days here and I still can't get over the comfort of having a hearty breakfast and unlimited hot coffee in a diner across the street. After we ate scrambled eggs and chocolate chip pancakes, we took the subway up Manhattan to a neighborhood full of history, music, and culture. Our two tour guides were named Neil and Joe who were born and raised in Harlem. They knew everything there was to know about the Harlem Renaissance and the history within the neighborhood. The class and I walked into the streets of Harlem and listened to Neil as he pointed out famous buildings and street corners. Suddenly, beautiful jazz music burst from his backpack adding a soundtrack to our walk. Immediately, the music changed the walk from great to extraordinary. We listened to the famous voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday and were transported back in time. One place we toured was the Savoy Ballroom, a place that was full of soul, music, and life. Nothing but a memorial is left for the historic ballroom, but it was amazing to view a place that was once full of laughter and joy.  We then toured the Cotton Club and learned about the famous people that have forever made their footprint in history including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Langston Hughes. As we walked the jazz music heightened our spirits and enriched our entire tour. You could feel the energy in the neighborhood and the pride the community had for Harlem and it's history. As the tour came to an end, we stopped at a local restaurant called Sylvia's Soul Food. We dined on fried chicken, barbecue ribs, potato salad, and banana bread pudding - A perfect ending to our soulful day. I am so glad I had the chance to experience what life was like in Harlem and learn about the movements in art, poetry, politics, and music. Its amazing how all those years ago Ella Fitzgerald sang in the Savoy Ballroom, Langston Hughes wrote his poems, and Malcolm X preached his ideas, but to this day we will always remember the Harlem Renaissance.

Hello from Harlem!

Sunday, July 7

Hi! My name is Olivia, and this may come as a shock but I'm an incoming sophomore at the U of A. I'm a double major and a double minor. My majors are Pre-Business and Political Science. My minors are Sports Management and Spanish. I'm from Half Moon Bay, CA, a beach town 20 minutes outside San Francisco. This is my second time visiting New York, but the city still overwhelms me. The East Coast is pretty much the complete opposite of California. California's laid back, New York's busy, California's weather is calm, New York is hot and humid (which my hair is certainly not enjoying), in California everyone waves and smiles, in New York people avoid eye contact! They are really just polar opposites. Today some of the group went shopping in SoHo. I met up with them after for dinner and shopping in China Town.

It was a pretty overwhelming trip for me. Since everyone was already in Lower Manhattan so I traveled alone. First my subway had repeated delays. Things got more complicated when my phone ran out of battery, but even worse when I forgot the restaurant name... and the name of its cross-street. I ended up getting off the subway at the wrong stop. I was somewhere in NoHo, a neighborhood I'd never even heard of. Apparently SoHo is south of Houston street and NoHo is north of Houston street. Something I deduced from all the subway maps I'd been analyzing when my phone ran out of battery. I finally found my way to China Town, where I stood out like a sore thumb! We had a great Thai dinner and ice cream before we went shopping at the stalls on the streets. New York is such a big and diverse city with so much to offer. We are experiencing something different every day!

July 6th, First Saturday

Hello, my name is Autumn Pepper. I'm a violin performance major at the University of Arizona, and I'm the same age as everyone else: an incoming sophomore! I'm from a small town near Tucson called Safford. Being from a small town, Tucson was a welcome change, and New York is even a bigger change (no kidding!). I really like all the hustle and that there is so much constantly going on! I'm not much of a person to get bored very easily, but if you are, you definitely would find it hard to do in such a happening place. Today was Saturday, and half of us went to see Mamma Mia, and half of us went to the Museum of Natural History. I went there after Alexa did on Thursday, but I didn't see much of it. Today I think I saw all of it, and it was so much to take in! I was really overwhelmed, but I learned a lot, actually. To me, it felt like the museum tried to contain the whole world. Every animal, person, insect, and plant were represented somehow. I loved comparing the different cultures of humanity around the world. You start to see similarities, and realize that what you find familiar or exotic aren't really that at all. You can see foreign things in what you thought you knew so well and familiar things in what you thought was strange. I don't know, I like making complicated and vague observations like that! I also did my laundry today. Living is about putting the profound next to the mundane! So anyway, that was what my day was like--reflective and exhausting! I look forward to seeing what Saturday night in New York City has in store!

This is Theodore Roosevelt in front of the museum!

I love this quote so much. There are four of them around the first big room in the museum where you stand in line for your ticket.

This is me with the view from the Empire State Building (taken yesterday with my group).

First Saturday, July 6th

My name is Julie Daffron, and I have the privilege of being on this trip.  Today was a free day of sorts so our group dispersed throughout the city.  Seven of us went to a matinee showing of Mamma Mia on Broadway, and it was phenomenal.  The singing, acting, stage design was fantastic, and we all loved how at the end after they all took a bow they sang two more songs.  They got the audience involved, and soon the entire theater was standing and dancing and singing along.  It's great when the actors can interact with the audience; it makes it seem less formal.  

The agenda tonight for me involves dinner with part of the group and then dancing the night away!

An interesting issue that I've had to deal with is sense of direction.  Regardless of where you look, all you see are buildings.  I must say I see now that I was spoiled growing up in Albuquerque where the massive set of mountains signal due East.  Here I walk up from the subway and I feel as though I might as well be blindfolded because I can't feel what direction we are facing.  Only when we walk to the next street do I gather my bearings.  This is still an obstacle of city life that I am struggling with. 

                                                                     Mamma Mia!

                                                           A view from Central Park

                                                            Classic New York street