International Experiences Archives -

Posted on March 20, 2019March 19, 2019 by Gretchen Blizzard — Leave a comment

ICO Ecuador

Rachel and the ICO team in Ecuador (Photo Courtesy of Rachel Puls)

Rachel and the ICO team building for the locals (Photo Courtesy of Rachel Puls)

An Inner-City Outreach (ICO) trip is a mission trip where Grove City College students go out to a certain city, some in the US and some abroad, by themselves and do different missions work while also experiencing the culture of the place they are traveling to.

Sophomore Rachel Puls, who is an Elementary and Special Education major recently went on an ICO trip to Shell Mera, Ecuador from December 27^th to January 7^th. Rachel went to Ecuador with a group of 15 other Grove City College students. I asked her what made her decide to go on this ICO trip, and she said, “I always knew that I wanted to eventually try a missions trip, so I impulsively went to the meeting and applied and got in.”

Rachel said she absolutely loved her experience on this trip and would love to eventually go back. While there, the team built a workshop for the people living in the jungle to take classes and learn trades/skills that will help them to get jobs and sell their merchandise in the future. They also did some connecting with the Waorani Indians and people living in Ecuador as well as authentically experienced the culture and some of their traditions since they were there during New Years.

I asked Rachel if she would recommend going on an ICO trip to others, and she said, “Going as far as I did is definitely not something for everyone, but I would encourage people to try at least one in their lifetime, even if it is just in your neighboring city. It is something that can really open your eyes to the Lord and help you to grow in ways you never thought possible.” This was Rachel’s first time going out of the country, and she said it was a great way to do it, and a way to truly experience other cultures.

She said her favorite part of the whole experience was being able to connect with so many people and not being worried about worldly or outside things, just being concerned with experiencing authentic communion together. I asked her if the trip met what she expected when signing up, and ultimately traveling there, and she said, “In some ways yes, but I also did not set many expectations and this trip went above and beyond for what I thought was going to happen and what I was going to see and experience.” She said the only downside to the whole trip was that some of the members of the group got sick toward the end, which was not the best.

Rachel said her favorite memory from the trip was when one day the team was hiking through the Amazon Jungle and she got to cut down banana trees with a machete!

Here on campus Rachel is a part of the ICO Ecuador team, and she is also a member of the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority, the Homecoming Committee, and a co-captain of the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team.

Posted on January 8, 2019January 4, 2019 by Lake Bennett — Leave a comment

Faculty Led Study Trips (Part 2)

As a sophomore, I have had the privilege to partake in one of the faculty led study trips abroad during the May 2018 intersession. I signed up to take the three-credit humanities course, Western Civilization. With Dr. James Bibza and Dr. Paul Schaeffer as the professors teaching this course and leading us in our travels, the trip was guaranteed to be a success. These two professors had experience with the travel route that we would be taking, and had worked closely with a tour company to ensure we would have smooth travels. The objectives they had set for our class to accomplish seemed reasonable. It included some readings from a text book, and attending lectures while we were on our trip. However, they ultimately hoped that we would immerse ourselves in the new cultures that we would be experiencing.

Our studies began in London, England for four days. Following a day trip to Oxford, our group headed for Dover. At this point, we took a ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France. Once we were 0n the continent, our stops included Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Innsbruck, and Heidelberg. In total, our trip visited six European countries in a 14 day period.

Once we had safely returned to the United States, our final task was writing a paper that discussed any of the topics that we discussed in lectures. The paper may have been a requirement of the course, but I know that many of my fellow travelers felt that it helped them to thoughtfully compose the incredible experience that we shared.

The trip itself was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I will always cherish the memories that I made through it. However, I was also lucky enough to also make lasting bonds with people that I may not have had the chance to meet without this course. My experience with faculty led study trips was incredible, and in the future I will absolutely look to do more of them.

Posted on January 7, 2019January 4, 2019 by Lake Bennett — Leave a comment

Faculty Led Study Trips (Part 1)

Grove City College offers unique opportunities to take your learning outside of the classroom. The Office of International Education, along with many professors, work together to provide students with the chance to take classes abroad. While Grove City does provide more traditional study abroad experiences for those interested in doing so for a semester or entire academic year, the faculty led study trips are a shorter and more condensed way to learn in foreign countries.

Professors work with the College to design specific trips that they feel will help to provide the most beneficial learning environment. This is why Grove City is able to offer such a broad range of excursions including trips to England, France, Guatemala, Greece, Italy, Japan, and many more countries. Parents and students may worry about what the costs may be, but Grove City is careful to keep prices as low as possible while ensuring that each trip is a wonderful experience.

These trips are designed to allow students to take up to a three credit class in a condensed period of time. Faculty led study trips tend to be between 10 and 15 day experiences. The goal is to allow students to learn about and immerse themselves in different cultures, while also ensuring that the academic requirements of each course are fully met. Students of all majors have the opportunity to participate – this means students also network with one another and make friendships outside their field of study.

Grove City is actively looking to broaden our horizons in regards to faculty led trips. With new trips comes new opportunity and new corners of the world for students to explore. With chances to go during both the January and May intersessions, every student has plenty of opportunities to partake in one or more of these very impactful experiences. In my next post, I will give an insiders view of what my experience on a faculty study trip was like.

Posted on May 8, 2018May 8, 2018 by Taylor Starcher — Leave a comment

Relationships While Studying Abroad

When I reflect on my family life, I know how strong we all are and how we always look to each other in times of need. I really appreciate the relationship I have developed with my family and look forward to continued relationship growth. My parents and I became extremely close once I started into my freshman year of college because of the distance apart from each other. While studying abroad in Italy, I found it difficult to develop the same types of relationships like I have with my family or my close friends at school. I knew that it would be challenging to be thrown into a completely new country and culture, but I did not realize how much it would impact my relationships back home. With being focused on traveling and photographing Florence, calling my parents and friends to hear about their lives was not always the easiest. I made time to try to catch up, but I also wanted to make sure I did not miss out on my time abroad.

I think something so important about intercultural relationships would be that in order for them to work, it requires an understanding of the other culture and the way they live. If we cannot grasp what they are going through in their everyday lives, how can we have an effective conversation or relate to them? My parents managed to understand what I was going through abroad and how being so far away from home impacted my faith, friendships, and lifestyle. All of which gave me a different perspective when arriving back home to the United States. The connections I made while in Italy with my Italian professors and other study abroad students are especially meaningful because we all experienced the same type of difficulties of being in a new cultural environment. If one is going into a new culture, they must be fully immersed to understand it and get the most out of the opportunities.

With studying abroad, do not be afraid of being far away from home. Meeting new people is such a fun experience and develops one’s character! Gaining relationships with people of another culture is something so special and lasting for lifelong situations.

Posted on May 5, 2018April 17, 2018 by Taylor Starcher — Leave a comment

Study Abroad Relationships with Photography

A semester abroad in Florence, Italy left me with a perspective I have never experienced before and has provided me with lifelong thoughts. When I arrived in Europe, I was anxious for the next four months and what the Lord had in store for me. Throughout my time, I felt waves of excitement, pure joy, and love for the beautiful sights I was seeing every day. There was a constant sense of being overwhelmed by God’s creation because of how much there is to be thankful for and appreciate.

From the start, I knew my photography class was going to be my favorite. My professor, Cosimo Bargellini, lived in Florence which gave us a direct source of Italian culture, especially considering he was also a professional photographer. Our class consisted of walking around the city, learning techniques of photographing, and enjoying each other’s company. Although he was fluent in English, Cosimo was still raised in the Italian culture. This provided a slight obstacle in that I did not fully understand everything about his culture since I was raised completely different.

Our verbal communication was acknowledgeable because Cosimo taught based off his experience and practice in photography. By discussing and showing aspects like exposure levels, shutter speed, and framing a picture, the students, myself included, learned new approaches about the way we had previously known about photography. We had differences though, relating to our faith and politics. Cosimo had grown up in a Catholic church but once he was older, he decided to become a Buddhist and focus intently on the lifestyle. One day in class, Cosimo talked about how he had hope for his next life and that it would be even better than his current. I immediately asked him to explain his thoughts further and he described how he lives following the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhism obviously is different from the Christian religion that I have grown up in, but I was still able to open my mind up to hear Cosimo’s opinions about life and the afterlife. Without alternate viewpoints, we are all agreeing on the same idea and this will not generate new concepts that could ultimately benefit a community of people. I did not agree with Cosimo’s religion because of my own but I am still able to respect and understand how Cosimo thinks, something that benefits our intercultural relationship.

His view on politics also differed from my own, but I did not let that affect our bond through the lens and about the beautiful world in which we live. Italians generally criticized the ways of “greedy Americans” and the decisions we make as a country. They especially denounced our current president, Donald Trump, and his ideas for the future of the United States. I do not particularly like to argue with people about politics because most of the time I am not knowledgeable enough and think it can be pointless in that people can be set in their ways. Despite my personal feelings, I could understand Cosimo’s feelings in that he had a heart for the nature and animals on this earth. He would tell our class stories of his expeditions in the wild, surrounded by the purest form of a safari and the amazing tigers that he photographed. His passion for photography and showing emotion through his pictures is what is truly important, not how we disagree on politics.

I think my experience with Italians abroad, specifically Cosimo, was such an important life lesson for others and any future I have with other intercultural relationships. There are always going to be stereotypes about people of different cultures, race, or ideas but we must not let that stand in the way of connecting with others and learning about alternate lifestyles. In hindsight, I absolutely loved meeting people of other viewpoints. It expanded my personal knowledge and provided me with the ability to have a stronger compassion and perception of others, something that I believe can always be enhanced. Focusing on other’s actions, both verbal and nonverbal, is the best way we can comprehend how they are feeling and do our best to further unity among one another.

Cosimo Bargellini, my photography teacher during my study abroad class in Florence, Italy.

Posted on January 17, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

China Intersession Abroad: A Terrible beginning Turns Into The Trip of a Lifetime

In the fall, Professor Sweet taught a class endearingly called Internet Content Marketing. In this course, students learned the importance of tailoring content to particular audiences in order to make a profit or showcase credibility. Towards the end of the semester, Professor Sweet asked the students to put their lessons into practice and write articles for this blog. As the editor of this site, I had the awesome opportunity to read all of these articles and choose the ones that I thought our readers would find most interesting. This particular piece is by David Cheung, he describes his trip to China for class credit. Enjoy!

This past summer I had the amazing opportunity to go to China for class credit. We got to go to the cities of Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Xian, and Beijing. This trip was led by Dr. Hogsette and Dr. Ayers, who could not have been better chaperones. Also, nine other Grove City students were part of the trip. Almost all of the students took the Civ Lit Class that could be completed on the trip. My friend Gabe and I were the only students who chose the other option, a Chinese Culture class. This was due to Gabe and I being Chinese minors. We left for China May 21st and returned on June 2nd, so we spent a total of about 10 days, spending two days in each city.

Despite my high opinion of the trip, it ironically started out very poorly. This was not a failure on the College’s part or the professors. In fact, it was completely my fault that the trip had such a difficult start. It was early in the morning on May 21st. I was on my way to Pittsburgh to fly out from the airport there with the rest of the group. Once I arrived with all my luggage and met up with my fellow students, I reached into my pocket to get my passport. That is when my heart rate shot through the roof, because I realized I had forgotten my passport and visa! Turns out, I left it at my house which was two hours away. The speed with which I sprinted to my car could have shattered any sprinting record in PA. I was able to get ahold of my uncle who went to my house, grabbed my passport, and met me halfway back to my house. At this point the time was around 6 a.m. and my flight was scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. I reached the airport at about 6:50 a.m., turning an hour drive into a 50-minute one. At the airport, everything was a blur. I remember everyone in the line for screening, allowing me to cut past them in order to make my flight, and sprinting down the long corridor leading to all the different flights. Of course, my flight was one of the farthest possible, which made me completely out of breath when I reached the front desk. The man giving me my luggage tag and scanning my ticket seemed a bit irritated at how close I cut it. I checked my phone for the time which was 6:58 a.m. Once on the plane, everyone clapped and I sank into my seat with both embarrassment and relief.

Thankfully, this was the worst part of the trip by a very large margin. After enduring a 14-hour flight, we reached our first destination, the city of Shanghai. The sites we got to see were beautiful. The Jade temple we visited was a famous Buddhist temple and people were constantly walking around praying to these statues that are set up all over the place. Particularly the white jade Buddha is the one that is famous. They hold it in such high regard that no pictures are allowed to be taken of it. It was a little off putting, being a Christian inside a temple dedicated to the worship of these statues, and with monks chanting all over the place. I was intrigued by how much the Chinese people hope in and have reverence for these Buddhas. It showed a lot of us on the trip how blind we are to the world outside the US, and even just outside of our little college. The experience was a powerful one, and we gained insight into the cultural values of China. We also visited other more typical tourist destinations in China, such as the Great Wall. This vast and seemingly unending wall was beautiful on the mountainous landscape of eastern China.

It was a tiring, but rewarding climb up the large steps to get to the higher points of the wall. We also saw the world famous Terra Cotta Warriors museum, which had many different statues who were buried in the giant Tomb of Emperor Qin. Our tour guide told us that they protect the Emperor in the after-life. The Emperor believed that every clay item that was buried with him would go with him to heaven, so there were clay animals, bowls, pots, servants, and many other things.

Even though these sights were very grand and beautiful, my personal favorite place we visited was the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We were able to talk to Chinese college students that were our age. It was so cool to compare our experiences with theirs. They would attempt to practice their English with us, and we would do the same with Chinese. They had many different demonstrations ready, to show us their medical practices and beliefs. They placed a high importance on using herbs to heal illness rather than turning to medication. Also, they view the body as all being connected through energy pathways. This energy is called “chi.” It is easy to disregard this idea, but there has been some amazing feats performed by the Chinese people as a result of this concept. We also got to see their beautiful garden that they grow all their herbs in. It was breathtaking when we laid eyes on it.

A professor from the college led us through the garden describing all the plants as we continued along. When the time came to say good-bye to everyone at the university, they gave us all gifts to take back with us. They were such gracious hosts, and a lot of us quickly became friends and exchanged numbers. I kept in contact with them for a while after the trip and I now have lots of friends to practice my Chinese with.

Everywhere we went, our meals were all so delicious. No matter where our location, there were always vegetables cooked perfectly with a dark sauce of some sort, many kinds of chicken dishes, and of course endless amounts of tea. Also, all meals required us to eat with chopsticks, and to eat “family-style.” This means that all of the food is in the center of the table, and people grab small portions of it at a time to put on their individual plates. This is very different from in the US where we all get our own dish. I personally loved “family-style” eating because it allowed me to try everything. There are also a lot of very unusual dishes we ate while in China. A few such foods were jellyfish, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and cow stomach. Some of these dishes were completely different from what you would expect, such as the jellyfish being crunchy. On the other hand, some were exactly what was expected like the sea slugs have a slimy texture. Most of these dishes I thoroughly enjoyed (with the exception of the jellyfish) and am so glad that I was able to try this cuisine. I was hesitant to eat all of this crazy food at first, but by the end, I was eating duck eyes and not thinking twice about it. The fact we all got to try these new things together helped all of us students get closer as we marveled at these unique foods. Furthermore, the Chinese culture also believes in long meals that you leave only when you cannot take another bite. This made it so we spent a lot of time getting to know each other within the group.

Everyone in the group really got along well with each other. There was not a single person that I had any complaints about on this trip. Each person was included, no matter what we did. I largely contribute it to the fact that we all had to watch out for each other when we had free time, because we did not have a tour guide to take care of us. None of us were fluent in Chinese which made it very difficult and dangerous to be alone. However, as a result, everyone got to know each other very well. The friendships we formed continued even when we returned back to the States. We still try to grab a lunch as group every once in a while, and we have an ongoing group chat. I became closer with everyone on this trip, but much more so with the two other men that went. There were only three male students on this trip: Travis, Gabe, and myself. I was acquainted with these guys before the trip, but did not know them all that well. Gaining all these new experiences together really bonded us. We had to experience jet-lag together, eat all our meals together, sleep in the same room, shop with each other, and hangout during our free time. Every night we would re-hash everything that happened and talk about how excited we were for the next day. Nothing was ever boring with these guys, and yet I always felt relaxed around them as well. Us three still get tea together every week and are even better friends since the trip. Without going on this trip, I would have never had the great opportunity of getting to know these individuals.

I highly recommend the trip for anyone. There were so many benefits to going. I completed a class, got exposure to a different culture, got to know professors, tried new foods, and formed so many amazing friendships. I had been to China two other times prior to this Intersession trip. They do not compare to the experience I had while in China with this group. I doubt I will ever have quite the same experience again, unless I go on another trip with Grove City. If you are able to go, do not miss out on this opportunity. In looking back at it, I know it was no doubt worth every penny.

Posted on December 23, 2017December 8, 2017 by Natalie Colcombe — Leave a comment

Student Spotlight: Mechanical Engineering and Studying Abroad

Alex Heiman is a senior mechanical engineering major. She and I have been friends for years, and I find her story and passion for her studies inspiring and noteworthy. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and discussing her experience as a mechanical engineering student at Grove City College. I hope that if this major intimidates you and you have hesitations about pursuing it, you will find her words encouraging. On the other hand, if you simply want to gain more information about what the college experience of a mechanical engineering major looks like, I hope you will find her responses relevant and helpful.

What made you decide to study mechanical engineering?

The biggest influence on my decision to become a mechanical engineering major was my dad. He pushed me in this direction. I saw what he was doing as an engineer and I gained interest. It also helps that I enjoy math and science, and wanted to pursue a major that featured these subjects.

What do you enjoy most about being a MECE (Mechanical Engineer)?

I enjoy the tight community of engineers on campus. It is such a blessing to be able to go to anyone in my class and ask questions about homework. I have become very close to my classmates, especially after studying abroad. I also enjoy the challenge of my major and solving the complex problems I am required to solve.

How have you been challenged most as a MECE?

I have been greatly challenged by the professors at Grove City College. They all are great teachers, and push me to understand theory behind concepts and not simply plug numbers into a formula. This has been something that has really pushed me to dig deeper and understand more.

What professor has stood out to you most?

Dr. Clauss, only female MECE professor, has had a great impact on me. She exemplifies what a smart, professional woman in engineering looks like. She is very passionate about what she teaches, and greatly cares about her students. She is very well informed and is very helpful during office hours, even with tasks like scheduling.

You had the opportunity to study abroad your fall semester junior year. Would you recommend studying abroad?

Yes, I definitely would. Studying abroad was a life changing experience, and was the best semester of my college journey. I greatly enjoyed experiencing other cultures and traveling for a great price. I was also able to grow closer to my fellow peers, and the engineering community with the other students who studied abroad. One of my favorite memories from studying abroad was when I traveled to Nice, France. The beautiful scenery and fun activities (such as going to a Christmas market and riding a Ferris wheel) made for a very memorable trip.

Can you talk a little bit about what its like to be a female engineering student?

When I first came to Grove City College, I was nervous because I knew there weren’t a lot of girls in the program. This intimidated me. As the years went on I grew closer with my peers. These relationships especially grew when I studied abroad. Now, I feel comfortable with my major and my ability, thanks to my professors and relationships with fellow students.

What advice do you have for students who are looking to study mechanical engineering?

I would say that engineering is a rewarding major. However, it is difficult. As long as you are motivated, driven, and work hard, you’ll be just fine.

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Krista Heckman — Leave a comment

An Inside Look at Red Box Missions

Each fall, the Religious Activities Committee selects up to eight Grove City College students to participate in a summer-long foreign missions trip. Each student that has applied for the trip is provided with funds through the Red Box Missions program, a program supported entirely through donations from alumni and friends. This past year there were various students that participated in the Grove City College Red Box Missions trip. One of those students was senior accounting major Lauren Bimber.

Lauren learned about Red Box Missions her freshman year while sitting in chapel and her interest only grew and prompted her to take action. She is passionate about the Muslim lifestyle and understanding the Islam culture in the United Kingdom. Lauren was inspired by the chance to see how Christian churches that are developed in the Western context can be evangelizing and reaching out to the Muslim neighborhoods in the simplest forms of service. Lauren used that inspiration to connect with an organization that focuses on sharing the gospel with Muslims and also looks to building bridges between Christians and Muslims.

Prior to her nine-week trip, Lauren had expectations that she was going to be investing her time in academics and studying the historical background of the Islamic culture, their religious beliefs, and rooted traditions. She thought she would be more behind the scenes at the churches and the events the organization hosted rather than participating in them. However, that was not the case once she arrived in the UK. Lauren did get to study Islam, but not as she had expected to. She was more hands-on during her trip and was going out to different cultures, helping with their outreaches, and being an active participant in their prayer groups, rather than just reading books. This allowed her to immerse herself within the community and meet a lot of people that are living in the neighborhood.

Certain roles that Lauren found herself helping with was simply being an extra pair of hands during the outreaches that she would go to during the weekdays. Each day was a different task for her such as teaching English, attending prayer groups, helping at a women’s center, and helping with a coloring club for girls. The coloring club impacted Lauren’s time there just as she impacted the girls that attended the club.

“It was created by a woman who noticed that young girls on her street were hanging outside on Saturday afternoons without much to do. Every week she read a Bible story and the girls color pictures relating to the story…Spending my Saturdays with them was one of my favorite things.”

Adapting to the culture challenges required Lauren to have patience during the first couple of weeks into her trip. She learned very quickly that in the UK the climate change was much hotter than it is back in the U.S. and required her to stay hydrated and dress accordingly while she participated in the outreaches. Another culture difference that caught her off-guard was their physical touch and personal space proximity. It was a bit unusual when women would hug and kiss her when they came in to say hello or when they were leaving an event. Through her time in the UK she adjusted to the differences and became accustomed to them.

Lauren gained a lot of insight and knowledge on Islam during her stay in the UK that allowed her to form her own opinion that had been skewed by the media influence. How the Muslims are portrayed on the news or in articles that you read in the newspaper leads you to believe that you know the person before even meeting them. Lauren realized after her trip that this certainly was not true and it is by asking the people group and listening to them and their personal life stories that you learn who they are. Serving them by actions such as speaking English, offering to assist them, or just being a listening ear can open the door to many opportunities to get involved with their lives – it just takes the willingness to go a step forward.

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Victoria Zulick — Leave a comment

Student Spotlight: Studying Abroad with Sarah Kuhn

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson, with this quote, thoroughly explains the intrigue, adventure and excitement that accompanies most students that decide to pursue a study abroad program. One such student is junior Accounting and Finance major and Spanish minor Sarah Kuhn. She currently studying abroad in Granada, Spain through the opportunities offered to each student and major through the Grove City College Office of International Education (OIE). I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with her in between her international adventures to ask her a few questions about her experiences so far, her international insights, as well as her advice to those looking to pursue a study abroad program.

How was the planning process of choosing and applying for a program? Do you have any advice after your successful planning experience?

“Planning to study abroad is not a difficult experience. As long as you have the required packets and paperwork and some organizational skills, you will be able to figure it out. If studying abroad is important to you, then that is enough motivation to be able to make it happen. Also, the OIE is more than willing to help you with any problems or questions. I would advise that those wanting to study abroad do some research about classes and credits both at Grove City and in their desired program to make sure that they will transfer. It also helps to take Humanities courses earlier rather than later, because those classes will not transfer from abroad. It may help to plan out your courses ahead of time so that you are prepared.”

How has studying abroad changed your perspective on things like life, education, etc.?

Junior Sarah Kuhn and I discussing her study abroad experience to Grenada, Spain over a lovely video call.

“It had really shown be how big the world is. It has been such an eye-opening experience to be surrounded by so many students who are not Christian and to observe how they approach the world, art, travel, education, and the beauty of Creation. It makes me think of my understanding and learning through classes like Speculative Mind and Civ Arts.”

What has been the best part about studying abroad so far?

“The best part overall has been the opportunity to see things in person that I never imagined really existed. It’s been so amazing to see vague and intangible things that I’ve only learned about becoming real, like Europe itself and works of art. I recently traveled to the beach and was able to experience the Mediterranean Sea for the first time, which was pretty special.”

What is your favorite thing about living in Spain?

“I’ve really enjoyed the opportunities to practice and learn more Spanish. That was really important to me, and a big part of why I decided to study abroad. I’ve loved being in Spanish classes, conversing with professors and asking questions that I was able to apply to my life directly outside of the classroom in a real-life setting. I’ve loved learning about the culture and the different dialects within Spain. The culture is so diverse and there’s so much I still don’t know, and I think that is really cool.”

What are the biggest differences that you have seen between Europe and America?

“Mostly, I have noticed how much more secular Europe is in comparison to the United States. Many times over the months I’ve been here, I have been able to share and explain the gospel with people who really didn’t have any idea what Christianity is all about. I’ve noticed that Americans tend to have such a small scope of perspective, and that studying abroad highlights the range of that scope in different ways. People in Europe are much more culturally aware than Americans, and speak more language and have a better understanding of more cultures outside their own.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“I am surprised how few people studied abroad from Grove City this semester, only 13! If you choose the right program and plan it right, studying abroad (flights included) can cost less than a semester at the College. Also, studying abroad has made me so thankful for Grove City College’s community, their strong Christian education, and formative classes. I am so lucky to have a Grove City College education as a base so that I can succeed wherever I am in the world, and to be able to use what I learn as well.”

Sarah Kuhn is forging her own path abroad, and surely Emerson would be proud. Her experiences and insights will add so much diversity and culture to Grove City College, as does every student that studies abroad. Choosing the path abroad can lead to a discovery of culture, faith, self and so much more, and the OIE helps make those dreams a reality for Grove City College students. So it has been said, and can be applied to those seeking an abroad adventure, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Abby Cunningham — Leave a comment

Travel, Romance, and GCC

Have a travel bug? Do you scroll through social media drooling over pictures from other people’s travel adventures? Do you have a bucket list of places you’d like to go and see someday? We’ve got you covered.

Grove City College is a great place to jump start a lifetime of travel and adventure. Whether you are interested in studying abroad, interning for an international business, or doing missions there are many ways to see the world during your time in college.

Shane and Julie Murphy graduated from Grove City College in 2010 and 2012, respectively. After graduating from Grove City they got married and began their jobs in Washington, DC. A year into their marriage, they quit their jobs, packed their bags and headed off on an adventure of a lifetime. Grove City helped foster a love for travel in both of them. I interviewed Julie to hear about their trip, how they prepared for it, and the role that Grove City played.

How did you and Shane meet?

Shane was a senior and I was a freshman. We met the first week of the year at a study abroad fair. There was pizza so I went for the food. Shane worked for the study abroad office and was at the event helping out. We got talking about travel and my interest in studying abroad. Pizza, travel, and a cute guy. The rest is history. We got married in December of 2012.

What first got you interested in travel?

Shane has always gotten excited about the idea of meeting people from different cultures. But the first trip that got him interested in traveling was a surf trip that he took through Central America during high school. Following that trip, he worked each summer to save up money to travel more in the future.

As for me, I got to travel with my family growing up. My parents instilled that love in me. In high school I had the opportunity to tour Europe with my high school music program. After that trip, I knew I wanted to study abroad in Italy some day in college.

What was your life after college like?

When Shane graduated he worked for Charles Schwab in Ohio and then he moved to DC and worked for Fidelity. For him, this time was about building his career in finance.

For me, we got married and I moved to DC. I had a temp job for a few months. Through a friend, I was able to land a job with Wedding Wire. It was my first job and I really loved it. It was fun working with young people and it had great benefits. Shane and I both loved the city feel and living on Capital Hill.

When did you decide that you wanted to take a trip?

We had always had it in the back of our minds that we wanted to travel long term or move abroad in some way. It was always something we talked about as we met at a study abroad got engaged abroad, honeymooned abroad, and had both traveled a lot. A big trip was something we decided we would budget for and save up for. Since we’ve been married we’ve always put money aside for travel out of every paycheck.

When there came a promising job opportunity for Shane at another company in PA, we decided it was an ideal time for us to travel. We wanted to travel before we moved and Shane got settled into his new job. We quit our jobs in December 2014, began our trip in January 2015, and returned stateside in May of 2015.

How did you go about planning the destination?

We had always wanted to go to Southeast Asia. We felt that we might as well go as far away as possible. We knew it would be harder to make a quick trip (a week long) to this area of the world. Places in Europe were easier and more convenient to travel to. We wanted to take this opportunity to go farther away.

We planned our trip along the way. We bought one way tickets to Australia and planned the rest of our trip from there. We had places we definitely wanted to go such as New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali. These were all on our bucket list but once we arrived in Australia we had no firm agenda. We just rented motorcycles and cars and went from there.

We ended up spending three weeks in each country in this order: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia/Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

How did you prepare financially?

Like I said, we had kind of always planned to do something like this. We started budgeting for a long-term trip early on. It was probably a total of one or one and a half years of saving, but then six months of more intense saving leading up to our trip. In those six months we cut a lot of unnecessary expense out of our lives. We stopped eating out, using cable and paying for other unnecessary things. In addition we only had one car between the two of us.

We actually didn’t pay for any flights because we took advantage of credit card points. This is key.

We also set a budget for ourselves before we started our trip. With the exception of Australia and New Zealand, we could stretch the dollar really far in every country we traveled to. We knew that Australia and New Zealand would be more expensive and spent about 60% of our budget during the first month of our trip because of these locations. In contrast, places in Southeast Asia were inexpensive. For example, in Vietnam we spent roughly $10 a night on lodging and a meal would cost about $4 for the both of us.

In addition, a majority of our stays were at Airbnb’s. It’s easy to find lodging through Airbnb in practically any country for affordable prices.

What was the best place you went?

Shane’s favorite place was Vietnam. We also really loved Bali, New Zealand and Turkey too.

What was the best experience of your trip?

A few of our favorite experiences were bungee jumping in New Zealand, a motorcycle food tour in Vietnam, and a hot air balloon ride in Turkey.

We had some guide books for activities, but a lot of things we found through travel blogs and meeting people along the way and asking for recommendations.

Do you have any travel plans for the future? Where’s your next destination?

The next trip we have planned is to southern France. We are traveling there to help with a photography workshop that one of our good friends is putting on.

We would like to work on continually building in time for longer trips, but because of our jobs we probably won’t make quite as big a trip in the near future.

We’re hoping to work towards going to South Africa. Shane is constantly playing games with credit cards to find ways of racking up reward points to use on airfare.

How can students start preparing now for a life of travel?

Talk with the people in the study abroad office and those that have studied abroad or gone on ICO trips. There are opportunities to work abroad as well that professors can help you with. Shane lived in Tanzania for a summer by just sending out dozens of emails to companies in other countries.

Be creative and do research. Talk to professors and other students about what you wanna do and how you can get there. I knew I wanted to study abroad but I did it in the summer so that I would get credit but didn’t miss a semester on campus. Research different options and what would be best for you.

Destination recommendation?

We went to Austria a few months ago which was awesome.

We also took a trip to Iceland a couple of years ago. We are pretty obsessed with it and think everyone should go. Its accessible, and affordable.