GLOBAL EXPERIENCES
UF NaviGators International
I first learned about UF NaviGators International in 2019 when a friend recommended that I become an American mentor to an international student. I have always wanted to meet friends from other countries, but it was a bit difficult to find other international students that were on exchange at UF. I joined the organization in Fall 2019 where I was introduced by my first mentee, who was from Riga, Latvia and was studying at UF for her undergraduate degree. At first, it was a bit strange, as I did not know a lot about Latvia or its culture. However, she was able to introduce me to Latvian culture, customs, and a little bit of the language. After that, I was matched with a student from Murcia, Spain who was on exchange at UF for a semester. Unfortunately, she was sent home around spring break due to COVID. Now, I have been matched with two students, one from Bilbao, Spain, and the other from London, England, and they have become some of my closest friends! My friend, Alba, is studying at UF for her Master’s degree in Hispanic linguistics, and her and I try to meet at least once a week for lunch. It's amazing that we have gotten along so well, as we have the same interests and the same sense of humor. Over the past 2.5 years, I have met so many students from all over the world, and it has been so much fun attending events in the organization as well as locally throughout Gainesville. Some of my favorite experiences with my mentees are when we would grab lunch or coffee between classes, because I loved the types of individualized conversations we would share. Truly, I feel as if I have met some of my best friends through this organization, and I hope to travel overseas to visit some of them in the future!
Language Application in Mexico
During the summer of 2021, I visited the city of Merida in the Mexican state of Yucatan. There, I was able to not only experience the local Mexican culture, but also Mayan culture as well, as this was not a tourist destination. Our accommodation was located in a small village called Chochola, which is outside the state’s capital city of Merida. The property was a converted hacienda, with a mixture of influences from the Maya and the Spanish as well. On the property, we were immersed in Mayan rituals and traditions, and we were also able to enjoy many unique experiences as well, such as making our own chocolate from cacao grown on the premises. We also got to see traditional dances from the local children, which I even got to participate in. I’ll never forget the feeling of sitting outside in the grass, with the beaming sun on my face and iguanas scurrying around me. My favorite excursion was when my dad and I went to see Chichen Itza and stopped by the city of Merida to see the local city. There, we were able to browse the local shops and the largest market, where we ate some of the best street food I have ever tasted. I was so excited to finally taste authentic Mexican tacos and little candies that were surprisingly very spicy and flavorful. This was the first time I had ever been in a situation where I was surrounded by people who spoke no English, therefore it was an excellent opportunity for me to utilize my years of Spanish, especially with my background in collegiate-level Spanish learning. I was fortunate enough to share that language in common with the people I met, which granted me the privilege of communicating with the local people, who treated me with such kindness. I will never forget my time here.
Historical Experiences in London
In the Spring semester of 2019, I enrolled in courses such as "The European Experience", "Geography of Europe", and "Development of World Civilizations", as I truly wanted to take classes with a European focus. I was able to connect all of these courses during my trip to London for Spring Break, which was my first solo trip out of the country! I had previously visited London, but I truly wanted to have my own experiences there without my family (even though I love to travel with them). Throughout my time there, I tried to get a very diverse view of the city, so I went to many different neighborhoods throughout different sections of the city. One of my favorite neighborhoods was Camden Town, as there were many secondhand shops and little “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants and cafes. There, I got to have lunch at a tea house that was hidden away in a basement, which was such a unique experience. One of my favorite experiences was visiting the vast amounts of museums London had to offer, such as the British Museum, Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert, and the Museum of Natural History. Something I appreciated about London was the fact that these museums are free, and the general public and tourists have the ability to view such historical masterpieces and artifacts for free. In the British Museum, I was fortunate enough to be able to witness incredible anthropogenic achievements, such as the Rosetta Stone, as well as ancient relics and artifacts that we discussed in my classes! I also particularly enjoyed the Victoria & Albert exhibits focused on medieval and early modern artifacts as well. These not only tied in with my European focused classes, but my archaeological and world civilizations focused classes as well, as I got to finally see many of the ancient artifacts that we discussed in some of my courses, such as the Elgin marbles.
