GeoVisions

Well, I have been here for five days already, hard to believe! There is so much to see and do here and I am lucky to have this week to explore the city. That itself, is quite the experience! Having never been on a subway or public bus system in the U.S., I got quite a bit of anxiety thinking about how I was going to maneuver it here in this foreign country! My host parents are very helpful, though, and I have successfully rode the metro and the bus (and made it to the correct places!) I got to see Plaza Mayor and all of the stores and historic buildings around there. The streets are very confusing and it ...

Eight months ago, I turned in my application. Four months ago, I got my host family. Tomorrow morning, I am getting on a plane and leaving the country. It still feels a little unreal, like I can't believe I will actually be in Spain this Friday. I am beyond excited and definitely a little nervous too. I have never been outside of the U.S., and while I have taken several years of Spanish, it will still be very different fully emerged in it. I have wanted to go to Spain since the beginning of high school and now it is finally happening. I can't wait to see what this summer will bring! I'm finally al...

I still can't get over how beautiful Malaga is. Last night, Irene took me on a tour of the city, and I wanted to take pictures of everything! I bought some postcards and she bought me a frozen lemonade. There is a huge cathedral here that you can see from almost every street in Malaga. I got to see the path along the beach, shops, restaurants, supermarkets, etc. We then went into a place that made homemade sidra (cider), and at first I thought it was like apple cider back home. I was wrong; it had alcohol and the server had to pour the cider from the bottle above his head so there would be foam. It was pr...

I'm currently in Vologda, Russia. It is a small and quiet city. To me, I think this is one of the REAL Russia cities that I will experience because this is not a tourist destination. This is like the country side so there are less people. People here seem friendlier or possibly shy. I have seen more Vietnamese people here in Vologda than any other places in Russia so far. The buildings are old and run down, but it is what it is. It is a nice place so I'm not complaining! Surprisingly, the bus ride is cheap! 16 rubles, that's like 50 cents for a bus ride, compare to Moscow buses that cost 30-35 rubles. Don...

Hello from Spain! I can't believe this is my third day here in Malaga. I wanted to write in here the first day I landed, but I was so exhausted/overwhelmed that I just couldn't muster up the energy. I have some free time now, so I thought this would be the perfect time to share my experiences thus far! Day 1: Oh, what a day. Firstly, I slept a total of ONE HOUR...(my friends know that I need at least 8 hours of sleep in order to function/not be completely insane) so that was an adjustment for me. First I landed in Ireland, and then from there I came to Malaga. When I landed, I immediate...

Rule 1 - Get a backpack. You can get a really good "fake North Face" or a real one, up to you. Either way, in order to backpack South East Asia, you need a backpack, otherwise, you will be rolling your bags everywhere. And, believe me, its not really comfortable to roll your bag on the beach. Plus, you will look geeky and you will envy people who have awesome backpacks and who say things like "I backpacked Europe last year and carried this small bag with me."  Rule 2- Pack light. Pack what you need. Tees and shorts, flip flops, sneakers, one pair of  long pants, a sweat...

My name is Sarah Vance, and I’m 24 years old. I was born and raised in central Louisiana, and lived with my mom, dad, and brother until attending college at the age of 18. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2010 at the age of 21 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. I began recruiting in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Louisiana Tech University in January 2011 and have been there about 2.5 years. This is my story.....

At the beginning of June, I am quitting my job of 2.5 years at Louisiana Tech University to do some traveling. All plans are not yet finalized, but everything is currently in the works. I’ll be leaving on June 11th for about a month to travel around the eastern U.S. First, I’ll spend a week in Nashville with a friend and attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival. From there I’m flying into Philadelphia to meet a friend and spend the day exploring the city followed by a short drive to Dover Delaware to attend the east coast’s music festival, Firefly. From there, I will most likely spe...

Can you believe its been a year since graduation? I remember attending your graduation sometime in May. I remember smiling, posing and taking a million pictures. We all looked very sharp. We were all very happy but sad but happy all at the same time. I remember having lots of dinners and conversations revolving the rest of our lives. I mean, what happens now? Some  had job offers. Some started their jobs in July. Others had contracts. Others were back at the parents' house, not knowing where to start. How do you look for the job of your dreams without a proper resume?  I had a plan....

Of course I was terrified. In fact, I was so scared, I was shaking badly when I landed in Japan. I remember breaking down in the bathroom.  WTH was I doing? Back then, I thought I would do "this" for 9 months and head back,  I mean, I had a plan. I would go back to MD and  get my masters degree.  Maybe get a real job. Maybe join the Peace Corps.  But whatever plans I had last year, make no sense today. That's the thing about plans, right? They change. But back then, I had everything under control. I knew what I was doing. Sure.  The next 90 something days ...