Why do people say Thursday is the new Friday? It’s not. Thursdays are the “oh man it’s almost Friday but I gotta keep going until tomorrow” day. Thursday is just the last day until it’s Friday.
Oh, hi. I didn’t see you there. I’m not sure why you’re reading this…whether you’re a student, alumni, or prospective student…or if you’re interested in studying abroad…..anyway, my name is Landon Zinda, and I’m a junior at Gustavus. For spring semester, I’ll be going to South Africa on an SIT (School for International Training) program. But before that, I’ll be spending a J-Term with UMAIE (Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education) in England, France, and Belgium. Right after that I’ll be spending a week with my friends in Italy before flying straight to South Africa. But before all that, in one hour, I’m flying to Michigan to see my girlfriend one last time before all this happens. She’s going to Ireland for the semester as well.
I first got interested in studying abroad through traveling Jterms. I have traveled around every January Term before this year, going to the east coast of the US, and Ireland. Also, for last spring break, I did a missions trip in the Dominican Republic. It’s actually fun to live independently in a different culture. The decision to spend four months away was not easy, though. I never really made the final decision that I was going until I booked the flights. I applied and made a deposit, but I was still deciding. Ultimately I’m glad with the decision that I made, but if you’re considering studying abroad, don’t feel as though you absolutely have to know right now. Give yourself time to decide, and you’ll make the right choice. I also specifically chose a program where I would not just go to another college somewhere else in the world. I wanted a “real life” education, where I was put directly into the culture and learned from the people living there. The best way to really understand (as opposed to learn) is to experience what you’re studying.
So I have a lot of flights ahead of me, and no guaranteed internet connection when I’m down there. I’ll make an attempt to post regularly, but I can’t guarantee anything. When I get back from Michigan and before I head out to Europe, I’ll try to tell you a little bit more about my interests and why I chose the program I did. Until then, hope your Christmas was great and your break from school even better.