This picture is located in Atocha Train station in the Southern Part of Madrid, Spain. This is a monument erected for those who have lost their lives in the 2004 Bombings in Madrid. If you look carefully there are words of peace on these walls in many different languages.

It’s sad to see things like this in the world. Everyone is subject to hardship. It doesn’t discriminate. I don’t know what it is like to lose someone due to terrorist attacks. I am not one to speak of that, but there is something to say when you walk into a room like this one and one reads these sayings on these walls. It’s almost like a sanctuary. There is an automatic quietude and force that makes one walk slowly.

Everyone is subject to Peace. It doesn’t discriminate?

This picture is of 3 Namibian women that we met one afternoon while waiting outside a building. Although they did not speak much English, and we knew very little Afrikaans, we tried to chat with them while we waited. Even though we realized the communication was going to be mostly smiles, gestures, and pointing, we were still able to get a feel of their culture and personalities. My friends and I were only in Namibia for a week, but all of us were amazed at how much we could learn and observe in just that short time. Being able to compare another African country to South Africa, as well as other places we traveled, enabled us to gain an even broader perspective of the continent.

Londoners often take to parks when they have free time; lounging in the sun with a good book, or playing a game with their kids, whatever their activity, a park seems to be the perfect location for their needs. Speaker’s Corner occurs on Sundays at Hyde Park, and this is an event that we knew we had to be a part of at least once in our stay abroad.   This picture captures one particular speaker that caught my eye, who was speaking out about the differences in religious practices.  He really opened my eyes to how simple it can be to state your mind to others, just because you want to and have the privilege to do so. You don’t have to be hostile or resentful, and if you are open to arguments, then the public will show respect and be open to what you have to say.

I took this picture just outside the Catedral de Sevilla in Spain. Andalucia is the southern section of Spain, where Sevilla is located. This part of Spain is my favorite because everybody is so friendly and outgoing that they make you feel at home. I like this picture because I think it shows in one glimpse what Sevilla really is. A sunny town, full of history and flamenco culture and of course, its original orangy smell due to the orange trees all around the place. Its atmosphere indulges people to relax, enjoy and have fun.

While walking through the relatively modern city of Pisa, Italy, we were searching for the Leaning Tower as well as taking in the city.  Suddenly, I looked to my left, and noticed the tower and its interesting contrast with the surrounding buildings.  As one of the most iconic buildings in the world, I was taken aback at first, as I was not expecting it, and decided to capture the humorous moment.  While the city of Pisa almost seems to be just another Italian village, the Tower takes it to a whole new level.  The locals think of it as nothing more than ordinary, yet to outsiders it seems quite extraordinary.   As I look back on my experience abroad, I am still amazed at the monuments I saw during my travels. 

Studying Abroad was the most unforgettable experience of my life.  There are so many clichés that I could use to describe what it was like to study abroad, but I constantly feel like I am at a loss for words.  Between living in London and traveling to several different countries, the cultures and the people that I grew accustomed to taught me so much about my self and opened my eyes to an entire world I had never known before.  Sure I was able to learn about the politics, society, and business world of a foreign country, but the most incredible lesson I learned was to be an independent and confident person in an unfamiliar place half way around the world.  That was the ultimate experience.  And in the times I struggled, the other TCU students became not only my friends, but my family.  I now have such a unique relationship with each one of them that I will cherish forever.  I only hope that I can one day return to that amazing city and relive some of the best memories of my life.

This picture captures the beauty and tranquility of Italian life. Spending a weekend in Venice really put my life in perspective. The people there have such a passion for life. They don’t make it harder or more stressful than it needs to be.  They simply appreciate the beauty around them and live one day at a time.  I will try to incorporate these values into my life at home.

During our canopy walk in the rainforest, my class and I saw a dead, overgrown tree.  Vines had grown up and over the tree to form a heart shape.  I realized then that this heart is a symbol of Costa Rica.  Costa Ricans have put so much effort into saving their rainforest and their land.  The only reason we were able to see the heart tree was because someone wanted to save the rainforest enough that they bought the land and invited people to come and visit it.  They chose not to let it be chopped down and destroyed.  Preservation is one of the main focuses for the Costa Rican people.  The rainforest really is where their heart is. 

While abroad I decided to acculturate myself with as many customs as possible because I wanted to experience and appreciate living life in a different way. While walking down one of the oldest streets in Rotterdam, The Netherlands I caught this glimpse of two Dutch men walking in the snow on my camera. Not only was I in awe over the light snow shower that blanketed Rotterdam that day, but also with the fact that Rotterdamers, and the Dutch in general are such laid back and easy going people. The Dutch still ride their bikes and walk to work, etc. during snow storms. So I did, too. Thrity minutes later when I had reached school I was cold, wet, and couldn't feel my nose, but instead of getting mad or frustrated that I had to walk 30 minutes uphill in the snow, I brushed the flurries out of my hair and took a Dutch-like approach. I smiled.

This picture is a woman and “Granddaughter” walking up the steps to the top of the old Roman Aqueduct. This is a great portrayal of Old vs. New not only in that the people in the picture are young/old but that the Roman Aqueducts are very old and the pizza place right below them is very modern (not seen in picture).

To be honest, it’s hard to see American Culture living in America. It needs to be contrasted with some place else because all I have ever known is America and my mindset is America.  Before going, I imagined Spaniards, Europeans if that, to be proud of what they have and for some reason, they would always sit and just be in awe of everything around them. Silly American. That’s what I got from this picture. Why weren’t these two people basking in the awe of the long-lasting, no-mortar-but-still-standing, ancient Roman Aqueducts? They are something to be inspired by, right? But just like me, they have walked by the same stuff all their lives, and overtime it loses its cool factor.

Study abroad was needed.

This picture is in Milan, Italy in one of the only areas of the city that still has ancient buildings.  The rest of the city is fairly modern as the bombings during WWII changed it forever, ridding it of many of its historical wonders.  While walking through this park, I was able to realize that Italians value taking time to enjoy the day, rather than rush through life as we tend to do.  My values were not necessarily challenged, but I definitely reexamined them and learned to appreciate the smaller things in life, such as a walk in the park, spending an afternoon reading a book, or other similar things.   

For me, a conventional hike is going from base to summit, looking at an incredible view, eating lunch, and hiking back down, until I hiked to Cathedral Cove in New Zealand. My fellow travelers and I stopped at the top of an outlook with beautiful views of the ocean, and were told that there was a good hike which would lead us down and away from this spectacular view. Many of us were skeptical that a hike down would be rewarding, so we were mostly of the mindset that we should stay at the top for a minute before continuing our travels. Eventually, one by one, we began to make our way down to Cathedral Cove. Every single person who ended up at the cove had their breath completely taken away; the beauty amazed us. After the hike, I realized that my original perception of a hike was wrong. There are multiple ways to reach a desired summit, and in this case, the "summit" could not be reached without hiking down.

This photo was taken in Koln, Germany. I was looking up at the Koln Cathedral which is one of the world's largest churches. While we were taking walking tours around Koln with our professor, he was telling us about the history of the Church. He told us about how much damage the city of Koln undertook during World War II. Basically everything around the Church was obliterated because of bombing, but Allied pilots were told to aim away from the Cathedral. They didn't want to ruin this fascinating structure. While our study abroad group was there, the cathedral was actually being renovated and furthered restored. This is what made me realize Germany's spirit even more in addition to the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. To complement their remorse for actions in World War II, they are also dedicated to preserving their culture and important monuments around the country that represent their culture. The Cathedral of Koln is a significant monument that represents and contains much of Germany's history and culture. My values were tested because I believed Germany was full of war mongers and people who just wanted to fight. This is all based on American television and Hollywood. I am glad I've been able to actually go to Germany myself and experience the world from their point of view.

I took this picture during Jool Week at my university, which was a week long competition between all of the residences. My res was named ‘Metanoia’, which is a Greek word meaning ‘change of heart, change of mind’. This picture has strong meaning because my res was the only one on campus that was mixed with white, coloured, and black students, even though all three racial groups are represented at the university. Seeing one of the South African students from my res holding the ‘No Racism’ sign sent a powerful message that those students were determined to move forward, despite the country’s history. 

This photo was taken in Lagos, Portugal.  This particular photo is from the western most point on the European continent, which was thought to be the end of the Earth for quite some time.  Since Portugal is on the ocean, seafood is huge part of the local diet. Before I went to Europe, I never really liked fish or any other seafood for that matter.  I am not a very picky eater, but when I have the choice, I won’t choose fish.  On these trips, however, I didn’t really have a choice and I was basically forced to eat fish and all other types of seafood. Rather than complain about it and try to get a hamburger or something like that, I went in with an open mind and decided to try new things.  Most of the food actually turned out to be pretty good, even some of the fish that I probably wouldn’t have ever even thought of trying at home. In the end I am really glad that I did try all the new foods because I feel that is also part of the experience.

Trafalgar Square became one of my favorite parts of London for the very reason that I resisted the city to begin with: it was always buzzing with the hums of city-life. It truly represents the heart of London. There are six streets that converge on its giant plaza, and its home to several monuments, the National Gallery, and millions of pigeons. I took this picture in the last few hours of my semester abroad, and I’ll never forget the feeling that I experienced while taking in my last views of the city. It was a realization, a knowledge, that I would never feel truly alive again unless I was living a city, a city just like this.

At the beginning of April my friends and I went to the first bullfight of the season. Before we purchased tickets I did not want to go, and even during the first fight I hid my eyes so as not to see an innocent animal being killed. After a few minutes of being in the ring my feelings began to change. I looked around and noticed that everyone from grandmothers to small children were in awe of the grace and technique the matadors possessed. I pictured a bullfight to be a loud rucas of blood and gore, but it was quite the opposite. The audience was silent as they watched with the utmost attention and clapped when the bullfighters  showed exceptional skill.  I slowly became more accepting of this tradtion and even enjoyed watching the festivities by the end.  I left the ring have much more appreciation for this sport and realized I could adapt to almost any tradition after that afternoon.  

Unless you’re willing to pay the price, Venice is NOT for lovers.  Yes, Venice is beautiful, romantic, and on an engineering level, quite stunning.  But at 78 Euros a gondola ride, shopping stores lining all the roads, and over priced food and merchandize, you and your once happy lover will be lucky to escape Venice alive.  Venice is one of those special places that first drowns you in your debt, only to eventually drown you again in its rising waters.  A welcome sign would more appropriately read, “Lovers, ye be warned” complete with the standard skull and crossbones and euro signs in the eyes.  See it before you die, but be mindful of who you decide to bring along.

This picture was taken in Hyde Park, which is a located in Central London, and is one of the Royal Parks of London. Still in the beginning weeks of our time abroad, we had stopped in the park for some time to journal, take in the park life, and decide where we would be heading off to next on our afternoon off. This picture perfectly depicts a common activity for our group; much time was spent scouring the city maps as we figured out how to get to where we wanted to go. In the beginning of the trip, we were unfamiliar with the city, and relied heavily on our maps to help us get around. Despite this, there were still times that we got lost, turned around, showed up late somewhere, all because we didn’t know where we were going. By the end of the trip though, we had found the happy medium that exists between dependence on a map and our own intuition. We even happily accepted new adventures and destinations so that we could explore and remind ourselves that we can be independent, and survive on our own in foreign places.

This picture is a constant reminder of our accomplishments, and also of the fun that can be had even when things don’t go quite as planned.

This picture is located at my Senora’s House looking out the window through the clotheslines and into a Spanish neighborhood.  I am not one to dress in style or in some ornate fashion. I wear comfortable clothes. I think I wore the same 2 pairs of shorts and 5 solid color t-shirts all 5 weeks of my stay there. I was sure creative there, wasn’t I?

I learned that if you want to survive in another country, you must be willing to take risks, and in that, you can’t confine yourself into your hostel or room.  When I first arrive, I got my luggage and I set off to find my Senora’s house. I only had a description of the family, the name of the street and apartment complex number. After circling the school a thousand times to find it so I can get more of a direct location, I found that it was closed.  Never have using the Metro before, I hopped on it and located my metro stop after spending quite some time looking at a map that the Info station had given me. I found my street and I did that by using the metro stop correctly on the First TRY!!!! I found the apartment complex…but there were 4 floors of duplexes. I was stressed at this point. But, I heard a small boy cry and I knew that my senora had a 4 year-old. I knocked on the door, and it was her!!! I had done it. I found it.  So, be bold when you are in a new place. Don’t be comfortable. You will never learn.

As I stood in a pod of the revolving London Eye and gazed over the city at sunset, I felt on top of the world.  I was filled with an immense sense of pride and happiness that I had fulfilled my goal of coming to London to student teach, and I was having the most wonderful time.  My entire experience in England has given me the self confidence to set high goals for myself, because now I have proof I can achieve them.

This photo captures so much more than me repelling upside down.  It symbolizes overcoming fears, facing challenges head on, pushing yourself beyond your limits, and enjoying whatever situation life gives you.  Despite my apprehensions, I dove into a completely different culture and was able to accomplish more than I ever expected.  For me, this picture is an everlasting memory that you can do more than you think you can, if you just push yourself over the edge and never let anything hold you back. 

One weekend, we decided to push our limits and do something we had never done-- skydiving. To experience such an incredible event in the Swiss Alps made it even more amazing. Each of us overcame our fear and made the jump. This picture truly captures our sense of accomplishment and excitement in what we did that day. After our jump, we felt like we could conquer anything.

This photo shows just one aspect of my volunteer work while abroad in the Dominican Republic.  Every day for one month, I and one other American were in charge of 50 Dominican children with unstable home lives.  Here, I can be seen teaching the children the basics of English.  Although resources and help were scarce, overcoming these challenges and watching the children learn presented me with a unique sense of accomplishment that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life.  While I know that most of the kids will probably forget me as time goes by, I hope that I have at least left a lasting impression on them.

A hop-skip away from Europe, I took the advantage of my proximity to Egypt and finally crossed off the Sphinx and Giza Pyramids from my list of things to see/do before I die.  Going solo into such a foreign place was quite intimidating to say the least, but the sense of accomplishment after surviving every taxi ride, a 10 hour night train ride to and from Luxor, and a hot air-balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings will remain with me till the day I actually do die.  Along my journey I met some amazing travelers and locals who welcomed me into a world that has renewed my faith in the kindness of mankind.

One of the things that I made sure I was going to do while I was studying abroad in Europe was travel to Greece. This picture is from the Greek island of Mykonos at sunset, which I feel are some of the best sunsets that I have ever seen. Apart from the learning experience, I also wanted to do a lot of traveling while in Europe, which I feel like I did successfully. I planned trips to multiple countries, many of which I could not speak the native language. I was a little nervous sometimes stepping off the plane in a foreign country and not knowing exactly where I was going next, but I always had my friends with me and everything always worked out in the end. All that traveling really gives you lots of self confidence because after you successfully travel for 10 days straight and visit four different European countries and then make it back to the United States, you feel like anything else piece of cake.

There I was, standing alone on the edge of the platform. The only thing between me and the bottom of the canyon was 440 ft. of mist and air. My pulse was racing, my body was shaking. The nerves had been building since I first considered bungee jumping months before. Every last thought was completely consumed with the jump. The 440 ft. jump. The straps had all been tightened and the instructor was counting down: three, two, one... I jumped. I began to pray for the bungee to

tighten, to hold onto me, I prayed for me to stop falling, and then I felt it; thank the Lord I felt the bungee. Relief spread through my body followed shortly by a rush of adrenaline like I had never experienced. I made it! I hung, in solitude, in the middle of the canyon, taking in each breath and feeling the air rush back into my lungs. I had taken the plunge, the leap of faith, and in that moment, the world opened up to me: I could now accomplish anything.

I took this picture as I was biking with friends in my program on an adventure out on an island, Schiermonnikoog, in the north of the Netherlands.    

In the Netherlands, biking is a huge part of practical society and the Dutch culture, but is an aspect that I was legitimately worried about before departing for my abroad experience.  I was terrified about riding a bike because of an accident I had about ten years ago.  It means so much to me to be able to conquer such a deep-rooted fear and perform well in a different culture.  Biking on such a small trail with many people is normally greatly out of my comfort zone, but after many months of forced practice in such a busy city, I became strangely confident in this new talent of mine.  This small change contributed to my change as a person more than anything.  As I have tried to show here, it is not necessarily the four months together that made my experience worth while; it is all the small things over time on which I am still reflecting that have permanently changed my world view.

This photo was taken atop the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany.  This was a very interesting piece of architecture to me because of the idea behind its structure and purpose.  It was built as a memorial to the multitudes of murdered Jews of Europe during World War II.  It was built like this to somewhat symbolize graves of the many Jews murdered, but because of the circumstances not allowing them to be identified, there are massive concrete blocks intended to pay tribute to them.  There is much controversy over the memorial because of its concept.  Some have argued that there are no religious marks or any descriptions hinting at Judaism.  Others argue that not only Jews were murdered in the holocaust so this memorial cannot include all of those killed.  However, I think it is very touching and actually an intellectual concept.  Just as those two arguments are present, I think the fact that there are no religious marks but just blank concrete stones helps pay tribute to all those who were unfortunate and had to die in the holocaust.  The unmarked graves can encompass all of those souls. 

This photo was taken in Sagres, Portugal.  It was once considered the end of the world.  It was an amazing feeling standing and looking out to the open sea.  Wondering what men of the past had once stood there being certain that there was nothing out beyond the crashing waves. My visit to Sagres made me realize that as a college student I have the entire world ahead of me.  Whether I am in Spain for the semester, Fort Worth for college or anywhere else the wind blows me, there is always an open sea of opportunity and many wonders that are waiting for me.  All I have to do is believe there is something new out there and believe that the end of the world is far beyond what the eye can see.

There are not many places where you can have a view like this just by walking out your backdoor.  The Arenal volcano is a natural phenomenon. As the volcano is an active volcano, you can see where recent lava flow has scarred the side of the mountain.  With a volcano out the backdoor of your room, you know you aren’t in Texas anymore.

The beauty of the countryside and the dedication of the people to the conservation of their land has made me forever respect Costa Rica and those who live in it.  The people really understand that their land is worth fighting for. By implementing ecotourism, they have found a way preserve the rainforests and beautiful beaches and boost their economy at the same time.  Studying abroad in Costa Rica was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.