Local Adventures
Many Global UGRAD students are planning trips for fall break, but this week we asked them to share about anything they’ve done locally, from walking around campus to heading out into the local community to learn more about where they are living this semester. Below, you can hear from them in their own words about their local adventures.
Hi everyone! I’m Amanda from a beautiful country called Kyrgyzstan! Now I’m studying at Western Kentucky University which is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky (yeah, this is where KFC was founded). I really like the atmosphere of the university. People here are so nice! Everyone goes to their classes in the morning. Some by bus, some walk, and some on a scooter, enjoying the morning weather and coffee from Starbucks. Everyone lines up for a delicious meal during lunch time. After lunch, some studies, some go to the gym and some go to work. And in the evening you can see some students laying on a hammock and listening to music. In short, I’m enjoying my student life!
One of the most interesting I found here is that the campus is quite large. So the university provides buses and scooters for students to get from one place to another. There are a lot of opportunities to engage in various sports and activities at my university. Anytime I can go to the sport center to do dribbling or shooting. Usually, I play volleyball and swim on the weekends. Also, there are a lot of activities starting from yoga to dancing. I really love it because sport is important for me to stay healthy.
Amanda Kadyrbekova, Kyrgyzstan, Western Kentucky University
I enjoyed my weekend! Happily, I made a new friend who took me on a tour around Manhattan city. We walked to the downtown and saw one of the most beautiful and largest lakes in Kansas state, named Tuttle Creek Lake.
Frenky De Araujo, Timor-Leste, Kansas State University
I’ve had several adventures in the United States. First, I went to the Boise River and did rafting there for two hours; it’s such a beautiful and clean river. Second, I went hiking twice. One of them was a two-mile hike and the other was 13-mile hike which was too long, to be honest, but it was completely worth it. The first hiking trail is called table rock hike and the second is stack rock hike. Third, I also went to the Capitol building in Boise, but didn’t go in. I just looked at it from outside; however, I plan to go in one day. Fourth, I tried a couple of Mexican restaurants here in Boise, and it was my first time ever trying Mexican food, and it was great! Fifth, one of my American friends took me in his convertible supercar on a ride on a curvy road up the mountains of Boise. This was my first time riding a supercar (as a passenger of course). Sixth, I went to the sand dunes in Boise and watched the stars there when it got dark. This was my first time seeing the night sky clearly without light pollution because it was an isolated place (more like a desert). Sixth, I tried line dancing with country music although I couldn’t dance well, but it was a new experience for me. Seventh, I attended an American football game, and I enjoyed all the stuff they do at the beginning, although it got boring after a while because I don’t understand the rules. Eighth, I attended a hot air balloon event in Boise.
Bassel Attia, Egypt, Boise State University
We had a cool trip a couple of weeks ago. We visited the French Quarter, which has a lot of interesting places and is just in front of the Mississippi River. Then we went to Louis Armstrong Park and City Park. The latter is a really huge park with places like the Art Museum and the Sculpture Garden. The WWII Museum was another of our destinations, we spent four hours there – it was pretty cool.
Jefferson Delgado, Costa Rica, Xavier University of Louisiana
I have been to Branson, which is a city in Missouri. It is 30 minutes away from Springfield. I really enjoyed that trip because I flew in a helicopter for the first time. Other than that I went to Silver Dollar City which had a lot of rides and great food. On the other hand, I’ve been to one of my American friend’s house, which is at the Ozarks and I had the chance to meet her family as well. They were so sweet and considerate. To illustrate, they got me Halal food and invited me over for dinner. We enjoyed our night together and had a bonfire as well.
Wejdan Alahmed, Saudi Arabia, Missouri State University
This past week was really good. I attended a local jazz concert, although it was on campus because we have an auditorium in one of the halls, it was still organized by other groups outside the university. I love jazz, so having the chance to attend a jazz orchestra concert was the highlight of my week. They were really good and I met one of the musicians who is Latin American, too.
Silvia Alvarenga, Paraguay, SUNY Plattsburgh