Peace Out, Fayetteville: Getting Ready #HogsAbroad in Belgium

One more final. That is all that stands in between me and my study abroad. Oh, and a lot of packing.

Hello, everyone! If you didn’t know already, I will soon be heading to Ghent, Belgium on the U of A’s Sustainability in the Agro-Food Chain study abroad trip. I am beyond excited for this experience, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you!

The reason that I selected this study abroad trip was because it fit so closely with my major, Biological Engineering. We study food, water, and energy, and how they can be managed to be more sustainable. During this study abroad course, we will be learning about plant and animal production, biogas, aquaculture, the circular economy, environmental biotechnology, sustainable water management, and some Belgian staples: chocolate and beer. I hope to work with water in the future, so I am especially looking forward to learning about water management, as well as aquaculture. The topic of the circular economy also is a great interest. In today’s culture, we have a very linear economy, meaning we use items once and throw them away. I am very interested in learning more about the building blocks of a circular economy, so that I can apply those ideas to my life and future job. Lastly, learning about the science of chocolate and how it is made will be so fun. I have always been a fan of learning more about food: how it is made, where it comes from, and the social significance behind it. Getting to eat the food afterwards is always a plus, too.

Besides learning, I am ready to dive into another culture, eat new foods, and find my way around a new city. During these two weeks, I hope I can be open minded and become Belgian for a short time. The city is very bikeable (something I can’t quite say about the hills of Fayetteville) and many people get around that way. We get to rent bikes that we can take to and from school each day. Within 2 blocks of our hostel, there are TWO Catholic Churches, and many more throughout the city. I’ve already checked out the Mass times and open visiting hours. I’m a little excited, to say the least. The cultural aspect I am most ready to learn about though, is food. I have never been one to shy away from food (except for the occasional casserole), and I am excited to try all of the flavors that Belgium has to offer. Some tips that I have heard from past travelers include: try the coffee, waffles, and chocolates, as well as cultural dishes like moules et frites (mussels and fries) and carbonnade flamande (a Flemish stew).

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog! I will be posting new updates about twice a week, so make sure to come back to hear more about my trip. I would love to let you know about everything that I am learning, seeing, and doing! As always, thank you for any thoughts or prayers you send my way, they are greatly appreciated.

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My name is Maddie, and I am a 4th year engineering student. This May, I will be traveling to Ghent, Belgium to learn about Sustainability in the Euro Food System. I can't wait to learn more about green practices and share them with you all!

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Biological Engineering major Maddie Oxner is spending the May intersession 2018 in Belgium with our U of A Faculty-Led: Sustainability in the Euro Food System with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the College of Engineering Study Abroad Grant.

Read more from Maddie at at sites.uark.edu/mjoxner

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