#HogsAbroad Frequent Flyer

Our office at 520 Storer Avenue is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM!

Our featured country of the month is...China!

Follow these links for more information about why you should consider studying abroad in China.

• Check out our article in the Newswire!
• See our blog for more in-depth information on programs available in China!

Save the Date for our STUDY ABROAD FAIR! 

Study Abroad Fair, Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Arkansas Union International Connections Lounge, 10:00 AM– 2:00 PM Wishing you had studied abroad this summer? Don’t miss another opportunity; get started at the Study Abroad Fair this September! Come meet with faculty, past participants, and program representatives. Get information on the U of A Rome Center, U of A faculty-led programs, U of A exchange programs, and other approved program provider options! You can also get funding and scholarship information. Study abroad programs are available for all majors, so stop by to learn how to turn your scholastic dreams into a reality!

HogsAbroad 101 Drop-In Advising
EVERY WEEKDAY, 3:00-5:00 PM
Study Abroad House 

Want to study abroad but don’t know where to start? Stop by our office during Drop-In Advising hours to learn the basics—program types, locations, housing options, scholarships, etc. Peer mentors are available to help you review your options for study abroad and start searching for a program.

Upcoming Events
Info Meeting

Honors Passport: Sicily (January Intersession 2019)

GEAR, Honors Lounge, 5:00 - 6:00 PM

Come learn about Honors Passport: Sicily! This faculty-led program will take place during the January Intersession and allows students to explore Sicily's mosaic culture through the lens of its art, architecture, and archaeology. Visit the program brochure & application page for more information!

Info Meetings

International Business Seminar in Ireland (Summer 2019)

WJWH 302

-Monday, September 10, 2018: 5:30-7:30 PM

-Monday, September 24, 2018: 5:30-7:30 PM

-Wednesday, October 3, 2018: 7-9 PM

Come learn about the faculty-led International Business Seminar in Ireland! This faculty-led program will take place during the summer of 2019 and provides students with insights into Irish culture and history as well as international business and economic environment in the European Union. Visit the program brochure & application page for more information!

Rome Center Information Meeting

Monday, September 10, 2018

MAIN 417, 4:30 PM

Interested in studying at the University of Arkansas Rome Center? Come to this information session to learn all about the semester program, including location, amenities, the application process, the curriculum, and more! Visit studyabroad.uark.edu/romecenter for more information.

Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Information Sessions

Friday, September 7, 2018: WLLC, 2-3 PM

Monday, September 10, 2018: WLLC, 1-2 PM

The Gilman Scholarship offers funding for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. If you are currently receiving a Pell Grant or are Pell Grant eligible, this is a very promising way to get up to $5,000 in funding for your study abroad or internship. Learn more at one of our information meetings! Visit the Gilman website here: https://www.iie.org/gilman/

Application Information Spring 2019 U of A Exchange Applications

Deadline: October 1

The U of A sends our students, from every college, to different host universities around the world in exchange for international students from these host universities coming to the U of A, typically for a semester or academic year. For more information, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/programs/exchange.php

January Intersession 2019
Faculty-led Application Deadline: October 1

For more information, visit the program websites.

• India | Experiential Learning in Indian Agriculture
• New Zealand | Human & Animal Interaction
• Vietnam | Global Community Development
• Belize | Global Community Development
• Sicily | Honors Passport-A Mediterranean Mosaic

U of A Rome Center Spring 2019
Application Deadline: October 1

For more information, visit the program websites.

• Rome Center | Global Studies Program
• Rome Center | Architecture Program

Scholarship Information
It’s never too early to start scouting scholarships!

If you are interested in studying abroad during the upcoming year, check out the scholarships on our website so you will have a heads up on the application deadlines! There are a plethora of scholarships that are available; have a look at the ones we know of here: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/funding. There are also many more, so be sure to do your research!

Office of Study Abroad Scholarship
January Intersession 2019 & Spring 2019
Application Deadline: October 1

Follow this link to the scholarship application.

Gilman Scholarship
Spring 2019 & Early Summer 2019
Application Deadline: October 2

The Gilman Scholarship is for students who are either currently receiving a Pell Grant or are Pell Grant eligible. Here’s the link to the Gilman Scholarship application.

University of Arkansas Study Abroad Scholarships
Now available on the HogsAbroad Portal

Various U of A study abroad scholarships now have applications on the HogsAbroad Portal, so you can manage more of your scholarship applications in one place.

Be sure to carefully review deadlines and eligibility criteria for each scholarship at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/funding. If you have any questions about one of these scholarships, refer to the contact information listed on the brochure.

CIEE: Grants & Scholarships

Are you planning on doing a study abroad program through CIEE in the near future? Significant grants and scholarships are available to students participating in certain CIEE study abroad programs! For more information, look here.

Get Connected! #HogsAbroad

Stay in the loop with U of A students while they are abroad! Students who are studying abroad will be posting throughout the summer, so be sure to check-in and see what’s going on. Follow our blogs.

Be sure to:
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter
You can also look for our hashtag, #HogsAbroad all over social media to see more news and posts from students studying abroad!

We look forward to helping you go abroad!

Reflections from Down Under #HogsAbroad in Australia

Students from the 2018 Trekking Australia program reflected on their experience abroad.

Lesleigh
Due to the wonderful opportunities presented during this trip, I increased my professional skills in the area of interpersonal communication. As the Teaching/Graduate Assistant for this course, I was challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally to put forth my best efforts to ensure the best possible program experience for myself and the other students. I really enjoyed all of the animal interactions that were included in this adventure. The quality and quantity were astounding. There truly are not enough good things to say about this program!

Lesleigh Beer
M.S. student, Poultry Science

Grace

I had such a good time Trekking Australia with friends and classmates. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and to learn more about myself and other cultures. Because of this trip abroad, I have been introduced to people with both similar and different mindsets from me. I have learned how culture can shape viewpoints and how where you come from impacts who you become. It was very interesting to see this in place while in Australia. My favorite part of the trip was our last day in Australia. The entire group had such a fun time together on Magnetic Island. It was great to make memories together!

Paul

As I reflect back on the once in a lifetime trip I just completed I realized what an impact it has been on my Animal Science career. I gained leadership skills, like minded friends, and most importantly local connections. From visiting universities, farms, or just meeting people hanging out in the hotel lobby all these connections are what made my trip a great value to my education. The trip was very diverse and I loved every minute of it, but my favorite part would have to be getting to see some local livestock and visiting with a farmer! I can’t begin to describe how appreciative I am to have gotten the opportunity to attend this trip. 

Karim

The Trekking Australia journey is definitely one anyone should get the pleasure of experiencing, and it was spectacular that I got to join such a great group of people who had superb interests and energy. It was a childhood dream of mine to visit Australia and this was the best way to experience it all from beginning to end. Because of this trip, I had the opportunity to explore a culture so similar, yet so different and fascinating. Harboring similar traditions to America, but because of the geographical location, adapting and developing right around it, making it their own. My favorite part of the trip was in the beginning when we were in Brisbane, the city is very alive, and the eco-friendly implementation with their lifestyle has seriously made me consider it a main hub for my studies there in the future! I couldn’t have asked for a better place and group myself.

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Savannah

This program provided me the opportunity to further my study of wildlife and ecosystems. As a biology major, I am specifically interested in field work and ecosystems. I find that the best way to learn about nature is to jump right in and study hands on, surrounded by the sites that you may read about in a textbook. Australia’s unique environment and fauna were fascinating, and I will never forget the wildlife interactions we were able to have.

My favorite part of this trip was our day at the Reef HQ aquarium. Learning about Great Barrier Reef management from experts was an invaluable learning opportunity. Snorkeling in their living coral reef aquarium was a beautiful experience, and I finally “duck dived” under the surface for the first time!

Savannah Seupaul
Undergraduate, Biology

Madison
While in Australia, I had numerous experiences that I could not have had anywhere else in the world. We were taught about the many unique animals, some of which can only be found there. Throughout the excursion, we also found that we learned more about the Australian way of life and culture from the locals. One of my favorite nights included an hour long conversion with a hotel and restaurant owner with whom we swapped stories. It was very enjoyable to see how they compared and contrasted with people who the other side of the world (literally!).

Justin
I will start off by saying that this trip was an incredible adventure! I learned much more in two weeks than I expected about Australian wildlife and what it is like to raise livestock in Australia. For example, I learned that (unlike wolves) dingoes are capable of learning how to read hand signals and have been living among the Aborigines for thousands of years. In addition, studying abroad has provided me with the opportunity to become more independent and self confident. I was also able to build relationships with my fellow classmates who came from a variety of majors with different interests. This was definitely an experience that I will never forget!

Emily Gentles
Due to the meaningful interactions on this trip with my peers, composed of people from many different disciplines, I was able to see how information is processed by people from diverse academic backgrounds. My peers and I differed greatly in our first observations of new animals and settings, in the questions we wanted to ask, and in the connections we made between our existing knowledge and the new ideas presented to us. I am grateful to have had such a diverse experience and am happy to have made new friends! Aside from my classmates, I particularly enjoyed feeding and holding all of the animals we met!

Olga Brazhkina

Going to Australia was an amazing adventure I will never forget. Because of this trip I was able to bond with my classmates that are from a wide variety of backgrounds, which really pushed me personally. Interacting with Australian wildlife was by far my favorite activity of this study abroad experience, in particular getting to snorkel among native species of fish and corals was phenomenal. I am so grateful for the wonderful and unique culture I got to see first hand and for all the friendships formed on this adventure. Hopefully, I will visit again one day, but for now goodbye!

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

First Week Update #HogsAbroad in Sweden

Update on the train ride to Jönköping…we did miss our connecting bus, but it was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be.

In the past week since I got here so much has happened. I have experienced the best introduction week ever, met so many new people from all over the world, and already fallen in love with this town.

Kick off week has been so incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever walked this much in my life, but it has been so worth it. We also wear overalls to all the student events, which is AWESOME. JIBS color is green and they are the most convenient things ever. You never have to worry about what you’re going to wear. You also get these fun patches to put on them. I wish UArk had them. There is also so much school spirit here and everyone is so nice.

I have met so many people from all over the world because Jönköping has such an international campus. I’ve met people from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Russia, and so many more. I am so glad I chose to study here just for the international reasons alone. I have also met many locals from Sweden and they are all so nice and helpful (especially when it comes to not speaking the language).

It has only been a week and I’ve already fallen in love with this town. It is so beautiful. The school is located by two lakes. Right now my favorite place to walk to is the really big lake, the water is so clear and the scenery around it is so spectacular. The public transportation here is also amazing. I live within walking distance from the school so I don’t use it to get there but it is amazing when going to Ikea or out to Raslatt. Walking and biking is huge here, which is great when you don’t have a car.

Overall, this first week has been so amazing. I’ve already planned a trip to Italy this week with 2 people I’ve met here. So next time I post I’ll let you know all about that trip. Thanks for reading!

Here are some pictures of the big lake and toga night with my kick off week group…

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Accounting major Arielle Amburn is spending the Fall 2018 semester in Sweden with our U of A Exchange program at Jonkoping University.

Read more from Arielle at https://ariellessemesterabroad.wordpress.com/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Upcoming Study Abroad Info Sessions

Check out these upcoming info sessions for opportunities to learn more about some of our faculty-led programs!

Global Community Development in Vietnam

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Read more about the Global Community Development in Vietnam.

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Global Community Development in Mozambique

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Check out these independent student blogs to hear from students from the 2018 program in Mozambique:

Taylor Peabody

Jon Mahaffey

Video:

Mozambique: Making a Difference

Short Takes: A Life-Changing Summer

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International Business Seminar in Ireland

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

There are three upcoming information sessions about the Ireland 2019 program. Make plans to attend to meet the faculty leaders and ask questions! All will be held in Walker Hall (WJWH) 302.

• Monday, September 10 from 5:30 – 7:30
• Monday, September 24 from 5:30 – 7:30
• Wednesday. October 3 from 7 – 9

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Honors Passport to Sicily - A Mediterranean Mosaic

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Make plans to attend the following info session in the Honors Lounge in Gearhart Hall.

• Thursday, September 6, 5:00 - 6:00

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U of A Rome Center Spring 2019 Semester Program

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Snorkeling at ReefHQ and the Great Barrier Reef #HogsAbroad in Australia

Snorkeling at ReefHQ
You know all of those giant aquarium tanks that you just wish you could jump in? Today we did just that. We suited up, headed out to the tank, and eased into the water. As soon as our flippers entered the tank a nice little leopard shark came up to investigate. The water was incredibly clear although a bit chilly. With a pool noodle tucked safely under our arms we ventured into another world, circling around the tank, spotting sea urchins, sea anemones, surgeon fish, and of course a huge variety of coral. Soon we learned how to duck dive under and wave at Dr. Jogan and the rest of our classmates through the tunnel window. It was so cool to see the schools of fish and we even got to touch a sea star and sea cucumber. I definitely ingested a lot of salt water but it was an amazing experience.

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef
For years I have watched documentaries and read about the Great Barrier Reef and its ecosystems. Today we were fortunate enough to join a minority of people who have seen it in person. We snorkeled for about an hour at Arthur bay and it was incredible! At the aquarium yesterday we were, obviously, confined, so to have free range today and explore uninhibited was amazing! It truly felt like I was swimming with the fish and it was easy to forget that I wasn’t a part of this underwater world. I saw a sting ray, a surgeon fish, and a yellow tang, among others; it was great to see the fish and the coral up close!! I had so much fun and am so grateful for the opportunity to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef and are all of its intricacies up close and personal!

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

The Time of My Life #HogsAbroad in Spain

Hi everyone! My name is Madeline Harrington. I am in the College of the Health Professions studying Communication Disorders with a minor in Spanish. This July (2018) I went to Madrid, Spain for one month.

I had the time of my life this summer in Spain! To get ready, I was given packing lists from the meetings prior to the trip that helped a lot. Packing is always a source of stress for me, especially on long trips like this one! I paid close attention to those lists and made sure to go through every possible item I might need that I would not be able to get abroad. 

Familiarize yourself with the culture and prepare for culture shock. The meetings prior to Spain gave me more than enough information I needed for this. It took me about a week and a half to get adjusted and for my homesickness to settle down. 

I wish I would have known that if you have English-speaking roommates, you WILL speak English in the house unless you force yourself to speak Spanish in-house. This is very hard to do. I had two fantastic roommates that also went to the U of A, so we spoke English much of the time. We lived with a lovely housekeeper that we talked to once or so a day. 

The University of Nebrija is absolutely fantastic. I can’t say enough good things about it. The professors are incredible; they truly care about their students. I did not expect to make quite so many friends. I made friends with the people from U of A of course, but I made so many friends at school. This was a highlight of the trip because it was so unexpected and so much fun! The people of Madrid were so kind to us. In general, they are patient with those learning Spanish and some will even correct/help you along while speaking with them. All in all, I had the time of my life in Madrid. I already miss it, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

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Madeline spent the Summer 2018 term in Spain with our U of A Faculty-Led: Spanish in Madrid program, with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Touring ReefHQ #HogsAbroad in Australia

Today we explored the Great Barrier Reef from afar at ReefHQ. This aquarium is run by the Great Barrier Reef and Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), and we had the unique opportunity to learn about the reef and its managements from the experts. The protected area is roughly the size of 70 million football fields, and is home to over 2000 coral reefs. In order to regulate use, the marine park is zoned. Each zone has different rules about tourism, fishing, and shipping.

Monitoring the health and diversity within the reef is paramount to its conservation. The GBRMPA has started the Eye on the Reef program and app, where anybody, from one-time snorkelers to professional divers, can enter information on what they saw.

We were also given a guided tour of the aquarium. This was a first for me, and it was exciting to be able to ask a professional any questions we had along the way. Our guide, Kathy, pointed out fish families that we were likely to see on the reef when snorkeling. These included triggerfish, wrasse, surgeonfish, parrotfish, damselfish, and grouper. We also met some of the other animals we’re likely to encounter, such as sea stars, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins.

We were also given a rundown of multiple threats that the reef faces. Pollution and climate change are large, well known contributors, but we also focused on the crown of thorns sea star. This sea star eats coral polyps, killing the coral. About every 15 years they experience a population boom, and they become a devastating problem. The sea stars overwhelm coral reefs, leaving a widespread trial of bleached coral in its wake. Scientists are studying why these booms happen and how we can keep the sea star population in check.

This was, by far, the most fun and informative aquarium visit I’ve ever had. I look forward to keeping up with the GBRMPA’s efforts in reef conservation!

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Nocturnal Wildlife Walkabout & a Look at the Stars #HogsAbroad in Australia

Nocturnal Wildlife Walkabout

Hi! This is Olga, and I’m here to update on our night walk adventures! We saw lots of nocturnal animals that are adapted to see well in the dark. Through our walk we encountered lots of wallabies and spiders crawling on the ground. We also saw some other native Australian wildlife, including a betong, bush-tailed possums, micro-bats, and a glider! It was an awesome experience because it was so surprising how many animals you can see just by flashing a light into the darkness!

A Look at the Stars

This is Noah checking in!

Tonight, after dinner, we set out on a magnificent night walk. On the walk we saw some amazing creatures, both on the ground and in the trees. Eventually we walked into a huge open field and that’s where we had the most beautiful view of all. As we looked up into the sky we were able to have a great look at the southern sky. Here’s a list of a couple of the things we were able to see: the Milky Way, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and countless constellations – including Scorpius, Sagittarius, Centaurs, and The Southern Cross. With absolutely no light pollution, it was for sure the most magnificent sky I have ever seen.

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Arrived in Stockholm! #HogsAbroad in Sweden

Today is my second day in Sweden. I am currently sitting on the train from Stockholm to Jönköping. It has been a crazy two days. I am so grateful that I am not doing this alone and that there is another U of A exchange student with me. I got into the airport at about 1 PM yesterday. It was very confusing for Sierra and me to find each other. Thank God for WhatsApp and Wi-Fi because without it I don’t think we would have ever found each other. We took the train from the airport and then found our hotel, which was super easy. We spent the entire afternoon exhausted and exploring. Stockholm is so beautiful. We went to Old Town and the Royal Palace both yesterday and today. We did get lost yesterday in the rain, luckily, we had our rain jackets. A lot of the buildings in the Old Town look very similar, but once we took a moment and evaluated where we had been and what looked familiar we were able to find our way back. Coming from our hotel to the train stations has been a little frustrating. We bought our train tickets before we arrived to leave at 3:50 PM. We had to check out of hotel by noon, so we’ve had to walk around for a little over 3 hours with our luggage. If I could do it again, I would’ve booked an earlier train. We also have to take 2 trains and a bus to get to Jönköping. It was a little confusing finding our second train, but all the train stations in Stockholm have people in yellow vests that speak English to help you. Right now, we are on our second train and are currently stopped, 10 minutes into the train ride, because someone tried to jump in front of another train (they were able to stop her), so they’ve halted all trains to get her off the track. We only have 20 minutes when we get off this train to get on our final bus. We have been stopped for 30 minutes, so I think we are going to end up missing our next bus and will have to book another one. I’ll keep you updated on if we made it in time on my next post. I’ve also attached some pictures of Stockholm, to show just how beautiful it is.

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Accounting major Arielle Amburn is spending the Fall 2018 semester in Sweden with our U of A Exchange program at Jonkoping University.

Read more from Arielle at https://ariellessemesterabroad.wordpress.com/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Platypus Observation #HogsAbroad in Australia

This is Lesleigh reporting on our adventure to observe the platypus at the Running River. About 80% of Australians have not seen a platypus in the wild, so it was very fortunate that every student in our group observed these fascinating animals. The platypus is a monotreme (an egg – laying mammal) and one of only three species of monotremes currently known (the other two being species of Echidna). Our group had to be very patient and quiet to not scare the platypus, which leaves its burrow to begin feeding in the dusk of evening. This was certainly the opportunity of a lifetime and a highlight of our study abroad trip!

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Rainforest Walk #HogsAbroad in Australia

Karim here again!

We traveled from Hidden Valley to go for a hike in Paluma Rainforest which contained spectacular views of the coast from a high point and amazing looking trees. But before this, we walked in observing the different types of forestry and bush. We got off at a common open area that was filled with different types of eucalyptus trees, mainly one being a gum tree. We’ve learned that those types of trees are low-energy consuming that produce a long, narrow leaf to conserve as much energy as possible. That area doesn’t have a thick grass bedding because of the low nutrients found in the lackluster soil, in addition to all that, we’ve learned that forest fires are a common and necessary part of the landscape, it is what helps keep the plants/trees healthy. Later on, we went into the Paluma rainforest, which was completely different terrain with a wider variety of flora and fauna. The plants competed for sunlight real estate there in order to grow on top and continue, the aid of the heavy rain from seasonal rain from the beginning of the year is very necessary for this. We learned about how there’s a fair bit of parasitic trees that help control the populations of trees by killing them to give chances to other trees that didn’t get the opportunity to grow. We’ve also discovered that brush turkeys nest in those rainforests. I was particularly fascinated with one tree, the buttress root of the quandong. Thick, widely-branched roots are anchored down into and around the growing point of the tree, which was like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Then we ended the hike with me capturing drone footage of the group on this great terrain!

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Read more from the 2018 Trekking Australia students at https://uarkaustralia2018.wordpress.com/

Find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Trekking Australia: Animals, Aborigines, Rainforests and Reefs program.

Get started today! Search for your study abroad opportunity at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Study Abroad Fair: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 #HogsAbroad

Are you wishing you had studied abroad this summer? Don’t miss another opportunity! Get started at the Study Abroad Fair this September!

The annual Study Abroad Fair will be from 10:00am-2:00pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 in the International Connections Lounge in the Arkansas Union on campus.

Come meet with faculty, past participants, and program representatives to learn more about programs for all majors and all language levels. Explore your options to study all over the world during the summer, semester, or academic year with U of A faculty-led programs, the U of A Rome Center, U of A exchange programs and other approved external program providers. Scholarship and funding information will be available as well.

Start making your dreams a reality!

Whirlwind Tour #HogsAbroad in Mexico

After the third alarm was snoozed, I knew it was time to get up and finish packing. "Wake uuup, we have to go." Indistinctive mumble came as an answer; another alarm.. "Now it's really time" I was worried that I will run out of water in the shower, especially on Sunday morning. Eventually, I made it to the green-tiled bathroom and opened the window towards the courtyard - Mexican sky was gloomy, as it knew that it's our last day here, I could hear the noisy avenida Chapultelec, but couldn't see it since the main part of the house was separating the street from the living quarters. As I was admiring the last morning in Mexico City my lungs were filling up with air and smoke and memories unwillingly one by one started coming back from the very beginning of our journey.

Enormous vast city scape framed by mountains on the perimeter suddenly opened up right in front of us. How did we end up here? - I was asking myself. We landed in Mexico City and after airport formalities we got in two vans and headed towards our first destination - Zocalo. First thing I've immediately noticed- incredible amount of shoe stores, filled with the most outrageous kinds of shoes one can imagine - sparkles, bright colors, cheap materials. As I was admiring the vitrines through the window, someone in our van shouted with excitement- "look ahead!" I couldn't resist that call and I saw how enormous Mexican flag unfolded in front of us on the main plaza right above the cathedral.

Zocalo. Mexico City. May 2018. 

In the beginning of the trip I decided to never look at itinerary. It was unnecessary since our every move was so well organized that I could just rely on day by day instructions, and surprise myself every time I get to a new place. Therefore I wasn't expecting that we're staying right on the main plaza, with windows facing it. Once we got out of the car I felt the exhaustion and lack of fresh air. Flying up to Mexico city you can see the thick coat of white smog, and at that point I realized that I'm right in it. High elevation was also contributing to the situation and I've noticed that most people from my group in one way or another got affected by it. The sun was high above our heads, burning every millimeter of exposed skin. We dropped off our bags at the hotel and went to find food and start exploring. Centro was very crowded and loud - every corner - obnoxious musicians, dancers, singers - everyone is trying to sell something and everyone is asking for money. The next striking thing we've all noticed was that building facades are crooked, and then we realized that buildings in their entirety don't have a single straight edge, unintentionally, yet forced by natural phenomenon. The city is sinking every year into the lake that was people's main enemy for centuries since the area became inhabitable. The lake kept fighting back against humans for years by flooding the city, sinking it and transferring the earthquake waves. The city is standing on a huge bowl of jelly.

Hotel window in Mexico City. 

Next day we explored a little more of downtown and the area where we would go to studio and live once we are done with our "grand tour." Of course I didn't make an attempt to remember anything from that walk because I needed to experience it on my own and I knew I would have that opportunity.

In the morning our plane landed in Campeche. We met our bus driver, Anjel that would spend with us future 3 weeks on the road. Campeche was a colorful colonial city, which for Mexico could be considered typical - every house is different color, tiny streets, all facades form continuous wall along the street edge and hide numerous courtyards, mazes of rooms and corridors. Absence of vegetation didn't help on our tour through the city; we had to jump from one isle of shade to another where it was possible. The city was set as a fortress and had a massive white wall around it, along with that several plazas opened up for public with porches with cafes, shops and a church on each plaza. That day alone we visited 5 local churches and realized that there will be abundance of those on the trip. After the tour we figured out that the Gulf of Mexico comes almost up to the city walls and I think it's a shame to get this close to the sea and not even attempt to see it. We wanted to keep this experience rather exclusive to our tiny group of three since leaving the city walls would carry a bigger responsibility for the group, especially when we didn't know what to expect, so we went. We set on the edge of the wall, the water wasn't a resort material, but it smelled like the sea, the sun was gently touching our shoulders and faces and we felt at ease. For the rest of the day after our return we went on drawing around town and completing our assignments for the day. At night the plaza filled up with families, children, couples, mariachi bands and dancers. We decided to pace the square to set up the proportions and draw the area. Team work saved us a lot of walking, although we realized that we could predict most of those proportions just by looking at the place - we've been trained for that for many years after all.

View from the city wall in Campeche.

In the morning we've seen our first Mayan pyramid site - Edzna. It was the most brutal drawing experience of the trip - the sun was right above us, the site was covered with grass lawn and had almost no shade. Sweat was dripping of my forehead while I was trying to pick the colors for my drawing; the bugs were all around - ants and flies. They were biting, crawling on the sticky skin and flying all around us. These were the worst drawings on the trip, but they remind me of the place, which makes them priceless. 

Edzna

After Edzna we visited former fabric plantation - la Hacienda, which used to be a complex of residential units and amenities for plantation workers. They've worked with cactus to make a fabric out of it. Today the estate was remodeled and serves as a luxurious hotel, escape from the busy world. We've been told multiple legends that Mayan people believed, including the concept of the tree of life - hollow tree that contains water in its trunk was a life-saving wonder for those that happened to find themselves in the middle of the jungle. 

Tree of Life

We left Campeche on the next day and headed towards Palenque. I had no idea that Palenque would be so magical. But the road there was quite bumpy – three of us got food poisoning or “Montezuma curse” over us, I was one of the trio, and we had to make multiple stops along the way, but to our good luck we were traveling along the Gulf and the weather was fantastic – the sun was shining, sea breeze and the beach along the road. When we made it to Palenque I couldn’t believe that what I was seeing was real. I’ve asked multiple times if we are really staying here and if it’s not a joke, but when the staff at the reception desk warned us to check beds, bathrooms, our shoes and clothes each time before we use them for snakes and scorpions - I was thrilled! Finally at least something dangerous! (Before we left everyone was talking about how dangerous Mexico is, but that warning was as dangerous as it got for me on the trip). 

Monkeys in Palenque.

Our hotel was located in the most beautiful rainforest – things that you see in travel shows and adventure movies: banana trees everywhere, flowers colored in the most toxic palettes; intense deep green color surrounds you from every side. The air was so thick that you could almost touch it, yet it was fresh and sweet, filled with moisture and nectars of the plants. I was mesmerized by how within seconds perfectly bright day turned into an aggressive thunderstorm that soaked us all through as we were making our way to the only restaurant in the area. That restaurant had the most wonderful atmosphere – live music, young people, dancing, bittersweet performance and great food (at least it seemed great at that time). 

We’ve visited two sites in the jungle – Palenque and Yaxchilan. Both of them developed around the mountains. Palenque had lots of tourists, while Yaxchilan strikes with its remoteness – all you hear there – monkeys screaming out hellish sounds, like if someone released a huge beast that will attack any moment. It’s been a lot of sketching and walking up many steps. Yaxchilan was only a river away from Guatemala, on the way there we’ve seen posters that are welcoming refuges from Guatemala and by the time we got there we received text messages that welcomed us to Guatemala, although we never crossed the border. 

Palenque Archeological Site

Chiapas, the state where Yaxchilan was located, looked very poor from our windows – tiny huts, barely dressed people, farmland and nothing around but jungle and mountains. Those people were real long forgotten Mayan civilization, that wasn’t destroyed, yet stopped its development. They don’t speak Spanish, they don’t have mixed blood in them, and they are the actual Maya.

Village on the way to Yaxchilan 

Tlacotalpan in Veracruz had a staged feel to it. As soon as we drove up there, we noticed empty streets, where the only people that were there stood next to our hotel. Local musician immediately came to greet us with music. As we walked the city everyone that was left there (not that many people since everyone is trying to move to the big city) were informed of our presence in town, therefore nobody asked – they knew everything. 

Tlacotalpan.

Next on the list was eight hour serpentine road through the mountains to Oaxaca with teacher protests; Monte Alban – Aztec site in the clouds on top of a shaved mountain; Puebla with the most wonderful rooftop on top of a very creepy hotel; San Miguel de Allende, with jazz and the coldest pouring rain in the middle of the night; Mineral de Pozos with the most Western landscape that one could imagine – dry desert with cacti and open horizon; archeological site in Cantona with black volcanic rock; and of course Guanajuato. 

Road to Oaxaca

Mineral de Pozos

Cantona Archeological Site

Guanajuato was a very different animal from the rest of the things we’ve seen – we were driving along the mountain range until we suddenly went into a tunnel, which we expected to be a short pass, yet we spent about an hour in complete darkness underground, questioning where are we being taken. Eventually we’ve seen the light and we were borne into Guanajuato. The city stretched out all around the bowl between the mountains. It consisted of three major layers: residential housing on top, public and central area at the bottom of the hills and the underground veins of the city. Due to endless rain we had to spend a lot of time in bakeries and coffee shops, which from there became a tradition for the rest of the trip. I fell in love with Mexican bakeries and had to try as much as I could. 

Guanajuato: overlooking the city. 

Queretaro was our last stop on the tour. It associates with the smell of roses, geometrically trimmed tree canopy and the most comfortable bed on the entire trip. By the end of the trip we were exhausted from constant change of place. Each of us had a small carry-on bag that we took on the plane with us with no liquids and we had to manage three weeks of living out of that carry-on. There were countless hotels, pyramids, monasteries, churches, streets, navigation and food questions, countless hours on the bus with gas stations and speed bumps. It was an unforgettable trip, and in this exhausted but euphoric state we returned back to Mexico City for 7 weeks of studio work and exploration. 

Bakery in Queretaro

--
Polina Timchenko, 4th year Architecture student at Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Polina spent the summer 2018 term with our faculty-led program, Latin America Urban Studio.

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