Quick (huge) update. At the beginning of the year, every fresher (first year or freshman) and study abroad student was given a copy of “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel. So I decided to bring this book along on my trip to Paris. I started reading in the airport, on the plane, on the train to where I needed to go, in the hotel room, on the train back to the airport, in the airport, and then finished it on the plane with an hour left of my plane ride. I was speechless and full of thoughts for the rest of the ride. Needless to say, I loved it. I couldn’t stop researching it when I got home. I had long, intense discussions about the ending with my friends who also read it. And I researched Yann Martel, the author.

And then, I had the chance to hear Yann Martel discuss his book. And after he spoke, I MET HIM and got a signed copy of the book. St. Andrews had him come and give a lecture discussing the book. I was in the second row. It was an incredible experience, and he his attitude toward life has inspired me more than I ever expected.

I took notes on everything he said. Some things he said that stood out to me were:

“We don’t have a good life if we don’t make choices and leap at things like having faith and trusting people.”

“It’s very easy to see what’s wrong with religion but it’s harder to see what’s right.”

“Truth is determined by you. Choose the better truth.”

When he signed the copy of my book, I told him that it changed my perspective on life. He said to me, “I’m so glad. Keep reading.” He then looked at the bookmark in my book, which was a Holy Cross Chaplains’ Office bookmark that has a quote on it. It reads, “When the heart is touched by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change” -Peter Hans Kolvenback, S.J..

So the moral of THIS story is, if you are looking for inspiration, try to meet Yann Martel. But if that doesn’t work for you, then read “Life of Pi.” And even if you do meet Yann Martel, read “Life of Pi” anyways.

Cheers for now,

Jackie

My signed copy of “Life of Pi” with Yann Martel in the background!

Panorama of St. Andrews and the North Sea from St. Andrews’ famous Pier!

The North Sea to be exact! I’m back for semester 2 here at St. Andrews, and I’m feeling good!

St. Andrews

It is nice to go back to a place where you feel comfortable. My classes have begun; I’m taking two courses called Youth in Africa and Interpreting Social and Cultural Phenomena. I think its going to be a good semester!!

I’m also preparing myself for the entire month of March. I keep telling myself to calm down, but I think its going to be one of the best months of my life! The first week of March is Holy Cross spring break, which means that my friends Taylor and Vania are coming to St. Andrews to visit! I am so excited. We plan on going to a bunch of places in Scotland including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Loch Lomond, and more.

Rainy day on Market Street, St. Andrews

I have gotten really used to Scotland from the St. Andrews perspective, and now I am excited about exploring the whole country. After they leave, I have two weeks of Spring Break. I hope to travel during some of that time. I have so many ideas of where I want to go that I can’t decide!

Can’t wait to keep you posted on my semester! I’ve been back for a little over a week and it’s been cloudy and rainy since. In the last week and a half, I have probably seen 3 hours of sun TOTAL. I would say that I’m getting used to it, but it is honestly annoying. My friends and I keep joking about the rain and how I am literally vitamin D deficient! Despite my vitamin D deficiency, I’m happy. I live by the sea and can see it from my room.

Talk to you soon!

Jackie

Bonjour, mon ami, from Paris!

I went to Paris with my friend, Matt, who is studying abroad in Palma de Mallorca, Spain! This trip was by far one of the most rewarding experiences I have had while abroad. I found it to be deeply reflective and liberating. It reminded me of everything I had learned at Holy Cross, and I consider the trip to have been a turning point in my life. I went to Paris as one person, and left as another. And it was so much fun to share this experience with Matt!!

On the first night we were there, we took the metro to the Louvre Museum. As we walked toward the entrance, a trumpet player was sitting alone in the corner playing the song “Summertime,” a famous song from the opera Porgy and Bess. I had learned about the song while taking a class called “From Opera to Broadway” at Holy Cross. Listening to that as I walked toward the Louvre was particularly meaningful. I went up to him to give him a Euro and he nodded back gratefully and winked at me. It was  I experienced the odd mix of seeing an entirely new place with the feeling of nostalgia.

I went inside and saw the Mona Lisa for the first time in my life. (There is a picture below of Matt and the Mona Lisa!!). After that, we headed back to our hotel with one of Matt’s friends who joined us. On our way, we saw the Eiffel Tower. I realized then that although everyone sees pictures of famous places throughout the world, nothing compares to standing beneath the Eiffel Tower and watch it glisten in front of you. I literally had tears rolling down my face. The Eiffel Tower itself isn’t particularly beautiful, but at the same time its completely and totally magnificent. Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time will be something I never forget.

We mapped our our second day and headed out into Paris! We went to the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, the Notre Dame, the Sacre Coeur, and more! I ate my first french crepe (which was incredible and I am now obsessed with Nutella). Matt and I pretended we spoke french all day which was entertaining, and we had  many random encounters with people in Paris who were so kind. The second night, I decided that I wanted to go back to the Eiffel Tower, so I planned to meet up with Matt and his friend a little while later and headed off.

Walking to the Eiffel Tower alone was incredibly liberating. It was the first time where I was actually able to reflect on my experiences abroad. As I absorbed the glittering lights, I thought about the last few months I have been abroad. Thinking about the fact that I was in Paris, a place I have always wanted to visit, was just unbelieveable. I felt like I had changed for the better. Being abroad has given me confidence and independence that I never knew I could experience.

My advice to everyone abroad/considering going abroad is to “just embrace it.” I found this lock on the famous Lock Bridge in Paris and I have been using it as my motto. Being abroad is an unbelievable experience. I love Holy Cross and have grown so much from it, but being abroad has given me the opportunity to embrace everything I have learned and apply it to my life. That’s a gift I will always be grateful for. Although I wish I could be at Holy Cross, I find being abroad to be an even more rewarding experience than the alternative. I have one more year at Holy Cross that I will absolutely love, and knowing that is consolation enough.

So moral of the story is, go abroad, go to Paris, and go with one of your best friends, because that’s what makes the experience worth it.

Love,
Jackie

P.S. Here are some pictures from the trip!!

Guess who was a part of the largest foam fight in the UK? Me!

Hello!

If you read my last blog you might have recognized that Harry Potter was filmed at the castle I went to! I am going to have a Harry Potter themed blog soon, but I haven’t quite finished my Harry Potter adventures. So hold on tight!

First of all, thank you for being patiently waiting for a blog! I have had the busiest last few weeks. The way my classes are designed this semester is that am taking two classes, and each one has only two HUGE assessments for the entire semester. Of course, they were both due today! So I am finally done.

This blog is all about one of the greatest St. Andrews tradition of the year, Raisin Weekend. Raisin Weekend begins with your academic parents and family. When I arrived at St. Andrews, I met a third year student named Hannah. Randomly in conversation, she asked me to be her “daughter.” I was very confused. She explained that all first year students are “adopted” by third year students while at St. Andrews. Each new student randomly meets a “mom” and a “dad.” You might have brothers or sisters as the family grows. Here is a picture of my sisters, my mom, and I!

Raisin Weekend starts on Raisin Sunday. I arrived at my mom’s house where we played a lot of garden games and had a big scavenger hunt through town. Then I went to my dad’s house at night where we played more games with our family, ate dinner, and had a party. It was so much fun.

On Raisin Monday, my siblings and I woke up early and went to our mom’s house, where she dressed us up like a nativity scene. Every mom dresses up her kids in a different theme, so my aunt dressed her kids up as crayons, one of my friends was dressed up like a dancer, and the list goes on. Then we headed to my dad’s house where he gave us a flower with a receipt on it. It is tradition to go to your dad’s house where he will give you a “raisin receipt.” You have to carry this receipt all the way to Sally’s Quad where you have a huge foam fight with all of the other freshman at St. Andrews. Here are some pictures!!

Raisin Weekend was the most fun weekend I’ve had at St. Andrews yet!! Can’t wait to share more!

Jackie

As the title of this blog suggests, I was hit by a car last Thursday! Casual right?!

Spoiler: I’m fine. I didn’t want you to read this blog and think that I was seriously injured. But I did want to write about my experience. So here we go.

Many people at St. Andrews have bikes! It is a 20 minute walk to get from where I live to town, so students have bikes to get where they need to go. So as I was biking on a main road, a woman didn’t stop at a stop sign, didn’t look to see who was coming, and we collided.

Do you know what its like when you get hit by a car? Everyone probably would react differently. I fell off my bike, the woman got out of her car and started apologizing profusely. I stood up, miraculously uninjured, but totally stunned. Someone came over to help me, and I picked up my bike, told the woman I was fine and to “have a really nice day” (and yes, I did sincerely mean that), and I walked away. It took me a little over an hour to get over the shock of it happening. I went to the doctor and she diagnosed me with bad whiplash, but she told me I should be ok soon.

Now it is Saturday and I’m thinking about this whole incident on many different levels.

1: I was HIT BY A CAR, I wasn’t wearing a helmet, and I didn’t hit my head. I didn’t have any major injuries. What are the chances of that?

2: Other than telling the woman who hit me that I was fine, I actually made sure I wished her a really great day. Why did I feel it was so necessary to tell her to have a great day?

3: I found out that this happens to many people. One girl I talked to said that this is the third time one of her friends got hit by a car. How is that acceptable and not reinforced?!?!

4: Was this some kind of message? I have been a little homesick lately so maybe this was some higher power’s way of telling me to snap out of it?

Immediately after it happened, I wrote this down.

“I could be dead right now. So I’ve decided to use this as a wake up call. I need to continually appreciate my time abroad and start doing meaningful things while I’m here.”

Moral of the story: I’m sorry for not blogging more in the month of October but I’ve had a lot of work to catch up on after this minor accident! In a way, it was a great wake up call for me and my abroad experience. After it happened, I booked a trip to Paris and London (which I did state in a previous blog that those are two of the most typical places anyone can go) but I am so beyond excited! I am going to see Les Mis in London too!! I’m also planning on going to many Christmas Markets in as many cities as possible! Because Thanksgiving isn’t really a holiday here, Christmas season starts early!

Anyways, have a great day, and don’t get hit by a car!

Jackie x

P.S. I have been signing my name with an “x” because people here do that! It is a term of endearment.

P.P.S. Here is a picture of a castle that I went to recently. Does anyone recognize it?! It was in a movie (if you look at what the people in the picture are doing I bet you can guess!). That movie is going to be the theme of my next blog!!

Wellies. Do you know how often I have been wearing my wellies here in Scotland? More often than not. I haven’t seen the sun for over a week. I’m not even exaggerating. And I miss the sun. The constant rain in the UK is starting to get to me, and wearing my wellies every day is getting old. But when it does, I constantly remind myself of the great things the UK has to offer.

Such as Edinburgh! Edinburgh was more than I imagined it to be! Not only was it sunny when I went, but I would absolutely call it a hidden gem of Europe. You always associate Europe with London and Paris, but Edinburgh was BEAUTIFUL! From St. Andrews, it’s a really cheap bus ride to get there. So if I ever want to go back, all I have to do is hop on the bus! For more pictures of my adventures in Edinburgh, keep reading!

In other news, I am a part of the Charities Campaign here at St. Andrews. The Charities Campaign raises money for three major charities (Médecins Sans Frontières, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre Fife). I am the Events officer for the Campaign and also the Logistics Point Person for the Big Top Ball! I am helping plan different events throughout the year, and I am also helping plan the Bip Top Ball (which is a circus themed ball where all money raised goes to the campaign). This week, we had a Jumble Sale! A Jumble Sale is equivalent to a garage sale or a tag sale in the United States. We raised over £250!

Also, something worth mentioning is that St. Andrews is known for having black tie balls, and a bunch of us went to one last weekend! It was so much fun! Look below for a few pictures.

So cheers to a random blog post! Now when someone asks you what rain, Edinburgh, the Charities Campaign, and black tie balls have in common, you can answer: This blog!

Below are some pictures where you can see me in Edinburgh and at the Ball!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Jackie x

Edinburgh Pictures:

Ball Pictures!!

Nine Holy Cross Juniors. Luggage. A plane ride. Two HC alums. A layover. Another plane ride. A taxi. The Scottish Countryside. An Adventure. St. Andrews!

Hello Scotland, I have arrived!!!!!!

I am currently writing this blog at a coffee shop named Costa, sipping a warm hot chocolate, that I just paid for in pounds, and this is my view:

I’ve been here for about two weeks now, and I have so much to share now that I am finally settled in! I figure that starting with day one will be helpful!

THE BEGINNING: I finally finished packing my bags, left my house with my parents, realized half way down the street that I left shoes at home, drove back, and then officially took off to Logan Airport to meet Amanda, a fellow HC student who I am studying abroad with! It was a long drive, and I am happy to say that I was so excited the entire drive (I was expecting myself to be emotional). When I got to the airport, when it actually truly hit me that I would be studying abroad for a year, away from everything I was used to, I shed a tear (or two), said goodbye to my parents, and then left for my adventure! We boarded the plane, casually flew over London for our layover, met two different Holy Cross Alums who were excited for us (how cool is that? Small world!) and then headed to Edinburgh. As we collected our bags from the airport, we casually bumped into three other HC girls who were studying abroad at St. Andrews with us! It was cute because I could recognize their purple sweatshirts from across the airport. AND WE WERE IN SCOTLAND!

I am living in the David Russell Apartments, and four other Holy Cross girls are living in this apartment complex with me. I have my own room in my flat and a double bed!!! A little bit different than Holy Cross where I lived in Mulledy for two years…! I have great flatmates. Two are from England, one is from South Korea, and the other is a study abroad student from Ohio.

After I settled into my room, the Holy Cross girls and I (Charlyce, Amanda, Nicole, and Vanessa) all took off into town to explore and get some shopping done for things like shampoo, towels, etc. We continued to explore the town and get acclimated for the rest of the day! We also all got to get to know each other quite well because we really didn’t know each other from before. I’m happy to say that everyone I am studying abroad with is so wonderful and I’m so thankful to be experiencing this with them!

SETTLING INTO ST. ANDREWS: There are nine Holy Cross students studying abroad with us, and when everyone arrived, we got together for pizza! We were so excited because we had found this cute little pizza place while exploring, called Pizza Express. We couldn’t believe how cute it was, with the old stone building it was in and how it seemed to be hidden in the corner of a small square  – the pizza was delicious as well. It is exciting when you come across something that you feel like you discovered, and in St. Andrews, I feel like I do this every day! I told my British Flatmates about this pizza place because I was so excited, and they burst out laughing…they then explained to me that Pizza Express is a huge chain restaurant. I laughed as well. Story of our lives.

We then continued to explore St. Andrews for the next few days (and actually found real Scottish local coffee shops and businesses)! The University of St. Andrews has been around since 1413, so as you can imagine, there is a lot of history to the town. It is also on the coast, so there are many ruins, museums, and places to go. Here are some of our sight seeing adventures!

In addition, we attended some orientation events, joined the Study Abroad Society, and also signed up for different clubs. Some people are taking golf lessons on the Old Course which is so cool! I am going to be a St. Andrews Ambassador. Ambassadors give tours and attend important events at the college! I am looking forward to finding out more soon. In addition, I am joining the Charities Campaign, where the campaign raises money for various organizations throughout the year. The fundraisers they do are honestly incredible – they have a Race2 Berlin where people hitchhike to Berlin (every year the city changes) and have people give them pledges if they complete the task. They have a Ball, and many different fundraisers as well. I’m excited to get more involved.

CULTURE SHOCK:

Last but not least, I want to mention my acclimation into St. Andrews. I wanted to write this on my blog because I want to remember this crucial transition into St. Andrews and Scottish Life.

First of all, something I noticed is that everyone here from Holy Cross is acclimating differently (which is a good thing!). Each of us have different experiences, and that’s important to have. I guess I just wasn’t expecting any form of “culture shock.” I don’t even know why I didn’t expect that considering I knew I was basically moving to Europe for a year. Nonetheless, I still didn’t expect a few things.

1. Slowing down. In my sociology classes at Holy Cross,  I have analyzed American culture and the American way of life. Actually experiencing the difference between my life at Holy Cross and at home, and my life here, has been somewhat shocking. For example, I had an issue here where I was supposed to be in two classes at once. That probably wouldn’t have happened at Holy Cross simply because the website would have prevented me from taking that schedule in the first place. Here, however, it took me a week to get it figured out, and I had to go to five different people to make it happen. I was so anxious because I had missed one of my classes for the first week, but then I began to see that it wasn’t really an issue in the professor’s and my advisor’s eyes. I’m so used to getting answers and addressing issues quickly, and constantly being on the move, but here, everyone is much more laid back. Things are a little less efficient, but at the same time, I kind of like that. There is so much

I didn’t expect that “slowing down” would be my issue! The way the my schedule works is that I only have class for 6 hours a week, total. I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off (in addition to the weekends being off). Obviously we have a ton of reading to do (you literally have no idea), but I am able to wake up and go to sleep when I want, do work for a little while, get lunch when I want, go to the gym, and make my life my own. It is a more relaxed way of life, and I am slowly adjusting to it. I wonder what it will be like when I return to America.

2. Biking. The walk from my apartment to town is about 20 minutes. Many people get bikes, and for anyone who is looking at St. Andrews, I recommend it. There is a bike sale where they sell good bikes for a fairly low cost, so look out for that! So when I got my bike, I was so excited. What I didn’t expect was for biking to be so serious here! There are SO many rules that I wasn’t expecting, and drivers get really angry if you don’t follow them. For example, when you are biking, you can NEVER ride on the wrong side of the street. Oh by the way, the streets here are reversed from America, so I am always driving forward on the left side of the road, with cars. That was a huge adjustment. After getting a few dirty looks, I asked my flatmates about the rules of biking. You are a car when you are on your bike and have to stop and go as if you are a car. You can never drive on the wrong side of the road. You can’t ride your bike on the sidewalks, but you can walk your bike on the sidewalks. It took getting used to, but now I’m feeling pretty good about it.

3. The Little Things. I’m also getting used to simple little things. For example, the size of cups/glasses are smaller. Its a twenty minute walk to get to class. They have different words to describe things! I think this goes to show that both the big things, like slowing down, and little things, like the size of cups, can be slightly different and take adjusting to.

Please understand that each of these culture shock things aren’t negative, I am just adjusting to them. In fact, I think I will eventually grow to love each of these things even more than what I am used to.

So that’s it for me for today! Can’t wait to talk to you soon!

Cheers,

Jackie

Let me just start by saying that packing isn’t my thing. If it were up to me, I would dump out my drawers of clothes into my suitcase, stuff it in, and call it a day. My mom, on the other hand, is making me choose each item of clothing…and…ironing them. My dad is suggesting that I try to only bring one small suitcase because he is convinced that I can fit everything in it. Is he crazy? Needless to say, I no longer want to pack for St. Andrews.

I’ve had a long time to process the fact that I will be going abroad. I had one of the most incredible summers of my life, and that was mainly due to the fact that I spent it at Holy Cross. I fell in love with Holy Cross again this summer, and with all of the people I have met and the friends I have made, I finally feel like I completely belong. And now, naturally, I’m leaving the country for an entire year!

I’ve questioned my decision to Study Abroad for my entire junior year, but ultimately, I’m really glad I made the choice. Here’s why. Holy Cross has taught me so much. At Holy Cross, we have what we call the “Four Cornerstones…” and let me tell you, they never let us forget them!  Reflective Habits. Multicultural Competency. Cura Personalis. Community and Citizenship. These four cornerstones are drilled into our heads, and after two years of Holy Cross, they have not only stuck, but I have grown to appreciate them far beyond words.I have truly learned how to reflect while at Holy Cross, and through reflection, I have come to realize that studying abroad will truly help me appreciate multicultural competency, cura personalis, and community and citizenship. Most importantly, it will help me reflect on Holy Cross’ three main reflective questions for its students: Who am I? Who do I want to become? Who will I be for others?

Studying abroad will make me question myself, the society I live in, and will be living in, and how I can make a difference in the lives of others. Holy Cross has taught me that everyone is constantly discovering himself and herself, through trials and tribulations, through friendships, through classes, through professors, advisors, Jesuits, through every aspect and interaction in our lives. In that process of self-discovery, studying abroad in a different society and environment will prove to be one of those challenges needed to fully grasp who I am. So when I am upset because I don’t like the food, or I miss my parents, or the work is challenging, I plan to use my reflective habits and everything I have learned from Holy Cross to guide me.

Long story short, I am so thankful that I have received this Liberal Arts, Jesuit Education from Holy Cross, because it has supported and guided me into becoming who I am. There are so many members of the faculty and staff who have shaped me into who I am, and most importantly, there are so many students who have influenced me. Although I am leaving for a year, I will come back most likely appreciating Holy Cross even more.

So farewell, Holy Cross! I will continue to post about St. Andrew’s from this blog, the 8 other Holy Cross students who are traveling with me, and my other friends who are studying abroad all over the world!

At this time in four days, I will be arriving to Scotland! Talk to you soon and everyone enjoy your semester!

Jackie

My summer began (well, technically almost began), with the Spring Concert featuring Mac Miller and Walk the Moon. Here is a picture of the Campus Activities Board with Mac Miller! (I’m directly to the right of him in the picture!).

Once I finished exams, I spent a few weeks home. But then, as some of you know, I got to intern at Holy Cross for the summer! I helped work at Gateways Orientation! Here’s a picture of the Class of 2017!

Then I went to my first wedding! Here’s a picture of my dad and I at the wedding!

I went back to school after the wedding and hung out with some friends who came to visit!

Then, I went to my SECOND wedding of the summer. My advisor, Jenn DeLuca, got married to our Director of Recreation Intramural Club Sports (RICS), Mike Leavitt! And after that, I went to my THIRD wedding, to see another advisor in the Office of Student Involvement get married, Sara Swillo!

After all these weddings, I got to go to my first baseball game in Boston…and it was Red Sox vs. Yankees. Here is a picture of Vania and I supporting our teams!

I ended the summer saying goodbye to my amazing roommates (pictured are Jenny and Ali) and my fellow interns…

…and then headed to Wildwood, New Jersey with my family for vacation!

Because my internship involved planning Welcome Week, I went back to the Hill to see friends and attend some of the Welcome Week events. I even got to help out on my favorite day of the year, Move In Day! Students, Deans, faculty, even our President, Father Boroughs, all help the incoming first year class move in. They literally don’t have to life a finger! We unpack their cars and welcome them into the Holy Cross community with music, energy, and fun! This year I got to be one of the first people students saw…I was checking each car in at the main gate! Here’s a picture of me (that made it onto the Holy Cross Website!!)

But now….I’m heading abroad to Scotland!

How were your summers?! Are you excited to be starting school?

Jackie

Hey everyone!

It’s the summer and I’m loving my summer internships! Through SIP, the Summer Internship Program, I was able to get two internships for this summer!

The first internship I have is on campus with the Campus Activities Board and the Office of Student Involvement. I am working with CAB to help plan Welcome Week events, as well as events throughout the first semester. Additionally, I’ve been attending meetings with other organizations on campus and have been facilitating staff interviews! It has been so much fun, especially with the other interns in the office.

My other internship is with the Alzheimer’s Association! I am an Outreach and Development intern for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I am helping recruit and reach out to people and companies in Worcester County! This ranges from phone calling, letter mailing, e-mailing, and even going to companies to help them promote the Walk! I just went to a local pizza place to put flyers on their pizza boxes for the Walk! Its a lot of fun and I truly am enjoying myself.

When I get home from my internship (home being Williams Hall-which has been AMAZING to live in), I usually make myself some dinner (or eat cereal if I’m too lazy to make anything), hang out with a bunch of other people who are here over the summer, AND research St. Andrews!

I’m studying abroad at The University of St. Andrew’s next year and I am really excited! I’m currently in the Visa process (which can be a drag so readers, get ready to apply for a Visa if you decide to go abroad!). St. Andrew’s has been very helpful! So I’m really looking forward to that. Once I find out where I will be living and a little more information, I will blog all about St. Andrews!

Hope you’re having a great summer, and for the first years who attended Gateways, I hope you enjoyed yourself!

Jackie