International Experiences
France
When I entered college, I knew from the beginning I wanted to study abroad. I didn't know where or how it would happen, but I know I had to go and when I found the UF in Lille program it felt like the perfect opportunity had come. So, despite never travelling alone before, I got on the plane and I went to study physics and art abroad in the French city of Lille. This was not only my first travel experience by myself, but also my first time traveling to Europe. It was pretty nerve-racking landing in a country where I didn’t know anyone and couldn’t speak the language, but what an amazing decision that turned out to be! Over the course of my ten week stay, I still can't believe all of the amazing places I've been, things I've done, and all the wonderful people I met.
As my first travel independent experience, I learned so much about myself by experiencing the world from another perspective and I will treasure the memories of this summer for the rest of my life.
​I got to immerse myself in French culture and history through the many art museums (including the Palais des Beaux Arts and the Louvre) as a part of the engineering art class. I learned how to make engineering sketches to better convey my ideas and, despite no prior experience, managed to make some sketches I am rather proud of. Another major draw of the trip was the chance to visit major cities like Paris, London, and Brussels but also smaller cities like Iper, Bruges and my host city of Lille. Most importantly, I got to make connections among my peers from my university and other travelers from across the globe. Though my time there was relatively short I was able to make some lasting friendships among my fellow students and companions that I will never forget.​
Iceland
Iceland is a place blessed with an abundance of the natural resources of water and heat that make it unquietly suited for maximizing the potential hydropower and geothermal systems. The purpose of this trip was to learn in detail about the inner workings of the geothermal systems and its various uses depending on the temperature of the water heated by underground thermal pockets. Hearing from multiple experts with several different backgrounds helped me to understand the many aspects of Iceland’s geothermal system and allowed me to form my own opinion on the current state of the industry and the direction its future might take.
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Before the trip, I was not very interested in the location of Iceland itself, but I saw there really surprised me. Especially the distinct, isolated environment itself. I have never been to a place with such pristine, wild, and beautiful landscapes before. I see why Icelanders take so much pride in it. The contrast between oceans and mountains, glaciers and volcanoes are something truly special to Iceland alone. I’m glad we were able to experience the golden circle and my trip with some of the others to the Snaefellsnes peninsula was the best part of the trip for me.Equally as important, was the chance to make some friends with people outside of my major and immediate circle. I don’t often get the chance to go out and meet new people because of how busy I am during the semester, so I was happy to make some new friendships outside of a strictly school setting. However, the limited amount of time to explore the island on this trip left me wanting more. I will definitely go back one day and take a tour of the entire island and see some of the major attractions we weren’t able to on this trip like the Northern Lights, glaciers, whale watching, and the Blue Lagoon.
