Brugge and Holland



New Belgium friends at a tasting festival!

Two weeks ago, I visited Brugge and Holland, and what a fun weekend I had!  Brugge is truly, a beautiful and refined city...and very relaxed.  The food was unbelievable!  And the desserts were even more amazing!  The architecture and canals are serene.  I only spent a day in Holland, but it gave me a chance tosee the land of my ancestors and look forward to another trip in the future.  I also learned wooden clogs were originally made to be totally functional.  The tips are pointed and used to have a little metal point because they were used like a lever to dig and lift and work in the dike areas.  Others were hand-carved and painted and were given to the bride-to-be or to celebrate many other special occasions.



Eating mussels! Yum!



The main square

They even have famous chocolate chefs in Brugge!

                                           

MK at the Unesco World Heritage Site

                                                           

Celebrating with the Mayor of Viterbo, Italy

A few weeks ago, the 53 USAC (University Study Abroad Consortium) students were invited to attend an official welcome ceremony with Mayor Guilio Marini at the beautiful Palazzi Comunali in Viterbo, Italy.  It was an honor to be invited to an event celebrating the 30^th anniversary of USAC and the 6^th anniversary of the Viterbo program.  We enjoyed being part of a unique group of past and present students who were thanked by the Mayor for being important ambassadors for the city. 

The Mayor acknowledged that having students integrate with the local community, volunteer for the Mama and Papa - I Speak English programs, and participate in multi-cultural activities, is of mutual benefit to the students and the city of Viterbo.  The city wishes to continue to open Viterbo’s walls to the outside world and become more contemporary, but acknowledges the challenge of staying true to the city’s rich medieval history.   Mayor Marini invited all the students to return to Viterbo in the future and continue to enjoy all aspects of the community.

While the day was casual, it certainly gave me time to reflect on the amazing experience we Americans are having in Viterbo.  I am sure more than a few of us have had some ups and downs.  And sure, I know a lot of students crave Mexican food, warm buildings and family back home.  But interacting and connecting  with people in the community, being accepted as international students, learning new and important perspectives, changing our technology and instant gratification behavior, loving  and appreciating our temporary home, loving our American home, traveling to cool destinations, forging boldly ahead with new experiences, traveling and language lessons…well, it’s molto bene!

Truly, a huge grazie to the USAC staff – Stefano, Frankie, Marco and Luisa - for such a well-run program.  The experience, knowledge and assistance with transitions, curriculum advising, and just day-to-day college student issues(!) is awesome!