The Experiment in International Living

I’ll never forget the four weeks I spent in Ghana while on this program and the experiences I was able to have! As a group, we traveled to Kumasi, the Volta region, and Cape Coast which gave us the chance to truly explore the country. While on program, I was also able to intern with Untamed Empire, an incubator for young artists in Ghana, where I learned more about artistry and the mechanics of a business. I enjoyed every second of my trip, down to driving through Accra’s heavy traffic and visiting multiple museums. It was a great way to spend my summer!

I loved the time I spent in Ghana over the summer! I learned a lot about the art scene in Ghana and the culture. During the month, I interned at Dikan Center, a non-profit organization committed to visual education through the advancement of visual storytelling in Africa. Through the internship and the projects and discussions had there, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of Ghanaian culture and history. It was nice to go on different excursions throughout the month like Kumasi, Cape Coast, and the Volta Region because of the different people we got to interact with and how the lifestyles differed from place to place.

This trip was one of the most amazing things I have ever taken part of and I would highly recommend for students who want to get out in the world. It is a good safe environment to be in and to still have fun! With the home stay in the south I was able to truly see what everyday life was like and I felt fully immersed in the culture. We also spent a lot of time with the group and got to create our own itineraries giving us more confidence in leader and planning skills. I hope many more kids get to have this experience and that they enjoy it as much as I did.

The Experiment in international Livings South Korea program was an amazing trip and experience. I was born in South Korea but at a very young age, I move to the United States of America. This trip was a great way to learn about the people and culture of the place I was born. During the trip I visited many incredible places for example we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace, The Korean War Museum, the Han River, the DMZ, and many more incredible places. My personal favorite places we visited was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Han River, and Seoul. I learned so much about the old and new traditions and culture of South Korea. It was amazing to see how technologically advanced Korea was. There were robot servers at restaurants and robotic guides in the airport. The food was another highlight of the trip. Korean cuisine was very different compared to America. The seasonings as well as the food ingredients themselves were different. I’ve had a good amount of Korean food growing up but there was a difference between having it in the USA vs having it in Korea. At the end of our trip, we met with a group of Korean high school students and did many activities with them. We visited Cheongju and learned about the Korean presidents, we attended a student lead fair and toured through an art museum. It was a lot of fun to learn about their lives as students in Korea and what their plans for the future were. At the very end of the trip, we were allowed to explore the city of Seoul and I was able to meet with a friend from America that was there as an exchange student. They gave me a tour of the surrounding area and we did some shopping. My biggest takeaway from the trip would have to be the culture of South Korea. Korea is so different than the US in so many ways. There are definitely cultural mannerisms I’ve taken back to the US and that I’ve implemented into my daily life. I would love to go back to visit again.

Being in a new country with people you've never met is a duanting idea at first. I was nervous and kinda regreting my decision of even getting on the plane, but as soon as I got there I was greeted by my group leaders, and I started getting excited. From there everything went by quickly, meeting the full group, then security, then landing, motel, exploring spain, etc. Everything was quick and you had something to do everyday! Whether it was going to museums, cathedrals or new cities, you had something to do everyday. Homestays were one of the times thing went slower. Living with a new family was pretty nerve-wracking, especially since at the time I was sick. My biggest fears were getting the rest of the family sick or being disrespectful in any way. Thankfully, my family was so kind and understanding! They'd take us on small trips around Valencia, showing us landmarks, museums, beaches, and let us walk around the city. Truly one of my most memorable moments was anytime the whole family was together. Being able to see and be a part of a family, and experiencing their day to day was truly memorable. Although I know Spanish, I noticed that my family did try to make a slight effort to teach it to those that didn't. Advice I have for homestays is to definitely try to communicate. It might be hard at first but being able to talk to your homestay family is super important and can add to the experience!