Passing A Moment
May 6, 2015
"Philosophical discussion will not be the best way to understand Buddhism. If you want to be a sincere Buddhist, the best way is to sit. We are very fortunate to have a place to sit in this way. I want you to have a firm, wide, imperturbable conviction in your sitting. Just to sit, that is enough." Indeed,...
Jogging Into a New World
March 23, 2015
As I continue to strive to become the person I want to be I've come understand the importance in maintaining an intimate relationship with exercise. I love gyms and the endorphins that flood me after a productive date with my weights. But there's one thing I won't do at any regular gym facility: run....
Culture Shock: Remembering your roots as you plant them in new soil
March 3, 2015
Something that's been on my mind a lot lately is how the process of cultural immersion affects relationships both in country and across borders. As we discussed in a class aptly entitled "Culture Shock," my fourteen classmates and I are little flowers. We have all, by choice, pulled up our roots in the...
Getting Started
February 23, 2015
As I sit here and write my preliminary post for this study abroad blog my mind can't help but scan through the sheer experience of the last twenty-four hours: after packing my life away into two bags, my parents and I loaded up the car and zoomed off to the NHL's Stadium Series game. My San Jose Sharks...
Thoughts before getting on a plane
January 31, 2015
It is Saturday morning and I am enjoying one last sunny Oakland morning. Upstairs, two friends from Whitman are sleeping sound after the long drive from campus to wish me off. What is going on? Tonight I will board a red eye flight to Miami, and from there I will transfer onto the plane that will take...
Becoming Part Of The Family: Reflections on a Semester in Bali
January 27, 2015
When I think about the start of my semester abroad, I'm immediately taken back to when I first stepped off the airplane at the Jakarta International Airport - not my final destination, but the first time I thought to myself "Wow, this is different." I already had layovers in two other international ai...
ISP Reflections: Part 2
January 13, 2015
Although my last post promised a follow-up on how my ISP ended, as you may notice I've taken a little longer to post again. I'm not sure if I'm even technically allowed to keep posting as I have returned from being abroad, but after trying multiple time to write this post and failing, I realized th...
ISP Reflections: Part 1
December 20, 2014
Greetings blog followers! Due to a busy schedule and broken computer, I was unable to post this blog when I first wrote it. However, both of these problems have since been solved, and although my program has ended, I will be posting my last few posts over the next few days. First, I'm going to travel...
In conclusion…
December 15, 2014
It's only been a week since Semester in the West ended, and I have already transformed a nomad to couch potato. Last night, curled up in my sleeping bag, I watched a TV special of The Princess Diaries 2. As I was tearing up, touched by Anne Hathaway as she led orphaned children in a parade, it became...
Climb Every Mountain…Or Just One Volcano
November 30, 2014
As promised, here is a recap of the second half of my weeklong excursion, this part featuring adventures in North Bali. As you first read this entry the title may seem misleading, although I can assure you that I did in fact climb a volcano...I just did some other things first. But keep reading on...
Amidst The Rice Fields
November 19, 2014
We arrived at the village by foot, which was perhaps the most practical way given the amount of potholes in the somewhat-paved road that were not quite catered for a four wheeled vehicle full of college students. In retrospect it also seemed like the most appropriate way to start our short stay in...
Sophistication in the West
November 2, 2014
Saturday, November 1st, 2014 - El Cornado Ranch, AZ El Cornado Ranch is so expansive, it's impolite to ask the owners for it's exact acreage. Out here, property and cows are the measure of one's wealth. However, the couple who own the ranch aren't interested in comparisons of their prosperity...
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