Day 14 -- Goodbye UK

Well, 14 days touring the United Kingdom (not forgetting Ireland) have come and gone much quicker than I had expected. I feel like we were all boarding a plane yesterday with anticipation of the foreign experiences to come on our overseas adventure. For some this was their first time traveling outside the US or even riding on an airplane. For me, this was my first non-military and non-desert experience outside the US so I was thrilled for this trip to say the least.  Looking back I have to say my most vivid memories aren't about where I went but more of what I experienced throughout the trip.

I was ecstatic to visit London because, well hey-it’s LONDON. Seeing iconic attractions such as the clock tower (often incorrectly referred to as Big Ben which I learned is actually just the name of the bell inside the tower) & parliament, Tower Bridge, the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, experiencing a lovely Westminster Abbey service, and visiting Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station for a picture was fun and surreal but my favorite part was seeing all of London from the London Eye. Being terrified of heights made it a rough ride and I didn’t even venture from the very center of the pod to look down until it was halfway through but I’m so glad I did because the view of London was awesome! My second favorite experience in London was visiting the famous Abbey Road from the Beatles Album. However silly it may seem actually standing on the corner and walking across the same street the Beatles did was exciting, I only wish my sister could’ve shared it with me. Growing up the one and only thing my sister and I had in common was our absolute LOVE for the Beatles. I thought of you the whole time Mer.

I found touring Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and The Roman Baths in Bath enjoyable, interesting and memorable. The Castle was beautiful inside and out, then Marissa and I got a picture with a Royal Guard, which everyone strives for when traveling to the UK, right? Stonehenge even became more memorable (and perhaps a little exciting) when we experienced an unexpected UK weather event…it not only rained but it hailed! I found it almost ironic that here we all were to visit a large rock formation and we were being pummeled by small rocks from the sky. It did stop long enough for us to hurry around the formation for some quick pictures but most of us were quite cold from the whipping winds and very damp upon returning to the bus. I will definitely never forget Stonehenge.  

Canyoning in Wales was probably my most memorable experience. Having been described as White Water Rafting without the Raft – I definitely felt the intensity of that description after donning wetsuits, helmets, life vests and other various safety gear. I was filled with excitement and nervousness at the thought of wading through and jumping into rapidly moving water but after the first plunge into the extremely cold water my adrenaline kicked in and my excitement took over. Rushing down a waterfall as a natural waterslide was amazing but I will never forget the exhilaration I felt taking a running leap off a waterfall’s ledge to zip-line down and plunge into the water below. Not long after that I had the opportunity to truly conquer my fear of heights when we had to climb up the side of a cliff and then climb sideways with very little foot room before the cliff drop-off.  We were perfectly safe attached to a rope with a harness, but for me it was one of the most difficult tasks I had ever undertaken and I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment upon successful completion. It was an absolutely amazing day!

The day after that several of us made the courageous decision to hike Mt Snowden through the wind and rain. Probably not the brightest decision I’ve ever made armed only with waterproof tennis shoes, a jacket and a cheap poncho but nevertheless I faced the horrible weather head on with eight other brave souls. Over the next few hours of crossing between hiking and rock-climbing on all fours we all became completely drenched before turning back due to the horrible weather. The hike back down was the most memorable part as Olivia and I sang the entire score of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (and several other songs) together to keep our minds off how chilled we were. Although we were all soaked and shivering once we entered the lodge at the bottom everyone agreed (while devouring the Snickers candy bars Eric provided us as our reward) that they were glad they’d done it even through the horrible weather. This is another experience I will never forget.

A few more of my most memorable experiences were being chosen to become an official taste tester at The Old Jameson Whiskey Distillery (and yes, it was better than the others I tasted) and visiting the Molly Malone statue in Dublin (we share a fabulous first name). Moving on to Northern Ireland I crossed the very narrow, rickety and high up Carrik-a-Rede rope bridge, twice. I even took a few pictures very close to the edge of the island making a few people nervous but I made sure I had good footholds the whole time.  I especially enjoyed the view of the cliffs on the way back from the bridge because to me they resembled The Cliffs of Insanity from one of my favorite childhood movies, “The Princess Bride.”  Northern Ireland was incredibly beautiful and memorable.

Our last destination before boarding the plane to return home was Scotland. I toured St Mungo’s Glasgow Cathedral and the Glasgow Necropolis which were very historical and breathtaking. The part of my Scotland experience that hit me the most was happening upon a homecoming ceremony for Scottish troops returning from Afghanistan. I will never forget hearing the drummers’ music and the sight of rows of men in dress uniforms with bayonets marching around the town square while hundreds of friends, family members, and strangers watched in support of the happy homecoming...some (including me) with tear-filled eyes. I’ve served in the US Military for twelve years and have never seen a sight as this heart-warming welcome home; it was a very emotional experience for me. Strangely I knew none of these men but was filled with joy for them and their families that they had finally made it home safely.  I then ended the evening as every tourist who wants the full UK experience should; I joined several other classmates and many Scotsman (& women) in a local pub named The Court Bar in Paisley (where we were staying) for karaoke. Most of us couldn’t even understand what the local people were saying their accents were so thick but it definitely made the perfect ending to an amazing trip abroad.  

I want to mention a little something about one of my favorite aspects of the trip before ending my story…the food! Of course I tried fish & chips (that’s fried fish and French fries for those who don’t know) in several different cities. And even though I’m not a big fish fan, I loved it all but one time. I tried the traditional English breakfast almost everywhere we went as well which includes: eggs, bacon, sausage, cooked tomatoes, cooked mushrooms, baked beans and toast. The bacon over there is more like cooked ham so that was a little disappointing but as I love mushrooms and beans and can never get enough at home I thought the breakfast was delicious! In the first place we stayed, St. Simeon’s, a staff member named Alexander was very persistent in ensuring we all received enough to eat. On multiple occasions each morning, even when we had multiple plates of food in front of us, he’d bring more fruit and cheese on a plate to my table insisting we eat it or take it with us for lunch because London is expensive…boy was he right! My first evening in Scotland a few of us were hungry after getting off the ferry so we walked along the streets of Paisley until we found a little pizza/sandwich carry-out place to order from. I wasn’t too terribly hungry so I thought I’d be safe and order a kabob…much to my surprise it was basically a large gyro with lettuce and a red sauce instead of onions and cucumber sauce. Although it was delicious I decided from then on to play it safe when ordering food. It’s a good thing we had less than two days left at that point.

You may be saying, well this seems like a fabulous trip but what did you learn about sustainability? For starters, throughout this trip I noticed a serious lack of gas stations, numerous bicycle racks and rent-a-bicycle racks throughout several cities, bicycle lanes being much more common here than home, many people-including men in suits-riding bicycles around and numerous off-shore wind farms. I also found it very interesting that the country of Wales has a bag tax. While shopping, if I wanted a bag to place my items in I would have to purchase one for 5 pence; something I think might just encourage people to be more mindful of the resources they are using. We also spent a day at Swansea University interacting with the other students discussing ideas on furthering sustainability followed by a guided nature walk around campus which was absolutely beautiful. Overall I was impressed with many options available to the general populace which make it easy for them to implement measures to help preserve the environment. Not to mention, I had an amazing experience abroad with fifteen fabulous people that I already miss and will never forget.

Thank you to everyone for making this such a memorable experience! Good-bye and God Bless.

Molly Skovronski

Day 13 -- Glasgow

After our brief touring of North Ireland, we took a ferry across the Irish Sea to Scotland.  We stayed in a town called Paisley just outside of Glasgow which is Scotlands biggest city [according to Wikipedia…].  In the morning, we took the ScotRail, an over-ground version of London’s tube, to Glasgow’s city center and walked to George Square.  While in George square, we got to see some of Glasgow’s older buildings and beautiful statues.  In addition to that, we were there at just the right time to see the troops returning home.  They marched around the square led by a military band complete with bagpipes.  The square was filled with people who wanted to show support for their soldiers including their families.  After the march, they had some pictures, and then they got to reunite with their loved ones.  It was amazing to get to see this.  It reminded us all of the people who serve and have served in our military and was definitely tugging on some heart strings. 

After the soldiers homecoming was done, we walked to Glasgow cathedral.  It was a beautiful stone church with Medieval [or whatever kind it was] architecture.  Inside the cathedral was beautiful with tons of stained glass windows, beautiful tombs, and Scottish crests adorning everything. 

Just a short jaunt from the cathedral was the Necropolis, an old Victorian style cemetery on a hill.  It was filled with huge elaborate headstones, graves, and statues.  Walking the winding path up the hill and seeing all of the monuments was a chilling experience.  With the imposing cloudy skies, the graves, the wind, and the beautiful wildflowers and lush green grass, it was the perfect and peaceful combination of eerie and incredible.

From there, we found our way to Glasgow market.  It was an interesting experience.  Picture a giant garage sale/ farmers market/ secondhand shop.  It was massive and filled with all kinds of mostly second hand items.  It was something you definitely don’t see most places in the U.S., and not at all what we were expecting to find.  After picking through the market, we walked through the park along  the river Clyde back to city center where we continued to shop and spend the day.  We all met up for our last big group dinner at [Italian restaurant…].  It was the best meal of the trip, and a great time to catch up with the rest of the group and hear about everyone’s day in Scotland.  After dinner, we headed back to Paisley to celebrate our last night of the trip and sing karaoke with the locals who enthusiastically joined us!  We were all sad that we had to leave so soon, but Glasgow was a great place to end our tour abroad.

Nicole T.

Day 12 -- Rope Bridges and Causeways

When you think of Ireland, what comes to mind? Green and gold, four-leaf clovers, leprechauns, red-heads, rainbows with a pot of gold at the end? I can’t vouch for the pot of gold, but it sure rained enough for plenty of rainbows. And red-heads are quite abundant as well. But the green, the green is everywhere. Grassy hills, weeds, plants, trees, moss, buildings, clothing, tourist attractions, absolutely everything. The power of nature in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is apparent every direction you can possibly look.

Our morning began with an early 8 a.m. departure from our hostel in Belfast. It began raining on the trip to Giant’s Causeway and continued to rain and mist throughout most of our stop there. However, most of us didn’t let that stop us and we continued down the cliff to Giant’s Causeway. The area that falls under that title is quite large and has tons of, well, rocks! The constant crash of the waves against the rocks adds to the majestic beauty held in this place.

Giant’s Causeway was created by a lava eruption thousands of years ago. The rock columns that are found here are due to the quick cooling of that lava, causing columns with different heights to appear. There are also myths associated with Giant’s Causeway, most dealing with an Irish giant named Finn McCool, who was said to have built the causeway across the sea to challenge his Scottish giant nemesis, Bernandonner. When Bernandonner started to cross the Causeway, Finn ran in fright of his enemies much larger size. Ironically, he ran to his wife, who passed him off as her child, then causing Bernandonner to run in fear of a father that would be much, much larger than the child in Finn’s wife’s arms.

More information about Giant’s Causeway can be found here: http://www.discoverireland.net/giants-causeway.php.

We then made our way to another tourist attraction. The area around the rope bridge to the small volcanic island named Carrik-a-Rede was beautiful as well. I’m overusing that word—beautiful—but it’s really the only way to describe everything I’m seeing here while in the UK and Ireland. The bridge to Carrik-a-Rede is a reconstruction of the past. Fishers used the old bridge to travel to the island to catch salmon. Back then, the bridge only had one rope to hold onto, but it was said they fearlessly crossed over the bridge day after day during the warmer months to bring in fish to feed the village as salmon swam by while migrating. The bridge was reconstructed to be a tourist attraction.

Amanda Heesch crossing the bridge

This shows how high up and how narrow the bridge was

I was quite impressed and excited that the bridge and area around it wasn't overrun by tourist-y places where they asked for a bunch of your money to see things that don’t supplement your experience at all. They had a simple building with toilets and a tiny café with souvenirs to purchase and that was all, besides a ticket booth and parking areas. 

The blue-green color of the water meshed with the moss-covered rocks and created simple, natural beauty that cannot be beat. Seagulls nested in the pockets of the side of the island while the waves continued to crash against the sides. It was a very peaceful place that I would love to visit again and again.

Our guide, Darren, hurried us along on our way and took us along the Causeway Coast Route to Larne Port, where we boarded a ferry to Scotland. The waves of the Irish Sea broke against black and grey rocks all along our route. I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean, and driving along it for an hour and a half was basically heaven and I loved every minute of it. I’m sad our trip is coming to a close, but we have experienced so much in such a short amount of time, that processing all of these things will hold me over until my next adventure!

Janet

Day 11 -- Belfast and the Titanic Experience

Hello from Belfast, Northern Ireland! Today was a fairly laid back, but exciting day. I went shopping, walked on the beach, rode on a bus, went to the Titanic Experience Museum, and ate at a pub called Elms.

I started my morning out bright and early by waking up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready and go out to adventure the city of Dublin. A couple girls and I chose to do this because we wanted to see more of Dublin and get our shop on. Since we only had until 11:00 a.m. to see the city and do some adventuring of our own, we got up early and went on our way. We walked around the city and took lots of good pictures and even visited Trinity College and purchased a few souvenirs while we waited around for the shops to open up. While walking around we came upon a shop called Pennys that opened at 8:30 a.m. so we waited around outside of the shop until the doors opened. I was getting really excited waiting because I love shopping and am kind of addicted to it. Once the doors opened we rushed in and ran around the store looking for cute clothes and accessories. It was awesome because everything was a bargain and was also really cute. Once the 10 o’clock hour rolled around we moved quickly and headed back down the streets of Dublin making a few quick stops at souvenir shops and made our way back to our hostel where we had stayed the past night, to grab our luggage. We loaded the Paddy Wagon bus and then headed for our next adventure.

After about an hour on the road we came upon a beach area where we were able to get off the bus, stretch out our legs, and venture around the beach. It was super nice outside! People ran out by the water, walked in the sand, took pictures, and hunted for neat looking seashells and rocks. After that we boarded the bus and headed a few more miles down the road and into town for lunch. We found a nice looking restaurant right along the beach and ordered our food. A large majority of the group ordered and enjoyed fish and chips or seafood of some kind.

Me (Amanda), Janet and Paige

Soon we were on the road again and headed to Belfast. Once we came upon the city of Belfast we headed straight for the Titanic Experience Museum. I have to say that this was the highlight of my day as I really enjoyed the experience. The museum had four floors of exhibitions starting with the history of shipyards in Belfast all the way to where it is today with the placement of the wreck. My favorite parts were the guest rooms (first class, second class, and third class) and the numerous videos, as well as the walking with the workers mini-ride. The experience museum was interactive and intriguing, yet sad, especially when reading about the aftermath. Altogether I really enjoyed my time at the Titanic Experience and am glad I made the decision to see it. 

Replica of First Class Cabins

As for the rest of the night, we checked into our hostel and went out to explore Belfast and to find a good, yet reasonably priced restaurant/pub. Overall, I had a wonderful day and the nice weather helped to make it even better. 

Amanda

Day 10 -- Goodbye Wales, Hello Ireland!

Helo Aye,

Brett Condon checking in.  Currently sitting our surprisingly luxurious, enclosed ferry, we students have said our last goodbyes to Wales and have started our next journey to Ireland.  Our time in Wales exceeded all expectations.  All of the students pushed their limits when taking the challenges of the outdoor experiences.  From sliding off of massive cliffs into the water to climbing a mountain in a ferocious storm, many students pushed their limits to the extreme.  While enjoying our time with less adrenaline pumping through our veins, we experienced the culture of Wales in many different ways. Many visited local shops, went to the beach, and enjoyed different Welsh foods in some nostalgic restaurants. While moving further into North Wales, we experienced more of the Welsh traditional culture in the towns that we stayed in through the people and sites. Visiting Conwy Castle took us back in time to the 13th century as we stepped into the perspective of King Edward I.

Last night we ended our time in Wales with a karaoke party at the bed and breakfast.  Our amazing hosts, Simon and Leslie, set up their karaoke equipment in a room specifically for our group to enjoy.  What better way to get some group bonding time than to make fools out of ourselves through our 'amazing' voices?  Jill had the outfit of the night as she busted out her flowery wind-suit from the 70's.  I'm told I had the performance of the night with the Rainbow Connection in my Kermit the Frog voice.  I'm weird. Everyone had a blast during our karaoke session and it was a great way to wrap up our time in Wales.

Well, Ireland is in our site and our ferry ride is coming to an end.  It is time to see what Emerald Isle has to offer.  When we dock, we will begin our private tour of Ireland and learn about their culture and history.  Later on we will be visiting the Jameson Distillery and downtown Dublin.

Until tonight, cheers aye! (read further for the night's activities!)

Goodbye Wales

Hello Dublin!

(Later on....)

Our day in Dublin was a success. We started off by taking a stroll around the city and seeing famous sites such as Trinity College, O’Connell Street, and the Molly Malone statue.  After touring the city, we made our way to the Old Jameson Distillery.  It was interesting learning about all of the culture centered around the history of Jameson.  The distillery itself is surprisingly directly related to the class, with the connection to this class.  They pride themselves in advancing technologies to make their product in the most efficient way possible, caring for the environment, using resources efficiently, and impacting society around the world.  Dera, Molly, and I were lucky enough to be one of eight people selected to do taste testing at the end of the tour, after which we became certified taste testers.

After the tour, we walked downtown Dublin and experienced a bit of history being made.  The Ireland and England football rivalry had been suspended since the 1995 match when some fans caused the match to be stopped.  It was crazy being in the center of such a huge event for the locals.  We were then able to experience the nightlife of Dublin.  We spent some time at the world famous Temple Bar.  It was a blast experiencing the Irish culture first hand in such a popular spot.

After leaving Dublin I feel like a small chunk of my life is complete.  I have always wanted to visit this place and experience the day in the life of the Irish.  The end of our trip is sneaking up on us as we only have three days left in the United Kingdom.  Make sure to catch our last few blogs and check out our final experiences of the trip.

Closing time. Cheers!

Day 9 -- Olivia's Vlog Post

Instead of the typical written out blog posts, Olivia takes a different approach with a vlog! Listen in:

Day 8 -- Hiking Mt. Snowdon

Today’s adventure was to hike Mount Snowdon, the second highest mountain in the UK and an adventure it was. The weather forecast was not in favor for those who wanted to take on the challenge. The group woke up early today and made our way to the bottom of the mountain, before we even got there it started to rain. Since it did not look like the sun was going to come out, only a group of nine started the journey in 30 degree weather. Eric led Amber, Elizabeth, Ariana, Molly, Olivia, Callie, Brett, and I up a slow slope at first around a lake. We booked through the first part optimistic that the rain and wind would let up. After walking up slopes, the terrain turned into a steep path of rocks. While on the hike up we could see water flowing down the mountain, but that was about all we could see because of the rain and fog. We could not even see the top of the mountain because of all of the fog. 

About an hour into the trip up our spirits were lifted by a couple of experienced hikers who told us at the top it was sunny with pina colada’s were awaiting for us. With this incentive we kept trucking up the mountain even though we were cold and wet, and some put on some very fashionable ponchos to protect them from the rain. After a couple of steep walks up paths of rocks, we then had to climb and make our way up piles of rocks. This was about two-thirds of the way up and when the rain and wind really picked up and it was pretty much miserable hiking conditions. We would hike up parts of the mountain and then not be able to see where we were due to the fog and rain. Even though we were about 40 minutes from the top, we turned around due to the awful weather conditions. At this point we were all soaked completely and bummed we didn’t make it to the top, but we knew we needed to. 

Since we did not make it to the top we had to go down the slippery rocks we just hiked up, instead of an easier path going from the top. After making our way back down we talked to another hiker who was also heading back down, he told us even the mountain guides were turning around to get off the mountain, at this point we knew we made the right decision to turn back. With helping each other we made our way down the very slippery rocks. We could not wait to get back to the lodge to warm up. After a four hour round trip we did make our way back to the lodge. Due to being on the mountain we could not reach our coach driver to pick us early so we shivered in the lodge with dripping wet clothes for about an half an hour. Hot coco and tea helped warm us up, until the coach arrived. Overall everyone was glad we hiked as long as we could, even though the weather was miserable. It will be an experience none of us will ever forget!

We then headed to Llandudno to meet with the rest of the group who was exploring the town for the day, they said the town has cute places to shop and eat. After warming up and taking a quick nap from all the activities during the day, we got ready and headed out on the town. We headed toward the beach and walked out on the dock to get a better view of the rocks and the offshore wind farm. After taking in some beautiful scenery we headed to an old opera house turned into a restaurant for some great food. Once full and happy we headed back to our bed and breakfast for good group bonding. There’s nothing better than relaxing and reminiscing about the day and the adventures we had.    

Nicole

Day 7 -- Canyoning in Wales

Helo (Hello in Welsh) from Dera on the outskirts of Bala, Wales!

Day 6 was spent traveling on a bus, so we're skipping ahead to day 7!

Right now it’s a sunny, yet brisk evening at our recreational lodge. The weather today has been wonderful! Wales has the best weather and landscape we’ve really seen so far and it’s great since today was filled with a recreational outdoor activity called ‘canyoning’. We left this morning around 8:30 a.m. for our 30 minute drive through the hilly gorgeousness to our destination. With my, according to Eric, ‘flowery’ writing skills I shall tell you about the wonderful experience we had today.

We all were dressed in SUPER tight wetsuits, old tennis shoes, helmets, life jackets (a.k.a. buoyancy aids), and diaper type things for our harnesses. Sweat all started to accumulate on our bodies as we hiked back with our guides to the headwaters of the river. I really didn’t know what to expect out of this day, but my mind was surely blown as I jumped off of our starting point from a six foot rock into ice cold spring water. Talk about freezing! Fortunately it wasn’t that bad since we were pumped with adrenaline and had wonderful clear blue and sunny skies all day. We were literally out in this awesomely amazing looking forest following a river of deeply incised gorges that we scrambled, slid and jumped down. Our gorge walking through the rugged rocks, chilly water, and forest reminded a few of us of Lord of the Rings, but maybe that was just what we thought of to pass the time until we canyoned again. When we canyoned we would either be sliding down rocks, free falling into pools of water, jumping off of cliffs, or zip lining from a waterfall but we always stayed on the river’s path. My favorite part about today was zip lining from a waterfall, sliding down and free falling from another waterfall, and jumping off of a high cliff. Honestly I loved it all and I am so glad I had the experience we did today because it didn’t make me feel like the typical tourist in the UK. I can’t really put into words how awesome of a day I had! If you ever have the opportunity to go, no matter the temperature of the water or day, please do go! We took some Go Pro videos of our day so hopefully we’ll be able to share a few of those at some point. Here’s a few of our student’s experiences today:

• Nicole B. literally could not stay up even if she was standing still, but she was a trouper and survived!
• Marissa almost didn’t want to zip line off of the waterfall, but with a little shove she braved the plunge and loved it!
• Callie was just amazing and wasn’t afraid to do anything or try canyoning before everyone else.
• Ari was awesome and jumped off of the highest cliff since her center of gravity was lower than the rest of ours at the end of our day. She was then followed by Brett, Olivia, and Callie! Way to go you crazy kids!
• Jill remained her cool self and before she hit the water while zip lining she yelled “wedgie”, which made everyone’s day even better.

(I would really like to emphasize everyone’s ‘awesomeness’ with a cuss word, but I won’t so keep in mind that everything was amazing and such a good time for all of us)

We’ve been having some wonderful days here, but unfortunately our trip is half over as of today ☹ Some of my favorites while on this trip have been seeing two of my favorite musicals, meeting Bradley Cooper with Callie and Nicole B., viewing London’s architecture and sites, and so much more!

Tomorrow’s schedule is set for hiking the mountain or seeing Llandundo, Wales but the rain might be an issue. Thank goodness today was gorgeous out so we were all able to enjoy today and will be able to tonight since the sun doesn’t set until after 9. As of right now it is 7:14 here and we’re all in our living room area eating pizza and watching TV or enjoying the outdoors. We’ve all been having a wonderful experience through UNI with Eric, Jill, and everyone else! This trip is definitely life changing and I can’t wait to see what this next week has to offer. 

Hwyl fawr am y tro (goodbye for now in Welsh)! ☺ Hope the Iowa rain is enjoyable as we relish in our Welsh sunshine tonight!

Dera

Day 5 -- Swansea University and Caswell Bay, Part 2

Swansea University and Caswell Bay, Part 2

Once 1:00 rolled around, we embarked upon a nature trail throughout campus. This was by far my favorite part of the day! Our leaders Dan and Penny were obviously passionate about the areas of sustainability and biodiversity 

and they truly got all of us excited about these areas as well.

In addition to getting our exercise on this brisk and windy day, we also learned a ton about the variety of different habitats that house a wide range of diverse species. In fact, there were multiple different species of grass in only about a two foot radius. Dan was especially interesting to listen to and therefore we were a bit late our outdoor lunch; we were served soup that contained herbs grown directly on campus!

Rushing to finish our meals, we then walked over to tour SEACAMS and the Aqua Labs. Here, we learned about how small actions can really make a big difference. In the SEACAMS lab, they talked about how simply being organized and logging the amount of usage and waste that goes through can impact the world for the better; in fact, they received an award for their efforts. Afterwards, in the Aqua Lab, we got to learn more about bio-diverse marine life.

In my opinion, the next part of the day was spectacular as well. We all took a bus to Caswell Bay where the mountains met the rolling tide and our feet gripped the sparkling sand. Needless to say, we were all excited to experience such a beautiful sight.

We climbed some rocks, drew in the sand, and ran through the water until the tide almost washed our shoes away. Paige frolicked in the sand, Eric was giddy with excitement, Ariana and Amber got trapped at the top of a cliff, countless items were rescued from the rising tide, a cave was discovered, and conversations were held as we sat in the sun and dried our feet before we were to leave once again. It was a fun time with friends, new and old.

After tiring ourselves out at Caswell Bay, we were guided toward one of the best restaurants in Southern Wales 

for some fish and chips!

Diweddglo gwych i ddiwrnod gwych arall!! (A great ending to another great day!)

Elizabeth

Day 5 -- Swansea University and Caswell Bay, Part 1

Welcome to Wales! Where the words are made up and the weather doesn’t matter!

Part One of Two

After arriving in Wales last night, we woke up this morning with the sea air in our lungs and the anticipation of a new day clinging to our minds. Today is the day we would finally get a look at sustainability from the perspective of a university that seemed far different from our own. What we learned, however, was that although we may seem worlds apart, there are many similarities between UNI and Swansea University, and there are many things 

that we can take from them to improve our own campus.

On our way to Swansea University, we had the privilege to walk through Singleton Park, where the flora surrounded us and captured my attention wherever I looked. This park, full of plants, animals, insects, and a world of hidden life was the perfect prequel to day of thinking and learning about the subjects of sustainability and biodiversity.

Once we arrived on campus, we met our gracious and helpful hosts for the day: Heidi, Anna, and Ambreen.

Anna started the workshop by asking us and a few Swansea students about what we thought sustainability meant, and then provided us with a couple of definitions that she had found online. One of these defined sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. From there, we began to discuss the differences between our two universities in terms of issues concerning sustainability. This is what the group of us came up with:

UNI	Both	Swansea University
Students prefer to take the easy way out and there is a lack of awareness/interest	Laziness – e.g. students tend to drive even when they are only traveling a short distance	There is not much public recycling
Lack of publicity	Lack of information – e.g. what can be recycled vs. what can’t	Many buildings in Swansea are grade-listed and therefore cannot be insulated. This increases the amount of energy needed to heat the buildings.
Little alternative energy usage		Labs use a lot of electricity and water

However, we were also able to compare and contrast some of the things that the campuses did well with respect 

to living and functioning sustainably.

UNI	Both	Swansea University
Textbook sales within the student body	Collecting unwanted items during the time of student move-out to give to those who need it	Students are not allowed to park on campus which is a good incentive to walk, bike, or take the bus
Solar-powered cars	Sustainability week/month	Student audit training
Recycling bins provided in each dorm room		Switches on outlets to reduce unnecessary energy consumption
The Panther Plot student garden
Energy audits for dorms
Steam tunnels underground

After we were locked into the subject and focused on sustainable efforts, we were able to get a better look into Swansea University and the country of Wales. The sustainability team at the university was set up approximately two years and has grown considerably since it started. The basis of their work lies within the Swansea University Sustainability Strategy. This strategy is quite complex, but to simplify it for us, they broke it apart. There are 5 main principles that make it up: Knowledge and Skills, Low Carbon, Green Corridor, Sustainable Decision Making, and Well Being. From there, emerged three key themes: 1) Estates and Operations 2) Learning, Teaching, and Research and 3) Leadership, Empowerment, and Partnerships. It was further broken down into the areas of an Environmental Management System, dedicated to researching the issues and focusing on the most important one, a Carbon Management Plan, where possible projects are discussed, and a Biodiversity Action Plan. Furthermore, Anna made it clear that the number one building block to a sustainable university is staff and student engagement. That is where we were given a chance to brainstorm issues and engagement concerning our two institutions. 

The first group, given the topic of increasing recycling, came up with a unique and exciting way to motivate the campus population to recycle their waste.

The second group worked with the topic of reducing energy consumption and expanded upon the idea of Sustainability competitions across campus.

My group received the issue of transportation and were able to come up with three different options based on the structure of the university and the nature of the situation.

Finally, the last group presented their response to the overconsumption of water.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part Two of our Swansea University and Caswell Bay adventure!

Elizabeth

Day 4 -- Hail, Baths, and Castles

Next stop, Wales! 

Well folks, we are no longer in England - we've made it to Wales! My name is Amber Smit and I'm studying psychology and family services at UNI!  

The first three days in London were so much more than I thought they would be. I'm incredibly fascinated with architecture, so London grabbed my attention everywhere we could have possibly gone. The buildings are unbelievable!  

Today was our first day of travel again since arriving in the United Kingdom. We hopped on a coach tour to head to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths.  

Our first stop was at Windsor Castle. After seeing Buckingham Palace the first day, this was another great place to learn about the Royals. The Queen spends a couple days a week at this castle. We were able to tour rooms, and we also saw St. George's Chapel where King Henry VIII, his wife Catherine and their child are laid to rest. Catherine died in child birth - the lucky one of his wives, considering the deaths of some of his other wives! Charles and Elizabeth are also laid to rest in this chapel.  This is probably one of my top favorite places of the trip so far. I love learning about the Royals and of course, the architecture throughout everything was beautiful.

We had been practicing our accents the whole trip

 
Our next stop was at Stonehenge. Although we were lucky enough to not have any rain during the trip so far, this is where our luck ran out. Just after getting off this bus, we were showered with not only rain, but hail as well! Let's just say our time at Stonehenge was short. I really enjoyed learning about the different theories on how Stonehenge was formed. 

"And then hell froze over"

Brett running free at Stonehenge

 Our final stop was at the Royal Baths. History says that a man who was in line for the throne was healed of leprosy by bathing in the spring. After seeing the bath, the spring, and many of the original pieces of the Royal Bath, many of us drank the hot spring water from bath. You think that's pretty gross, right? Yeah, we did too, but it wasn't all that bad. You're also probably wondering why in the world we would want to drink this. It's said that the water cleanses the inside of the body, is to help with one's health, and make one look younger. Fingers crossed!

Me

"She touched the butt!" - Finding Nemo

Dera and I

Tonight's a night of relaxing and free time to check out Swansea, big day at the University tomorrow! 

Stay tuned for more glimpses into our incredible trip and experiences! 

--Amber Smit   

Day 3 -- Abbey and Bradley

Today was a day full of seperate adventures. Our group spilt up to explore several different things from museums to boat tours to musicals, so my account of day three in London varies compared to others.

Beatles fans united to take the journey to see the famous Abbey Road.We made several attempts running out into the street between traffic to reenact the famous album cover. We had some good laughs as we were dodging cars and being honked at by the local Londoners. Nicole B. almost got hit by a bus. A couple of other girls fled as an ambulance sped in their direction. At least we gave those drivers a few good laughs as they drove by. I guess you could say our day started out on the right foot.

Brett walking at Abbey Road

After lots of pictures and walks across Abbey Road, we went to explorethe city before our musicals later that day or night. Five of us girlsdid some more sightseeing around St. Paul's Cathedral where Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were married. We wondered around and found where Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre was located before it famously burned down. After crossing the Tower Bridge, we also took a short boat tour on the River Thames which ended at Westminster Abbey and provided us with some great photo taking opportunities.

This is when it gets very interesting. Nicole B. and I were then on our lonesome to explore the Piccadilly Circus area before The Phantom of the Opera at Her Magesty´s Theatre. There were more people than we had ever seen before in London. The streets were packed. We then discovered that there was a movie premiere taking place. Low and behold, it was The Hangover III.

After further debate, we decided to see what all the hype was about and that's when we found Dera who was all alone like a one-man wolf pack. We were holding our cameras over our heads trying to get semi-identifiable pictures of the movie stars when Dera decided she was going in between the gates setup for the premiere. Nicole and I decided to follow. To our luck, one of the actors, Bradley Cooper, just happened to make his way towards us. Tongue-tied and awestruck, Nicole B. blurted out, "We came all the way from Iowa!" He didn't understand her and he replied, "What?" She then simply said, "Iowa." He went to take a picture with her and I, and we couldn't believe how lucky we were. We were going to have a picture with BRADLEY COOPER.

Seconds after he took the picture, we checked, and to our dismay the picture did not turn out. We were crushed, and we then remembered Dera was farther up. We found her and told her what happened as Bradley Cooper was getting closer to us again. We yelled to him that we were again the girls from Iowa and that the last picture didn't turn out.At that time, he was giving people his autograph. He walked past us only to turn back and fulfill our request. He successfully took our picture with him and told us "There, now you've got one." We were ecstatic and could not wait to tell the others about what they missed. I guess you could say it was our lucky day.

Dera, Nicole B., Callie, and some random girl trying to hug Bradley in the middle

There was no better way to end our London excursion than with a handful of musicals. Some went to Rock of Ages the previous night. A pair went to The Lion King, more went to Wicked, a few went to Les Miserables and a bunch, myself included, went to The Phantom of the Opera. (Oh and I was told to mention that a little birdie told me Eric shed some tears during Les Miserables.)

All in all, we had a blast with our different cultural experiences today. And like the Hangover III movie tagline states: this is the end.

Goodbye London and hello Wales!

Callie Bottorff