Traveling Opportunities at Mercyhurst

Hi Everybody,

So I was contemplating what to blog about for this week.  I was thinking and thinking, and then the light bulb went off... traveling! Many might assume that because Mercyhurst is a small school, we don't have many opportunities to travel.  But our school actually prides itself in the amount of opportunities that it provides for students, and for school credit too! 

Me in Milan, Italy in May 2010

All of the programs that I've been involved in, I've taken a 10 week class that focuses on the place that we're visiting, and then as a part of the class, we travel!  And it's not like the class goes to waste, it usually counts as one of the core classes that all Mercyhurst students need to fulfill anyways!  I'll mention a few examples of some of my personal traveling experiences (and upcoming ones!), as well as some of the awesome trips that my friends have pursued as well!

This weekend, I just enrolled to go to London with one of my favorite teachers and some of my closest friends from my major.  But don't worry if you aren't a fashion merchandising major, there are plenty of other travel opportunities that are offered!  Going into the summer of my sophomore year, I went to Milan, Florence, and Venice with my department and it was such a great experience!  And this coming summer, my department is hosting a trip to London, and I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity!

Traveling with some fashionistas

I have also mentioned quite a few times about how I will be going to London and Paris this Thanksgiving Break with three of my roommates and my roommates from last year, among many other friends!  This class, called "Castles and Kings," counts for a European History class, which is required of our liberal arts core, so it's a really great deal! (Look back at last week's post and you can see our silly peasant costumes that we made for the film that's a part of the class)!

Presque Isle one day, Europe the next!

But there are even more opportunities that the school has to offer!  If you are looking for a more traditional study abroad experience, where you spend the semester (or trimester in our case!) in a different country, you can set that up too.  One of my really good friends is completing his Spanish minor and spending winter term in Costa Rica!  And in the spring, Mercyhurst offers a really unique experience where you can study abroad at our sister school in Dungarvan, Ireland.  I hope you catch my drift that if you want to travel in college, there are plenty of ways to do it!

So, as I conclude this blog post, I can't help but point out that I only have 10 more days until I leave for London and Paris!  It will certainly be a long 10 days, this week's the last week of class and then the following week is finals, but a traveling opportunity to go to Europe with my roommates and close friends is certainly my light at the end of the tunnel! =)