In
the spring of 2004, I got out of the country! I spent the semester
studying in Central Europe. Our group was based out of Olomouc,
Czech Republic, at Palacky University. Half the semester was spent
taking classes that ranged from history, to language, arts, and
politics. Professors from each of these departments gave a series
of lectures. The language instructors did a particularly good job
in giving us a crash course in the Czech language so that we could
communicate with the local citizens. Our first word was Pivo,
the Czech national drink! What a knowledgeable and engaging group
of instructors.
The
second half of the semester consisted of travel throughout the Czech
Republic then to Hungary, Austria, Great Britain, Slovakia, and
Poland. The professors accompanied us on these trips and provided
on-site lectures and tours. It made all the history come alive.
These
classes transferred to UNL as a communication studies and as a language
course. I also completed an Independent Study course in political
science. I researched and conducted interviews with a wide variety
of people that culminated in a paper: Central European Perspectives
on the War in Iraq. In total, 12 credit hours were earned during
my semester in the Czech Republic.
My
experience was one of growth. During the three months spent there,
I learned more than I usually learn in an entire year! Every minute,
we were discovering something new about the country, the world,
and even ourselves.
Our
travels took us to some of the important places in history. History
was easier to understand and remember when I saw the places and
learned on-site. We saw Roman ruins, mighty medieval castles, Napoleonic
battle sites, elegant palaces, salt mines, caves, Jewish ghettos
and concentration camps, remnants of World War II, and the lasting
effects of Communism. It is amazing to visit these sites that have
been around and preserved for hundreds, even thousands of years.
Everything in Nebraska seems new in comparison!
We
also were able to learn about the people living in the region now;
about their struggles to recover from the effects of communism,
from cleaning up large environmental disasters, to the lasting health
and mental effects on the people. Also evident was how the politics
of the United States affects much of the rest of the world, and
the differences in our ways of thinking.
One
of the most valuable lessons I learned was what is like to be the
foreigner. I have learned what it is to be an outsider and not speak
the language, and it has given me new perspective and patience for
visitors and immigrants to our own country.
I strongly
encourage everyone to take the time and the bold step out of your
comfort zone to explore a different region of the world. It will
be the experience of a lifetime. |
