Author: namugganakayiza

I am now a third-year student at the University of Denver. This is my second time studying abroad. My first time was spent in Thailand and my second study abroad experience is in New Zealand which I am very excited for. I am an International Studies and Sociology double major and I love to travel. I have been a traveller since I was younger and this is truly a passion of mine.

Leaving for Dunedin in July

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June has come to an end and I am going to be in a new country in less than a week. I’ve done this before, but for some odd reason, it hasn’t set in yet. It’s been quite the short summer. I’ll start with that. I have only been home for three weeks. Like bruh… seriously?!

It’s always nice to come home and see my family for the summer time. My mom has had me go and visit all the family members I could possibly visit. They always tell me about how much I’ve grown which is also crazy to me because I am NOW a junior in college?!?!

Everything feels unbelievable. In preparation for New Zealand, I have done ZERO research. All I know is that the country is currently experiencing their winter season. That makes life so much easier considering I know how to prepare for the winter as a result of attending our school. I wonder if it will be more cold than Denver because of how I’ll be near the coast of the South Pacific Ocean. Anyways, so many things to wonder about!

I leave the day after 4th of July which is kind of a bummer. Again, it’s been a super short summer so I have only been stealing time. Knowing my mom, I am sure she’s going to try to make use of all the time we have together before I disappear for another 4 months.

I feel like these kinds of transitions aren’t talked about enough. The effect of traveling abroad on your family and those around you. The first time I went abroad, I was too excited to notice how those around me felt about my absence. This time around, I am realizing the anxiety and uneasiness that creeps up in them whenever I mention that I shall be in a new country (technically by myself) for four months. Again, it hasn’t really set in that I’m going to abroad for the second half of the year, but it’s setting in for those around me like my parents and siblings. I guess that’s a part of the transition into adulthood.

Anyways, I shall keep you all updated as I begin to prepare for my trip to the Southern hemisphere. I am NOT excited to enter the cold, but I am excited to see the Aurora Australis. That’s probably the only thing I know about New Zealand hahaha.

See you soon!!!

Reflection upon return

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Hello DU Study Abroad Blog,

It’s been a little over a month since I returned to the U.S. from Thailand. I still miss that country dearly. I think about it almost every day. That experience has impacted me for the better and I can’t imagine life without it. My transition back into DU hasn’t been the easiest. I’ve been struggling to adapt to the cold weather and the altitude. I fell sick as soon as I arrived back in Denver. There have been so many hard parts about coming back, but the main one has been the loneliness. I’ve felt lonely in my experience because I encountered it individually and sharing the stories from abroad isn’t easy. There is so much that I could tell, but if I constantly go on tangents, I may come off as crazy. All my peers have been super busy with their social and academic lives. It feels like life moved on without me and it’s too much work for those around me to catch me up. Gladly, there have been events with OIE that have allowed me to hear about other people’s study abroad experiences. One thing that being abroad taught me is that independence is essential for existing in this human world. This skill has carried over as I’ve returned back to campus because I am now able to enjoy my own company and not long for the company of others. It has been nice to return to a place I am familiar with and to see people I know. My educational journey looks a lot more clear now that I’ve studied abroad and focused on my initial interests. Thank you for going on this journey with me!

Best,

Namugga Nakayiza

This was journaled while I was abroad but due to limited internet access, I couldn’t post them at the exact moment. Recorded on 1/25/24.