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Fleeting Connections

Published on by gwenmorgan323Leave a comment

Three weeks ago my phone died in the middle of Soho, London.

It was one of the best things to have ever happened to me.

I had gone off on my own to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum on South Kensington Street. I was on the trip with a couple other girls, but I felt I was making insufficient use of my three days in “The Big Smoke”. So, after being shown around by one of my sorority sisters, I decided to head off by myself. I had a map; I had my phone, and I had my spare battery. I knew exactly where I was thanks to my friend (who had my location) and knew exactly where I needed to go at 6:30 to have dinner with the rest of our group.

Except my phone was at 40%…and my battery pack was dead.

This I did not know until I reached the museum, which I did entirely by physical map because I wanted the opportunity to navigate without Google Maps and take a break from my phone (ironic). I then decided to turn off my phone, save my remaining battery, and go through the museum without taking any photos; a sort of “mini challenge” for myself as someone who loves to whip out their phone and snap a picture of a painting. For those who don’t know, the Victoria & Albert Museum is the world’s largest of applied arts, founded in 1852. Truly, one of the best museums I have ever set foot in and is filled to the brim with not only ancient architecture from every part of the world but people too.

The first person I met was a lady named Jan. Jan was at the museum with her son and husband. They had popped into town for some Korean barbecue and decided to check out the museum afterward. Jan and I had a lovely conversation about the green dye used for shoes in the Japanese exhibit. I told her about my studies here in Bilbao, and she told me about how she’d lived in London all her life and that her son was also interested in an exchange program. I encouraged it. I bid her adieu and went along my merry way.

The second was a boy my age named Spencer. I found him studying and touching one of the vases in the exhibit (don’t worry it was fake). Spencer is currently studying abroad in Italy and is super into pottery and ceramics. He came to the museum mainly to see the “moon vase”, a giant white pot on which he was basing one of his own pieces off of. He showed me why he was touching the vase, and how he was trying to memorize the different dips and curves. It’s such a beautiful thing, getting to see what other human beings are passionate about, what makes life worth living for each delicate soul on this planet.

The third was a girl named Disha, who I met in the Roman sculpture gallery of the museum. Disha was trying to get the perfect picture, setting up her phone against and table and running back to try to get the perfect shot. I offered to help her, and we ended up having at least a 30-minute discussion about our lives and a mini photoshoot in the gallery. Disha is from Canada, works for a travel agency, and is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. We exchanged Instagrams, I gave her some suggestions on spots to hit during her time in London and raced down the steps of the museum to get on the metro…which I then found out was closed, so I headed to the bus station.

At this point, my phone had gone down, down, down in battery, and my anxiety had only gone up, and up, and up, so with only 15% left I began to study the bus map, hoping to find out where I needed to go the old-fashioned way and preserve battery. Luckily, I was helped by a lovely woman named Bushra, another local Londoner who was coming back from teaching music composition. She showed me where I needed to go, and which line to get on as she peppered me with questions about the U.S. and I demanded she tell me where I could find the best scone before I hopped on the double-decker bus and made my way to the restaurant in Soho, London.

Side note: Soho was easily my favorite part of London. It’s like New York, full of color and bars and billboards. I definitely intend to return and explore it more in-depth!

Upon my arrival at the restaurant, I had about 5% of my battery left, feeling not too worried since I had made it to the location, and my friend would be arriving soon with my spare portable charger.

Apparently, I was at the wrong restaurant, and my phone died minutes after realizing this information.

Luckily, there was a lovely trio of people standing outside who willingly lent me a charger, and I went back inside to charge my phone behind the bar, where I met the sweetest bartender, Antonio.

Antonio told me about how he had lived in London all his life and had always wanted to come to the U.S. He also asked me if it’s true we wear pajamas all the time…to which I laughed and said unfortunately yes. We bonded over various topics while we waited for my phone to charge. We laughed about how different our countries were as he made me one of the best martinis I have ever had (I’ve never had one), and we exchanged Instagrams for Antonio’s inevitable journey to the wonderful state of Colorado. Once my phone was sufficiently charged, I paid for my drink (discounted- thank you Antonio), said our goodbyes, and returned the charger before ordering an Uber to the proper restaurant where my friends were waiting.

There is something so beautiful about those fleeting connections made with a stranger. I’ll probably never see any of these characters again, but I will always remember them. I was unbelievably anxious about my phone situation, and each of those little connections just made the whole situation ten times better.

But do consider this a cautionary tale. As someone who is constantly overprepared and hyperaware, this was certainly…not my finest moment, and while I don’t recommend letting your phone die in the middle of a big city you’ve never been to before, definitely make some fleeting connections.

My Program is Not Like Other Girls

Published on by Mattie EmbreyLeave a comment

When I tell people that I’m studying abroad, one of the first questions I get is about which university I attend. My answer usually requires a long and awkward explanation, so I hope writing it down will not only share helpful information with prospective students but also help me practice giving a clearer explanation. While it may seem unconventional, the Meknes, Morocco program through International Studies Abroad (ISA) has been an incredible experience. I knew it would be different from my friends’ programs, but I didn’t quite know how. So, I’d like to provide the description I wish I had before I came.

The biggest difference is that we don’t study at a university, but rather a private study center that offers transferable college credits. The curriculum focuses on Moroccan culture and Islamic studies, with the most intensive component being the Arabic course. This course crams a year’s worth of material into one semester. There’s also an optional crash course in Darija, the Moroccan Arabic dialect, which I found extremely helpful for navigating day-to-day life. Darija is known for being the dialect with the least in common with Modern Standard Arabic, so learning it is a huge advantage here. Since it’s only us Americans in class with Moroccan professors, we get a lot of individualized attention, and the atmosphere is more relaxed. Especially with our tiny class sizes, which brings me to my next point.

There are just eleven of us in the entire program. Yes—only myself and ten other people! Numbers vary from year to year, but the staff has confirmed that the size usually stays around that range. When I found this out, I felt both excited and nervous. Excited because I’d automatically have a small group of friends, but nervous for the same reason—what if I didn’t click with them? Thankfully, after just the first week, we’d already built a close-knit community. Moving in and starting classes together only strengthened that bond. Now, we live, hang out, travel, and study as a unit. It might have felt like a “forced group of friends” at first, but now I’m grateful to say that I’ve met some of my favorite people ever. My time in Morocco wouldn’t be the same without them, and every day I’m thankful for this group I “got stuck with.”

Traveling has been another incredible part of the experience. I’ve only spent one weekend in Meknes since arriving nearly two months ago. Most of my time has been spent exploring other cities in Morocco, helped in large part by the number of excursions included in the ISA program. Compared to other programs I looked at on DU Passport, ISA Meknes includes excursions to Casablanca, Marrakech, Ouzoud Waterfalls, Beni Mellal, Ifrane, Azrou, Volubilis, Fes, Rabat, and Tanger. Outside of the program, I’ve also traveled independently with my friends to places like Chefchaouen, Lisbon, Madrid, and camping in the Atlas Mountains. And there are more trips to come!

Now, for my absolute favorite part: the housing situation. The program offers two options: a homestay or living in an apartment. I live in an apartment with the other three girls in the program, and it has been a blast. Initially, apartment living seemed less appealing because we’d have to cook for ourselves while the students in the homestay enjoyed homemade Moroccan meals every day. But then we met Mona, our housekeeper. Mona cooks us delicious Moroccan lunches and dinners Monday through Saturday and keeps our apartment clean and tidy. She’s incredibly sweet, pays close attention to what we like and don’t like to eat. She knows that I like coffee while my roommates don’t, so she makes me a cup everyday with lunch. I asked her for coffee only once, which adds greatly to the sentiment. No matter what, she goes above and beyond what’s asked of her.

For example, when my roommates and I were leaving for a trip to Portugal, Mona had the day off because we’d be gone by lunchtime. But that morning, I woke up to hear her in the kitchen. My stomach dropped—I thought I’d have to tell her, in my broken Darija, that we wouldn’t be eating and she’d have to throw the food away. But when I walked in, I found her making wraps for us to take on the train. I genuinely almost cried at the thoughtfulness of that gesture. Our home isn’t home without her.

The apartments themselves are also incredible. There are two double bedrooms, three bathrooms, two showers, a kitchen, and one massive dining/living room. It’s this huge living room that allows us to spend so much time together, lounging on the couches while tackling homework or just hanging out. Plus, the guys’ apartment is right above ours, making it easy to host Arabic study parties. We often gather in one apartment or the other for fun activities like karaoke, movie nights, playing Just Dance, or carving pumpkins on Halloween.

Although unconventional, I’m very pleased with my decision to come here. Studying in Meknes has turned out to be an experience beyond my expectations. From the small, close-knit group of students to the incredible friendships we’ve forged, I’ve found a sense of community that has made this journey truly special. The travel opportunities have been amazing, allowing us to explore the rich culture and beauty of Morocco together. Living in our apartment has been a blast, especially with Mona’s delicious meals and her thoughtfulness that makes us feel at home. Every day brings new adventures, and I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.