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| Volume 10, Edition 3 November 2010 |
My Adventure to Washington, D.C. by Caitlyn Affleck* |
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It was early morning on Saturday when fifty or so international students from across the world emerged from Phillips-Hawkins Residence Hall and boarded onto a bus. We were embarking on the second trip arranged for the fall break by the International Programs Centre (IPC). This particular trip’s destination was Washington D.C. After a seven or so hour bus ride we arrived in Virginia and checked into the Holiday Inn. Room assignments were arranged in groups and this allowed us to really get to know people who we may have not have had the opportunity to. That evening we all walked to Georgetown and ate at various trendy pubs and restaurants, strolled around the area and of course did the all essential shopping. Many were excited to see brands that we recognised from home such as H&M and Zara. |
Caitlyn with fellow students at the Library of Congress |
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 Caitlyn at the White House |
After all meeting back at the hotel later that night we were ready to see what the night life had to offer. Once again we followed our friendly I-Fellows down town. Although, after much walking it was decided that if you are under 21, Georgetown isn’t really the place to go! Nonetheless, we got our exercise that evening as we took in the old style streets and buildings. And the night ended sweetly when we stumbled across a delicious Haagen-Dazs ice cream store. It’s amazing that somehow it tastes even better at 2 in the morning! After a nice sleep in, everyone was checked out of the hotel by 11 and on their way to explore what the city had to offer. Those who I was with caught the metro (something I had never heard of, let alone been on) to D.C. During the day we walked around the Mall with our cameras on standby and saw the White House, Washington Monument, Reflecting Pool, Jefferson memorial, Lincoln Memorial.... The list goes on. It was so interesting to see and be in the place where many influential moments have taken place. |
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By the end of the day everyone was exhausted. There were just so many things to do and see and so little time to do it! So here is my advice for future travellers: take very comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking! After eating dinner in China Town we saw the Capital Building by night! This was very picturesque as the lights reflected off the pool. That evening we changed accommodation and stayed in a hostel close to the Mall. This was the first time I had ever had this experience and was happy to be sharing it with new friends. On Monday, we spent a few hours in the International Spy Museum which was very informative and interactive. This was skipped by many students as it is a little pricy, but overall those who went believed it was worthwhile. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the Mall and had a picnic in the park and fed the squirrels. (This may seem like an unexciting fact, but coming from a country where these little animals don’t exist, I find them very adorable!) That afternoon we checked out the Library of Congress, the Natural History Museum and the Court House. Even though we only had a little free time during the morning on Tuesday, we were fortunate to be staying next to where sets from Transformers 2 were being stored, so we checked out the trucks and took many photos (which made many friends at home pang with jealousy). After this, we all boarded the bus for our journey home. Overall, I had a really enjoyable time and would definitely recommend the trip to future exchange students! The next trip for international students is to New York City during Thanksgiving break. See next's month eNewsworthy for a student perspective on the Big Apple! *Caitlyn is an exchange student from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, and is here for the fall semester. UNCG students in nearly every major can study abroad at USQ. Set up a meeting with a study abroad advisor for more information! |
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The International Programs Center would like to congratulate all the students who were selected to participate on an exchange program for the spring semester—Congratulations! After completing their applications, submitting all required documents to the Study Abroad & Exchange office, and undergoing a group interview with staff and faculty members, these students have truly earned their spot on the nominations list. These students also participated in an all-day Outgoing Orientation program either on Saturday, October 23 if they are going on a UNCG program or on Saturday, November 6 for UNC Exchange Programs. |
Tom Martinek, Jr. and Denise Bellamy welcome students to the UNCG study abroad orientation |
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Students at UNCEP orientation mingle and get to know each other |
UNCG students going to Japan group together for a Q&A with Japanese students |
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AUSTRALIA BOTSWANA CHINA ESTONIA DENMARK FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY ITALY JAPAN SOUTH KOREA MEXICO |
NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND PERU POLAND RUSSIAN FEDERATION SOUTH AFRICA SPAIN SWEDEN TAIWAN TURKEY UNITED KINGDOM URUGUAY |
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Previous editions: Volume 10, Edition 2, October 2010 |
