Photo Essay Contest Winner, Best Photos, Corey Shurtleff, Spain

Viaje There is no possible way to capture the entirety of a life experience, such as one created by a Study Abroad Program. I participated in the University of Utah’s summer language Study Abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. I was enrolled in classes that fulfilled my 2010 and 2020 language requirement. Going into the program with only one previous semester of language experience, I was fairly overwhelmed and nervous. I truly had no idea how this program would impact my life and the perspective I would gain on the world and other cultures.

URBAN BILBAO: During my semester in Spain, I had the opportunity for travel during a free weekend scheduled in the middle of the program (opposed to the scheduled excursions during other weekends). A group of students and I planned a trip from Oviedo to Bilbao, and from Bilbao to San Sebastian. This gave us an opportunity to venture out and travel independently. Traveling by foot enabled us to see parts of cities rarely seen otherwise. Both in Bilbao and in San Sebastian we were able to explore, connect with locals, and learn a diverse set of cultures within Spain. GRAINS OF HISTORY This photo was taken at the Santa Maria del Naranco on Mount Naranco in Oviedo. Oviedo is a historical focal point in the mountain region of Asturias. The aged brick and rich wood is a nostalgic characterization of the cuidad antigua of Oviedo. The street life and community in the city is like nothing I have ever seen before. At all times of the day, in all parts of the city there is always life and action. The way that the modern culture fits into the historical city breeds a dynamic and unique culture, perfect for students to explore and learn.

PARADICE IN THE PICOS: Voluntary excursions are also available during the Study Abroad. Even though participation sometimes required getting up at 5 in the morning, the benefits were incredible. This photo was taken 12 km into the Picos de Europas of northern Spain.

BACK ALLEYS OF BARCA: After the graduation of the program, students were free to travel and explore other areas of Spain and Europe. During a few days in Barcelona, we were able to visit La Sagrada Familia, la cuidad antigua, the Mediterranean Sea, popular nightclubs and fantastic back alleys such as this one. WHERE

CITY MEETS SKY: Near the end of our experience, we spent time in Valencia. This destination was among my favorite during my study abroad. This beautiful city has many things to offer in terms of architecture and site seeing, unique cuisine, beach, and city life. Valencia was the perfect city to end an incredible adventure in Spain. Through all of the places and cities visited, we were able to appreciate the various Spanish cultures – individual cultures that thrived brightly within the Spanish culture, ranging from northern, to eastern, to southern, to central.

Photo Essay Contest Winner, Student Choice, Ashley Glenn "Go a Roving: Summer in Tianjin, China"

Characters Written in Water
In China, in and out of the classroom, I was always learning. Walking around the city, I mumbled to myself the characters I was able to read, my eyes always looking for new words, trying to figure out the relationship between the characters placed together on signs. In a small park in Tianjin, I watched a woman write characters, slowly, with a large calligraphy brush. Another reminder that learning is everywhere, sometimes right at your feet.







Forever Shanghai
My classmates on the trip would tease me because I would stop anywhere on a street to take a picture. Things they had overlooked would catch my eye, and I needed to capture it. Sure, in China, you will have the opportunity to see famous temples, to stand behind rows of tourists waiting to get a look at ancient relics. For some, they remember China through pictures of The Forbidden City and the Great Wall; however, to me, I remember China through bicycles. They are everywhere, distinct and colorful and practical, reflective of China itself.

Splish Splash
Spend your weekdays in a classroom and weekends creating lessons of your own. On a free weekend, my roommate and decided to combat the craziness of Chinese train stations and head to southern China, home of clear water, rice fields, and bamboo groves along the river. A reminder of what waits outside the packed cities of China, that it is possible to slow down and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the wonder of where you are, on the other side of the world.




Color to Your Life
The beauty of travelling is the people you meet. Travelling creates stressful situations but also creates a space for trust and intimacy. Your study abroad classmates are your battle buddies. You share notecards, classroom snacks, and photographs because you can’t bear the thought of snapping that picture without them in it too.

A Closer Look

There is that trite saying that beauty is in the details. Normally, I like to mock clichés, but this is one that cannot be overlooked because when it is acts of discovery and moments of appreciation go unnoticed. With travelling, people tend to gravitate toward Lonely Planet counsel and away from their own instinct. Everywhere, there are minute things people overlook, the muscles of the lions’ legs, the curves in his hair, the bold yellow background and the contrast of colors created. Studying abroad is about awareness; it is not just reading and repeating but also seeing, opening your eyes and opening your mind to the beauty of details.

'Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag- Aneisha Reed. Kiel, Germany.

HALLO!!! This all started when I was about 16. One summer my grandmother and I decided we wanted to go to Europe together. We signed up for a summer tour with a random group, all from Utah, and we went the following summer. This trip was amazing. We got to visit 6 countries. It began in Germany, then we went to Austria, from Austria we went to Switzerland. After that we went Italy. We ended our trip of a lifetime by taking a high speed train from France to England. The week leading up to the trip, all I could think about were pasta, crepes, talking in a British accent and meeting beautiful, rich, smart, European men. When I thought of Germany I really didn’t care. I had never really had an interst in Germany or its culture or anything of the sort. I just wanted to get to the delicious gelato and Spaghetti! The moment I stepped off the plane in Germany, I was in shock. It is a feeling I will never be able to explain and a feeling I got again when I arrived in Germany. This feeling is a feeling of connection, deep love, and home-like belonging. My experience in Germany the first time had my heart broken from returning to the U.S. and I promised myself, “I will get back to Germany some day”. About 4 years later, I found myself packing my bag to leave to Germany, once again. I had kept my promise to myself. This time I was fascinated with the culture, the language, and the history. My experience was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Here is my story.

I have had the most awesome week and weekend EVER!! It all started on Sunday! This is only the second week and I am dreading the last week I will be here. I have to find a way to stay here… FOREVER!
Sunday; in German: Sonnetag. So on Sonntag we had a little opening welcome dinner! It was so good. We ate flounder and we went to the beach which is very cold… not like the beaches in California! We took a boat over to the beach and had dinner there. It was perfect weather, warm and lovely. We had dinner with our host families and the tutors we had met in Germany. It was all so culturally different and so intriguing to me. My German (deutsch) was not so good at first and I struggled talking with those around me. Kiel, the city that I am in, is right by the sea. Fresh fish is plentiful and it rains… a lot!
Monday; in German: Montag. On Montag we had a city tour done by the one and only Silvana. She is Ashley's host mom and she is Italian. She is the sweetest thing ever! She took us to see the old city (Alt stadt) which was very interesting. I learned that the city of Kiel does not have very many historic buildings because during World War II it was heavily bombed and destroyed. I found the stories we learned very interesting. The city holds a lot of history. The city was heavily bombed during WWII because it housed and built huge harbor ships at that time. Tuesday,in German: Dienstag. On Dienstag it was the first day of classes which were fun and we were pumped. During our school lunch break on Tuesday, I headed down to Torben's school and taught English class for the day which was an awesome experience. Torben is my host brother and he does not speak English well, so I get all the practice I can with him. He is in the 5th grade. All the kids were so nice and they told me everything about themselves! I made a cute little PowerPoint about Utah and the seasons and how different life is in the United States. They were all so amazed, as was I, with the cultural differences between my elementary experience and theirs. I had to take the bus to the school and I must applaud Germany’s means of public transportation. It is so convenient and easy to follow. Wherever you want to go the buses, trains, or bikes will take you. It is absolutely incredible.
Wednesday, in German: Mittwoch. On Mittwoch it was just a regular old day. School, lunch... da da da. After school Ryan, Ashley, and I headed down to the shopping strip to see what was going on and found H&M, which was awesome! H&M is a Sweedish clothing store and in Europe you can find them on every corner. Germany, I learned is the primary customer for this huge chain of businesses. Later that day we headed to Martina's sport club and had a BBQ me and Ashley had so much fun we ate, drank, and played volleyball with the boys! Martina is my host mother and she works for a sports club that has 1300 members and counting! Most of the members are younger, like elementary age. It was the first kind of sunny overcast day I had seen since I had been in Germany and so Ashley and I decided to play volleyball and soccer with my host brother Torben and some of his friends. In the middle of the volley ball game, rain poured from everywhere, and when it rains there, it pours. We were drenched and playing Volleyball. Germans never let weather ruin the fun!
Thursday, in German: Donnerstag. Donnerstag was the best day of my life so far. It was my 20th birthday and Martina and Torben threw me a surprise party and all the host family's came. We all had great food and they gave me gifts. We had a barbeque with traditional German sausage (wurst) and potatoe salad (kartoffelsalat). It was very nice of them to throw this party and it made my entire day! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people filled with love! Thanks for everything! To have an experience like this in a country filled with people you have never met will be one of the most amazing experiences you could ever had. People are so kind and want to tell you about their culture and their traditions on holidays. You will learn a great deal when studying abroad!
Friday, in German: Freitag! We headed to Lübeck which is a Mideavel city filled with churches and lots of other cool stuff. I bought a lot of Marzipan, which is a candy-like substance that I am not quite sure what it is. It comes in every shape and flavor though. Marzipan ice cream was the most delicious thing I had that day! I also saw a fresh flower stand and decided to get a nice big orange daisy for Martina to show her how much I appreciated everything she had done for me!


It has been quite the adventurous week!!
I never want to leave Germany!!! The cultural experience and differences between Germany and the United States are so amazing to me. I would never trade this experience for anything. I have learned a great deal on this trip and would recommend this to anyone who is wondering about studying abroad. Don’t let your life pass you by, if you want it, go get it. Don’t ever look back. Make history now, so that later in your life you can look back on some of the most unique experiences ever! Not only does this experience teach you culture and Language, but the things people will show you are things you can’t just experience visiting for a week or going on a tour. These places are “secret” and amazing. Study abroad will give you connections to people and places and give you a real feel of what this language or culture is all about. This is by far was the most educational experience of my lifetime. I encourage you and even dare you to not just step off the curb, but jump off the curb and put yourself is this experience. You will believe the things you will learn, when you spring into a new place, and…. Oh the places you’ll go.