Today marks my 26th day here in Aix-en-Provence, and it’s almost difficult to believe. Time has been moving differently here and I often find myself consulting my calendar to know what day it is. Like the Aix-goers before me (namely the wonderful Caroline who was here last semester), I have found the wonderful front garden […]
Month: January 2025
1. The Familiar and Unremarkable Cove
I am not yet in Spain, so today’s sit spot is full of familiarity – a green, rocky alcove of the park I grew up in (Sacramento’s Land Park, but my friends and I have nicknamed this spot “The Cove”). I have innumerable memories here: playing soccer when I was little, my first kiss, a […]
From my second home to… my third?
As I prepare to leave for my study abroad semester in Córdoba, Spain, I decided to visit Wellesley’s campus to gather the last of my things and say goodbye to friends. Being here right before leaving for such a new adventure is a perfect opportunity for me to reflect on the beginning of my time […]
1. A Sit Spot Within the City
Recently, I visited Brooklyn Botanical Garden as my sit spot before I leave for New Zealand. It’s not exactly a place I visit often, though it is a special natural (or at least, natural for NYC) spot for me. It was a very special visit too, as their Amorphophallus gigas (i.e. corpse flower!!) was blooming! […]
Final post: Madboks
One of my main goals for my study abroad experience was to engage with my local community in a fruitful and meaningful way. While I did end up pivoting the focus of my local engagement project, I am so grateful for the work I ended up doing and the community I was a part of […]
Prairie patches and Policy
My final project for my class titled Citizen Science on Biodiversity and Climate Change was to create a citizen science project based on an environmental issue we have noticed in our own communities. My group created a project titled the Prairie Patch project centered around prairie revitalization in the midwest. Planning out this project not […]
Some Body Else
Today I am reminded of my favorite art exhibit here in Copenhagen. “After the Sun – Forecasts from the North” showcases a diverse group of artists with ties to the Nordic region considering their relationships to landscape in a time of climate crisis. One of my favorite pieces in the exhibit is titled Some Body […]
Utopia
When most people think of Denmark they imagine a kind of utopia, where everyone is housed, fed, happy, and children roam the streets without fear of crime. Even I found myself speaking about Denmark in a way that contributes to this romanticizing narrative as opposed to zooming out and looking at the bigger picture. While […]
Reflections before departure
Today I write to you from the apartment I share with five lovely girls who have become my closest friends here in Denmark. My sense of community has largely been shaped by the home we’ve built here together. In just four months we’ve managed to create a safe space to return to on our best […]