GCP Bolivia has arrived

Just received word that the Bolivia group has just landed at Dulles.

Bolivia's Adventure Team

There are some experiences that just can’t be documented. If I had a picture or video of what happened after we saw the sand dunes or behind the waterfall we visited I would. I can post the pictures of what we saw and the touristy group photos we took in front of various attractions but I can’t post pictures of the experiences I had. While this trip has been filled with incredible sight seeing, food consuming, and friend making, nothing will beat the physical memories I am making.

Tuesday, Mar. 11: After a day of many frustrating curve balls we arrived at our final attraction of the day. It started with a 15-minute hike under a light drizzling rain on a muddy path and ended at a rather small, muddied waterfall. Just as we were finishing up our photo shoot on the shoreline, Nate had an idea. Within minutes Nate, Grace, Seth and I stripped down to our underwear to wade into the muddy water and explore the cove behind the rushing waterfall. As we got closer to the falls the current got increasingly stronger. Nate took the lead followed by Seth and Grace. As I made my way toward the falls my adrenaline began to pump. With the water spraying relentlessly into my eyes, my group mates ensured I made it into the cove safely. Sitting on a bed of wet rocks and sticks in nothing but a thong and a sports bra, behind a vicious waterfall, I couldn’t catch my breath or find the words to describe how I felt and the experience I was having. Not only was this occurrence not documented but also it’s been days and I still can’t find the words to explain how amazing of an experience this was.

Thursday, Mar. 13: Another experience that was not documented but equally as inexplicable was on our drive back from the sand dunes we visited. Descending from the peak of the dunes was only the first task to complete on our way back to the main road. The next task was a two-mile hike through swampy puddles, mini sand hills, and tall bug-ridden grass. When we finally got back on our trusty bus, all that was left was a ten-minute drive back to the main road. The path we had so swiftly conquered on the way to the dunes was slightly more treacherous this time. Dipping in and out of each mud puddle our eyes were wide with fear that the worst would happen, and it did. The bus got stuck. Our tour guide quickly escorted each of us off the bus and on to the side of the dirt road. Frantically translating the bus driver’s orders, our tour guide told us we needed someone to push. Instantly, almost every member of our group ripped off their already wet and muddy shoes to trudge into the puddle to push. Collectively, we were able to push the bus back behind the puddle. On the second attempt to plow through the mud, the bus got stuck once again. The driver thrust the bus back and forth as we continued to push and run, trying not to get run over. Finally, with only four of our strongest team members pushing, the bus drove free. It was an incredible feeling to have come together with a group of people, who were strangers only a few days prior, eager and willing to work together to overcome an obstacle we never could have foreseen.

I have done my best to describe two of my favorite memories from my trip this spring break, but these words seem weak in comparison to being in the moment itself. No words, no pictures, and no videos could ever do any life changing experiences justice.  

GCP Morocco

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make a blog post during my time in Morocco, so I thought a reflection was in order.  I could talk about the surreal feeling of traveling from deserts sands to snowy mountain caps within a few hours.  I could also talk about the art and communication of bartering with the local vendors.  I even could go on about the amazing mosaic and marble factories who create some of the most stunning art in the world with only their hands.  I never thought I would experience any of these amazing things, but I decided to post about a universal truth I learned 4,000 miles from home.
A resounding fact left in my mind is simply that people are people where ever you go.  The landscapes, clothing, food, art, and culture as a whole were quite different in Morocco, however the human interactions and behaviors I saw and got to be apart of were oddly familiar.  I witnessed families who invited our group into their homes for tea and food and there was a comforting kindness and sense of community that was awesome.  I also encountered vendors and salesmen who would try to swindle and leave you none the wiser.  In Marrakech we even witnessed a staged fight as a diversion for pick pocketing.  The massive metropolises of Casablanca and Marrakech were mecca business towns operating all day and all night.  Then there were the smaller farming towns who moved at their own pace.  These examples may be extreme on either end of the spectrum, but it was amazing to see and experience a culture so different and yet so familiar.
I would like to thank Shenandoah University for offering this once in a lifetime learning experience and I would like to thank Abdel and my entire GCP group for making the experience so 'awesome!'

-Mark Koons

GCP returns - update

Yesterday (Sunday), the groups from South Korea, Costa Rica, Morocco and Albania arrived and are now back on campus.  The Bolivia group made it safely to Miami but had to spend the night there due to their connecting flight being cancelled.  They are confirmed on a new flight that arrives in Dulles this evening.  Updates will be posted here and on the GCP Facebook page.

Bolivian Days, Bolivian Nights: The Recap Through My Eyes

This trip, by far, has been the most interesting one I've ever been on. I've met some pretty cool people, eaten some delicious foods, and explored a world much different from my own. While on this trip, I took into account the discussions we had at each meeting for GCP. We discussed body language, interaction, the difference of cultures, in-group/out-group, and much more. I paid a lot of attention to in-groups and out-groups in Bolivia, as well as my own group. I watched as the similar people bonded together and never separated, while making it difficult for the out-group to join the in-group. I absorbed the culture, knowing that this isn't just a vacation out of the country. It's a new experience; it's a new ride; it's a new world. At times during this adventure, I lost site of why I was there. I lost sight of my purpose. As well as having fun, I was there to learn, share, and explore. The things I've seen in Bolivia are things I'll never forget. I went to a foreign country for the first time with a group of strangers. Two days into the trip, we were good friends. Four days in, we were great friends. For the Bolivia group, however, the adventure isn't over. Because of the snow in D.C., we're still in Miami with a confirmed flight to DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) Airport, then to Dulles. Yes, it's inconvenient, but it's better than being in a foreign country and being shuffled around like this. As we sit in Miami International Airport, we continue to think of the things we take for granted, such as clean water, soap, and toilet paper in the bathroom. We remain ever thankful and hope for a change for the better in Bolivia. With all of the beautiful pictures taken and experiences gained, this will make for a wonderful iMovie!

Do you remember when the family was everything?

Do you remember when the family was everything?  Bolivia 2014

            Sight seeing, touring and hiking have made this trip very fun and exciting. What makes this trip the most memorable is the time we spent with the family of our group leader Kathy. On Sunday, we were fortunate enough to celebrate the birthday of Kathy's daughter in law, Pingy, and her family. Everybody in her family welcomed us with open arms. Even though there was a language barrier, their communication of how they felt about us coming to visit them was clear. They made sure that we were fed and well hydrated. We even had a chance to sing some karaoke with them and dance in the living room. 

            We also spent today with them and it was more of the same. One of the uncles even bought one of my trip mates a drink that he recommended that she must not leave without. There was even more family here today and I talked to several of them that spoke english. They told me that they usually have family gatherings like the two we attended once a week, preferably on the weekends. I know that in the United States that most family gatherings are saved for major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and special birthdays. It was great to see a family that enjoyed being around each other and that seeing each other every week is not considered a task. 

            In our large meetings leading up to this trip we talked about how individualism seems to be the way in the United States. It's quite refreshing to the group, seeing that family is so important here in Bolivia. This is something that I hope that I can establish with my siblings if we are all in the same relative area.

Samuel Fasanmi

Final Reflections

It is our last day in Morocco.

We arrived in Marrakech on Friday evening and got a quick tour of the medina and of the market square where people gather every night. The square was full of makeshift restaurants and other stores as well as snake charmers, musicians and the like. We also had the opportunity to experience a real hammam -- a Turkish/Moroccan bathhouse -- that the locals visit often. It was a very unique experience because this wasn't something that tourists experience often. We entered the bathhouse and did everything as the locals do.

This morning we woke up bright and early to visit the old medina. We received tours of a local palace called the Palais Bahia -- meaning great beauty or brilliance -- that was built in the 19th century by Si Moussa, the grand vizer to the sultan. The palace was named after one of his wives. We walked through many of the rooms and took pictures of the grand vizer's tomb along with that of his children and his women.

After visiting the palace, we made our way back through the medina to a local spice shop where we learned all about Moroccan herbs and oils and their homeopathic, medicinal and beauty-related capabilities. (We also had the opportunity to buy some of these herbs, oils and creams and we fully took advantage of it!) For lunch, we found a local restaurant that served fish (as most of us wanted to try something different from our beef and chicken meals) and enjoyed another wonderful meal there. (There has not been a single meal that we have not found enjoyable in some way or another.) After lunch, we made our way to a guest house called "Riad Laksiba" just inside of the medina. We learned that while we have been staying in hotels during our trip (with the exception of the Berber tents) guest houses are a very popular option for tourists who want a very unique and authentic experience. Guests get to enjoy the comforts of a quality hotel but with the hands-on interaction with locals that is missing from that setting. Guests of the riad have the opportunity to actually live with a family of locals who open their homes to others and they get to really learn first-hand about the culture. They even have the chance to help cook traditional Moroccan meals in their kitchen. 

We returned to the market square in the old medina and did a bit more shopping before our guide, Redouane, had to leave us. Redouane actually went to college with our destination leader, Abdel, and we were all surprised when he showed up at the airport and introduced himself as our guide (even Abdel didn't know!) After spending so many days together with him, it was a very emotional goodbye. It is incredible to see how strongly people can impact you even from a brief encounter. We have come to love Redouane as one of our own and he IS part of our family. Everyone that we have met on this trip has just been so welcoming that it is almost overwhelming. We are all very sad to leave the country that we have fallen in love with so deeply. That is not to say that everything is perfect in Morocco but for us on this trip, we truly feel blessed to have been able to experience this country together. The good, the not-so-good and the very different. All of these experiences have connected us as a group but have also opened our minds and expanded our horizons. 

On our drive back to Casablanca, our group was already discussing plans for a 5 year reunion in Morocco. Each and every single one of us has just been humbled greatly by this experience. We might be a little teary-eyed tonight and wishing we could stay just a little bit longer but we are definitely looking forward to strengthening our bonds with each other once we return back to the U.S. and sharing everything we learned about this beautiful country with everyone and anyone who will listen.

Much love from GCP Morocco 2014.

coffee, family, and warmth.

Wow, these last few days have been eventful and educational.
We started Thursday off with a trip to the EARTH University.  We were given a tour of the campus and shown all the amazing project that students are testing to improve agriculture within urban areas.  After a tour of the fertilizer process from start to finish we had lunch, (sounds appetizing right).  While we enjoyed the dining facility on campus a group of students preformed for those in cafeteria, some sang while others played guitar.

After dinner Thursday night the group participated in salsa lessons.   Some of us have some real moves. :)

Friday morning was kicked off with a tour of a coffee plantation where our tour guides definitely knew how to entertain a crowd.   We were told of the proper process for good quality coffee 

and where the rejected beans end up. (YUCK)  We also saw some statutes that portrayed some of the local folklore.  

After lunch at the plantation we visited two other universities,  one which was a small campus that offers lots of study abroad options and the other was a much larger campus.  There was a performance taking place outside of the larger campus.   This caused a massive crowd which was extremely difficult to navigate through. 

After the events of the day we were able to join Natialie's family,  (in laws) for  dinner at their home.  It was such a humbling experience to sit back with the family,  try to communicate and share stories.   The nieces were just as open 

to try their English with us as we were to speak Spanish with them.  They were all so welcoming and made us all feel at home.   

Today we are off to visit a local orphanage and explore as much as possible before we depart on our adventure back home.  

Once again thanj you GCP,  Shenandoah and the supportive friends and family back home!!!

Pura Vida from Costa Rica

 

GCP Albania: down by the sea

This morning we we're treated to a continental breakfast that was filled with different traditional Albanian breakfast options. But, today breakfast wasn't the first thing you noticed when you walked in it was the amazing view. Where you sat to have breakfast had an over look that you could see the whole city and the Ionian Sea.

After everyone had breakfast and was ready our group headed off to see some ancient ruins. The city where the ruins lay is called Butrint which has been turned in to a National Park. This settlement dates back to the 4th century BC. What we saw within the walls spans two thousand years. With our group there was a secondary site with this park, we all made a friend with a four legged dog named "Gandolph".

Gandolph is a stray golden retriever mix that wasn't in the best shape. The site of a stray animal is not a normal site in the U.S. but in Albania they are everywhere. There are no animal shelters so dogs and cats run free. This was a hard site to see as americans because they aren't treated well at all.  Before anyone worries no one touched our furry friend but we all became close to him. Gandolph followed us around from the start he never whined or barked he truly seemed like a guide that was taking us around his home.  He would stop and wait for everyone to leave one area before he would walk slowly behind.  We all would look back to make sure he was coming.  All of us didn't want to leave him behind after we made it through the ruins some of us wanted to take him back to the U.S. to give this sweet dog a better life. After the nice walk around the ruins we took a boat ride.

Our tour guide Zef arranged a boat ride with a local fishing boat to take a scenic boat ride of an outlet of the Ionian Sea.  At first when we saw the small fishing boat we didn't believe that we would fit thirteen people; but once everyone was situated in their seat we took off. The sites we saw were breath taking.  This was a time where everyone just looked out on to the water and just relaxed for the first time in awhile.  When we reached the point that we needed to turn around we found out that across the clear blue water was Greece. There were a few comments that we should hope over and see that country as well. 

After we docked and said thank you to the captain for taking us out we saw our friend Gandolph again. But we were headed off to lunch to have some fruit of the sea or known better as seafood.  

After lunch we ran back to the hotel to get ready for one of the experiences that we wanted to have, which was jumping into the Ionian Sea. Everyone put on their bathing suits and sandals and we headed towards the rocky beach. All of the beaches in Albania have a rocky shore line so no white sand beaches. All of us were a little nervous about how cold the water would be, but, everyone wanted to say that they had been in  a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The guys were the first to take the plunge then followed by the ladies. The water wasn't as cold as everyone expected it to be and the worst part was the rocky bottom.  Following all of the pictures and selfies that the group wanted to take we were off to another castle.

We sat on top of a mountain and had an amazing view of the city from above. This castle had many communist bunkers that were built to "save" civilians from attacks. Everyone took pictures of the amazing views.

After we took a walk through the Sarandra at night to see a different perspective.  We were looking for a late night coffee and dinner. We stopped and hung outside by the water for two hours. Estela wanted to share one of her favorite fast food meals we ate what we know as Gyros which normally comes with two types of meat chicken and pork.

When we got back to the hotel we all hung out as a group and got ready for an early start back to the capital city

A Day of Interaction in South Korea

Today we were lucky enough to visit our faculty leader Sally Kim's hometown and highschool here in Daejong. The city is great and we loved interacting with the students! We shared our experiences in high school in America and learned a lot about the typical life of a high school student here in Korea. Valerie and I even sang and beat boxed for the students our own version of Royals!  

After visiting the school, we went to an orphanage in the city. It was wonderful to hear about the amazing children's home that houses over 40 children of all ages whose parents cannot take care of them. We brought them candy and pastries and enjoyed playing with the younger kids. After the orphanage, Sally took us to her parents apartment in town where they prepared traditional rice drinks and cakes. They even brought us traditional Korean clothes to try on! We had a blast trying on clothes of traditional Korean wedding attire. Today was truly a great day of interaction with the Korean culture. 

Michael Mendillo

GCP South Korea 2014

GCP Bolivia: Getting out of the comfort zone

(posted on behalf of Jennie Ferraro)

Before coming to Bolivia, I was unsure of what to expect. I had read it was the poorest country in South America. It went on to explain how little of the country has electricity, let alone shopping malls, big restaurants, or toilet paper in the bathrooms. As an American, reading this can be quite unnerving. How do you prepare for 10 days in a country totally different than that to which you are accustomed? What do you pack? I did my best to pack a variety of clothing and (as my group will tell you) supplies for just about any potential bad situation I could imagine.

Mental habits can be a problem for all of us. Once we create a comfort zone we rarely step outside that comfort zone. The problem with this is that once you are exposed to the same thing over and over again, you are no longer affected by it. Your brain literally renders that stimuli invisible. In America (well Virginia), there are stores and restaurants on every corner. Yes, there are nature trails and hiking opportunities but even those have been rearranged by man to allow the journey to be easier. There is plant life and greenery around, but in day to day life we do not allow ourselves the opportunity to give it proper attention. We as adults have become jaded. It's a sort of laziness where we jump to the conclusion and don't allow ourselves the proper time or energy to think about the here and how.

Bolivia is different. Bolivia has green everywhere you look. Yes there are shops around but they are mostly family owned and surrounded by nature. There are wild horses, wild cows, dogs, birds, ducks, emus, cats, and other creatures simply wondering aimlessly around town peacefully coexisting with the natives. The nature here is absolutely breathtaking. It is so refreshing to be able to drive around and see fields of forests and animal life without running into a CVS or MdDonalds.

We had the opportunity to go deeper into nature yesterday and the views were indescribable. You literally had to reconfigure your mind to accept the fact you were staring at something so beautiful. This is what it means to be inspired, to fully take it in. These are the places that have led to visions that change the world, and I am beyond grateful got the opportunity to experience them.

This place is amazing. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week in Bolivia has to offer.

A Night in the Sahara and a Day with the Locals

On Wednesday, we made our way towards Merzouga and the Sahara Desert. Upon arriving at our hotel, we quickly put everything we needed for a night in our backpacks and then headed off to meet the Amazigh (Berber) guides who were going to take us to the Berber tents. We each got a camel of our own and went off on a two-hour camel ride. The Sahara itself seemed unreal to many of us. It is just so naturally beautiful that we couldn't really believe that we were IN the Sahara Desert riding camels! When we arrived to the Berber tents, we were quickly escorted to the large dining tent where some musicians were playing and food was being served. Several other tourists were in the tent as well, enjoying the experience. At one point, after everyone ate their meals, a large group of us got up and danced with the Berber musicians. It was so much fun to share in that. After the dancing, the musicians asked Abdel if any of us were musicians... Our two conservatory majors, Joey and Mark, were pulled to play drums with the Berber musicians. A few others tried it too. There was a point that Cheryl and I were talking and we realized that Joey and Mark were STILL playing. They were doing a really good job of playing along.

After dinner was finished, most of the other tourists went to bed but the Berber people joined us at our table and Abdel told us that we were their guests and they entertained us but now they were our guests and we were to entertain them. So, our group started singing for them ... Everything from the Cups Song to showtunes! It was so much fun.

The next morning (bright and early at 5:30) we all got up and made our way back to the hotel. We showered and had breakfast before getting on the road towards Skoura where we would be having dinner with Abdel's family. We stopped on the road a few times to see gorgeous panoramic views of the mountains and valleys that surrounded us. At one point, we stopped and bought a few souvenirs and rose water products. Our first stop in Skoura was one of Abdel's sisters houses where we had mint tea, dates, mixed nuts and vanilla wafers. We sat in their gorgeous tea room (with our shoes off) and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. After that, we went towards Abdel's parents' house where another sister of his was preparing dinner. We were shown how Moroccans make their tea (and took very detailed notes) and were taken to the tea room where we got to meet Abdel's brother, father and niece. Our travel guide, Ardwan, translated for us and we talked with Abdel's father about our trip and how honored we were to have the opportunity to have dinner with all of them. We all agreed when we were served the herrera soup that our dinner there was the best of all the places we have been so far. After the herrera, the main course was brought out -- cous cous. Two HUGE platters of cous cous to divide between us all. The food was delicious and we tried to devour as much of the food as we could.

After dinner, we were invited upstairs to receive henna tattoos from a local professional. Overall, the  experience was probably one of our favorites because we got to do more than just see the sights. We got to interact with the people for an extended period of time and seeing how welcoming and kind and generous Abdel's family was and how happy they were to see him was just heart warming. Honestly, we felt humbled to be invited into Abdel's home and to spend even a brief evening with the people he cares for the most. It was easy to see where Abdel has gotten his generous nature from.

Today, we get on the road towards Marrakech and we're all upset about it because it means that our time in Morocco is coming to a close. We're truly starting to understand how coming to another country on GCP is more than just going on vacation because I can honestly say that I have never experienced a melancholic feeling about leaving a place after a vacation. We have been so, so, so blessed on this trip and we're going to not worry about how little time we have left and instead enjoy the moments we will remember for a lifetime.

Whose Lane Is It Anyway? - Bolivia

“Welcome to Whose Lane Is It Anyway, where the speed limits are made up and the stop lights don’t matter!” (Denise Mitchell) We are now in our sixth day in Bolivia and driving on these roads is still absolutely terrifying. When we landed on Saturday, the first thing we noticed was that there weren’t any lanes. It’s every man for yourself out here and there have been several close calls of us almost getting in accidents. Just about every time we go out on the road, something crazy happens. Also in Bolivia, or at least Santa Cruz, there are no speed limit signs, stop signs, stop lights, or police cars to enforce the laws of the road (because there aren’t any!) To be honest, it reminds me of taking a bus in New York City with the traffic, horn honking, and complete negligence to the rules, except it’s three times worse. It will be very nice to return to order in the United States. 

When in Albania: GCP Albania

When in... Albania

Today on our journey down to the south of Albania, we decided to stop in the city of Durres. This city is a hot spot for the tourists because it’s not only on the coast of the Adriatic Sea but also, contains historical information and plenty of shops. First we went to see the Amphitheater, where our guide Zef taught us the history of the ancient city of Dyrrahu. This is the former name of the city, literally meaning “two hills”. After our brief lesson, we ran in to a few young children who were on the street begging for money. Unfortunately, this is a quite common thing here in Albania; because some are orphans, or even have families that are too poor to take care of them. These children have some type of “tutor” or adult in charge of them that they bring all the money they’ve collected back to. This can display an awful commotion on the streets of Albania, and sadly this is not the only type of begging we’ve witnessed.

I myself saw an elderly woman sitting on the side of the street by our hotel, with clothes that were not in good condition… and no money. I walked over and gave her 100 lek, which is simply 1 dollar in America. After I came back over, our leader Estela told me about these women begging for money. They are all alone, whether that means their husband died, or their family possibly immigrated in the 90’s and never made it back. She also said that even if the woman does receive money, usually people only give them a couple cents or 50 cents at most, so her receiving a dollar meant she would be able to eat good today.

            We made our first stop on the way down and decided to stop for some ice cream. Once we finally made it to the ice cream shop, our guide says is undisputedly the best in all of Albania, we sat and ordered our favorites. A couple minutes after finishing our ice cream we looked over on the sidewalk and saw a man walking a bear down the street on a leash. One of the members of our group, Alex, ran over with his camera to take a picture but when he reached the man he was asked for money. Alex gave the man a couple dollars without any hesitation, because let’s be honest where else will you see a bear walking down the street. Once he handed the man the money, the man took the camera out of his hand and handed Alex the leash to pose with the bear himself.

            We loaded back into the van and continued our journey down south. Our next stop was in the city of Vlore where we witnessed the most breathtaking views of the coastline. We sat in a local coffee shop on the balcony overlooking the clear, bright blue water. As soon as we finished our coffees and tea, we headed up the mountain of Llogara for some more traditional food. Time after time we couldn’t have been happier with the taste of the food, and the hospitality of the workers. Most of the group picked from either pasta or a traditional Albanian meat choice, after having salad, yogurt sauce, and bread. Then we topped it all off with three different kinds of desserts.

            Once we finished our meal we were back to the van and on the road again. Some of the group invested this time into napping, but others stayed up admiring the different atmospheres of all the little villages we were passing through. Finally, we arrived in Saranda and checked into our new hotel for the next couple days. The view of the sea simply can’t be proven justice in the photos we have taken, but the whole group agrees this is a gorgeous country. At night the whole town was lit up with shop lights, and we took this time to walk to a local sports bar and watch the soccer game. Our night ended back in the hotel room where we all spent time together as a group, talking and laughing.

Needless to say, we don’t know what to expect for the rest of our Albanian trip, but we’re just going with the flow.

-Heather Shannon

GCP Albania 2014

Finding Dory and making chocolate

Yesterday was such a magical day.  We all got the breathtaking experience of swimming with the fishes.  (Pictures to come later, but they may not express the true beauty).  After a graceful swim in the Caribbean our tour guide took us on a couple small hikes.  We were shown some of the natural medicinal plants that grow throughout the rain forest.  We also saw more monkeys, some of which tried to throw things at us, lots of hermit crabs, and even a vibrant yellow snake.  After our lunch, we were taken on a tour of a local chocolate factory.  The process from start to finish was so interesting,  the chocolate pods grow in a different manner then anything I have seen before and the process smells amazing every step of the way.  We got the experience of watching a woman from the local tribe mix the ground chocolate with a common receipe and spread it out for us to try.  Now the fresh handmade chocolate was not a disappointment at all in my opinion.
This experience is so amazing and I do not think I will ever be able to express it in words.  Each one of us has grown and expanded our outlook in one way or another.  We each have experienced some sort of challenge and and tried something new.  Thank you GCP and Shenandoah for this opportunity.

Respect: GCP Albania

Respect

            Besides “going with the flow,” our group has also coined the word “respect”. We’ve come to find out that the people of Albania are full of pride and respect, whether that’s referring to the extreme driving, or something as serious as the Albanian symbol of the double-headed eagle. Our group has realized that respect is a global word that can be interchangeable from different places, and different situations. Along with the symbolic meaning behind the picture on the flag we learned even more once we reached the Castle of Kruje, which is the museum about the national hero, Skanderbeg, and where he was born. We not only learned a historical lesson but also a religious lesson dealing with stopping the Ottoman Empire from crossing the Adriatic Sea and taking over the Vatican, or the center of Christianity. On the way back we walked through local markets that were selling products handmade, and traditional. The whole group dove right into shopping because we all knew these were the perfect souvenirs. One thing we weren’t ready for was to bargain with the shop sellers, but luckily we had Estela and Zef to help us out. The varieties of things to buy were so diverse and almost unreal. After we finished our castle tour and shopping experience we headed back down the hill where our driver, Jewel, was waiting for us.

            We loaded back into the van and it was only a couple minutes until we pasted a huge George Bush statue outside our windows. Like average American tourists we pulled over for a quick picture… and posed like George himself. George Bush is a big deal in this country because he was the first and only American President to visit Albania. 

After we got back on the van we continued our day to a well-known private University in Albania called the Universiteti Kristal. We met with a professor and he talked to us about the international programs they already have and hope to create in the future. We not only discussed our similarities and differences between Shenandoah and their University but found ourselves on the local TV station. They sat in the classroom during the discussion and then, Joey, Kathleen, Liz, Alex, and I were interviewed with a few questions each. Most of which were geared to whether the professors thought Shenandoah would be interested in a connection with them in some way, and if the students would also be willing to look into programs abroad. After we finished the interviews we went down to the school cafeteria to eat some fries, sausage, and of course… bread and cheese. However, before lunch Alex and Liz found their home away from home in the broadcasting and recording rooms. We were surprised to see how high-tech and impressive the work and overall technology being used was.

            After we finished up at the University we headed straight back to Tirana to ride up the mountain of Dajti in cable cars. We met Estela’s wonderful parents, Atlije, and Ernesti before heading up. We got there in the late afternoon so it was the perfect time to see an amazing view of the whole city on the way up. When we reached the top of the mountain there was so many trails to walk, and things to do. After we finished taking our pictures, we went to the top of the building where we all ordered coffee, tea, or one of the many other options available. This coffee bar was not a normal sit-down place, because it revolved around in a circle while you were served so you could see every different view. The group hung out on top for a while, and then ended the night with a cable car ride back down the mountain overlooking all the lights of the capital city.

-Heather Shannon

GCP Albania 2014

GCP Korea has done a little Seoul searching...

Never have I ever taken my shoes off so many times in one day.
Never have I ever eaten rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Never have I ever been inside a Buddhist temple or made a wish on a piece of rice paper to be burned at the celebration of the new year.
Never have I ever felt so humbled and spoiled at the same time.

Today was an amazing day. I feel like everyday since we got here has been amazing! It started with a beautiful "American" breakfast at our guest house in Gyeongju. After eating beef stew and fish porridge for breakfast the morning before, I literally almost cried when I saw peanut butter and strawberries. We started the day by visiting a beautiful museum and learning all about the history of South Korea. Then we ventured up a mountain in our giant bus (not the best for sensitive stomachs) and hiked in the rain to view the first statue of Buddha. It is currently under construction, but man, was it breathtaking. I literally got goosebumps. We then visited a Buddhist temple and rubbed a pig statue for good luck and fortune. We continued on to visit a replication of the King's tomb, and our last stop was  the King's Gardens. We were all very tired and soaked to the bone by this point, but our tour guide James insisted we needed to see it and we were very glad we did.  Even in the rain the whole grounds were stunning. The weather today was miserable at times and we all felt like giant drenched bananas in our ponchos, but everyone kept in awesome spirits and it ended up being one of my favorite days so far. The countryside is gorgeous and I am nerding out learning the history of this beautiful country.

As I lay on my cozy bed mat on this amazing heated floor, with the soothing sound of rain falling outside, I am amazed at the opportunity this week has provided me. I am creating friendships with people I would have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise, learning about a culture I had very little prior knowledge of, and seeing incredibly beautiful sights and sounds. I am one very lucky human. Not once has the gravity of this experience escaped me, not even when my pants were soaked to the knee and I was eating picked radishes with honey cornstarch sauce... Not once. I am sore, I am exhausted, I am a little bit nauseous, but I am so so happy. What an incredible experience this has been, and we still have 4 days of adventure ahead!