#ipewinter26

Independence and confidence are two things I’m already thinking a lot about. This semester will be the longest I’ve been away from home, so they’re hard to ignore.

I have never been to Europe before, and I really want to make the most of my time here. I want to travel to many different cities and see the sights, but I often hear people describe those cities and sights as just “nice.” The goal is to experience more than nice everywhere I go. I want real adventure and excitement on weekend trips or spring break (while staying safe), similar to what I see many of my international friends doing while backpacking around the world. When I say I want to make the most of my time in Spain, I’m really imagining doing the things I can’t do at home. Even things I’d consider productive at home, like playing guitar or reading, I want to do less in order to do more of running through Madrid, train rides with friends, and hiking in mountains and cities.

And if I do get hurt my apartment is sandwiched between a dental and hearing aid store so I'm in the right spot.

I’m also really going to focus on learning Spanish. It’s always been something I’ve hated in school, and I stopped taking it as soon as I could, which was sophomore year of high school. I think the main problem was a lack of reward in learning. I’m from Michigan, and I think being able to speak Spanish there is about as useful as being able to recite the alphabet backwards. In Madrid, it’s probably one of the most important things you can do. That being said, I’m going to make studying and practicing a priority while I’m here.

Being in Europe for four months, surrounded by other people my age, is a unique experience. In addition to having the opportunity to travel and see beautiful sights, I hope I can share those sights and experiences, and make friends that last much longer than four months. “Happiness not real unless shared.”

I’m looking forward to Spanish culture in terms of slowness and, adjacently, intentionality. Umich engineering sometimes has me living my to-do list. I’ll literally have a worker-boss mentality with myself. I do not want to feel that way while I’m here. I hope the culture surrounding me makes that automatic.

At Umich, although I’ve got a few good meals under my belt, I rarely cook. I’m at the mercy of Bursley dining hall for way too many meals. I believe cooking is one of the most underrated activities.

This summer I worked at a camp that had KPs, or kitchen patrols. Each was made up of a counselor and three 14-year-olds who were in charge of cooking several meals throughout the session for over 30 people. And time in the kitchen making food counts as some of my favorite memories.

It’s an activity that, if you’re going to do by yourself already, you might as well do with a friend, and then you can share a meal together. It’s perfect. So basically, I want to get better at cooking not just to make better food, but to enjoy an activity with others more.

I’m sure this blog is going to force me to get better at photo taking.

Where I'm writing from (the room where it happened)

I think that’s about it for the reflection. I’d like to be a better person than the one writing this now. 

Adiós

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Spring break was epic. I think if I tried, I could write about this week forever.

MAJORCA

When I landed in Majorca, I followed the herd towards the bus system in an effort to get to Palma. After standing at the station for a few minutes, unsure if I needed to use a machine to buy a ticket or not, or when the bus would arrive. I thought to myself, I came here to hike, so might as well start now, with my hiking pack on I started walking towards Palma. Turns out you can’t walk to Plama from the airport. After about thirty minutes, the sidewalk and bike lanes end abruptly, so I defeatedly called a Taxi. However, it was exciting to find out my Taxi driver was doing the same hike as me a few days later.

The camping trip I planned was three days long, so I fueled up with the best food Majorca has to offer: PB and J, Chorizo, and tortillas. Just to get to the start of the hike felt like an adventure on it’s own. On the way to Valdamosa, I met some South Africans on the bus and Scottish students in a park.

The first day on the trial, time moved incredibly slow, I thought I had been hiking for three hours when only an hour had past. I shoed off mountain goats constantly on the trail and eventually set up camp in a small refuge. The whole day I had been climbing towards a peak, which made for a terrible first night. It was freezing and windy, and I couldn’t even eat with a view because my fingers would freeze. I stayed in my tent from 8PM to around 10AM.

I was rethinking the whole solo trip until literally, at the peak of a mountain, I passed a guy from Denmark who hadn’t talked to anyone in three days, and whose birthday it was! He told me we wouldn’t be talking if I went with a friend, and that completely changed my mindset. Shortly after I caught up to a German orthodontist who was hiking at about the same pace, so we talked for a while until we reached Deia. Deia is a super beautiful small town with flowers everywhere, if I were blindfolded, I would’ve thought I was in a perfume factory.

Because wild camping is technically not legal, I structured my days to set up my tent near sundown, which meant I was in no rush. I walked down to the water and watched crazy waves. There, in the masses of families and couples, I spotted someone solo and introduced myself. We walked and chatted for a while, turns out she’s a journalist and a photographer. We made a deal, if I walked with her back to the bus station, she’d be my photographer. (Still waiting on photos)

Back on the trail, near where I had planned to camp, I saw a viewpoint marked on the map. I probably spent an hour trying to access it from the three entrances displayed, but all of them were gated off. Luckily, I found an unmarked trail and could not believe no one else was there. I was convinced a tour group from the next town over would be brought to this point to watch the sunset, but no one came.

The next morning, I had calm chorizo and tortilla breakfast at the lookout. The day before, I had passed a bell with a sign that read “ring bell.” Since it was close to sundown (and I had watched Hostel recently), I was too nervous to ring it, and I promised myself I’d come back. So I backtracked, and it happened to be a local's freshly squeezed orange juice stand, which is much better in the morning anyway. I hiked with a Canadian mom and daughter for a while, and because I had backtracked, I was able to gift them the knowledge of the lookout location.

Eventually, I made it to Sollar, and pretty much the first thing I spotted was the botanical garden, the perfect lunch spot. Downtown, if I didn’t know I was in Majorca I could have easily thought it was Germany. Someone told me hiking Majorca is Germany's Florida. While downtown, looking for some postcards, I wandered into an artist's studio and really put my Spanish to the test with a long conversation.

Because I hadn’t showered in Majorca (and because yolo), I was going to swim. I walked to Port Sollar and saw on the beach only a couple of people, all in winter jackets. When I came out of the water, I was told I was “un poco loco.” At the port, I briefly met a few girls from Argentina and happened to be on the same bus back to Palma, so when we got back, I invited them to come to the beach with me and watch the sunset, despite it being complete overcast.

Walking around the city for a final dinner, I was caught off guard by a Holy Week Parade, which didn’t have the best looks as an American.

That night, I slept at the airport, proud to have secured a spot at the small “cornucopia” of six outlets before security.

IRELAND

The second part of my spring break was spent in Ireland visiting a friend studying abroad. My first introduction to Ireland was not having enough cash for the bus (because they only take cash for some reason) and being saved by the bus driver, who told me not to worry about it. On that bus, I met an Irish guy from New Dehli who confessed to me the love of his life is getting married. He also shared his favorite foods at his family's Indian Restaurant.

I hopped off the bus for a transfer and met the most Irish man in existence. He was an old guy, swearing constantly and never breaking a straight face. I was cracking up for over an hour. When I asked him if he watches the sun set often (because there was a beautiful sunset at the moment), he told me, “It’s always the fuckin same.” I also learned he owns a bar in Ennis and told him I’d check it out.

After over 24 hours in airports, planes, and buses, I met up with my friend in Ballyvaughan. My friend attends a super small art college of less than 20 undergrads, and they all live under the same roof. In addition to a change in scenery and culture, it was incredibly refreshing to experience a change in lifestyle. Immediately, I hopped onto my friends routine, we woke up at 7 am to a beautiful sunrise, journaled, stretched, and ate the most fancy yogurt I’ve ever eaten. The best part of the morning was that slowly, everyone was making their way into the kitchen and dining room, where talking and joking brought the place to life. Also, the Irish dairy Philadelphia cream cheese has changed me.

We walked to school about twenty minutes away and climbed a mountain directly behind the college. I had never been somewhere so green before and with such cool rock formations. After we climbed down, I met a postgraduate student who showed me her thesis project and took a quick tour through the studios. Each undergraduate gets their own space and freedom to work on their own different projects. It was again refreshing to be around people who are so passionate about their work.

For lunch, everyone migrated to the cafeteria on campus. My friend had to leave to work in the kitchen, but I was only alone for a minute before his friends sat down at my table. With everyone going to their classes, and my friend working, one student told me about the crystal caves not too far away. I was told to find the “bull in yard” sign, jump it, find the bee boxes, but with no bees, look for two creepy donkeys that look like the twins from The Shining, follow a long, windy gravel road, and look for a waterfall. Walking for over an hour in the rain, I felt like I was on a Lord of the Rings quest. It was almost comical, every time I thought I had lost the path, the next sign appeared in front of me. It also made me realize I don’t think I’ve ever navigated somewhere where my phone could provide absolutely zero help.

I was envisioning purple crystals like in Minecraft, but it turns out it was more of a white quartz. I hurried back to get to the computer lab for my class registration, but it turns out I had marked the time for EST, so I’d have to register that night, during Irish set dancing. My friend, two others, and I walked twenty five minutes in the rain to a church parking lot where a lady also going dancing picked us up. That’s as good as public transport gets in Ballyvaughan.  For three hours, I learned different Irish dancing sets. It was pretty funny, I was dancing with a bunch of older ladies and their husbands. And the regulars, aka my friend and his friends, were impressively good.

The last day I was in Ireland, my friend left to go on a trip to Italy. Instead of saying goodbye to everyone when my friend left, I decided to take his place at school. Every Friday for an Irish Cultures course, a field trip is held, this week's was along the Irish coast, which was literally perfect. I got a free tour with a knowledgeable guide and good company.

With the rest of my last day, I had three things I really wanted to do: Irish bar, Indian Restaurant, and Spice Box.

My original plan was to go to the owner I mets pub as a good way to spend an hour while waiting for the next bus I needed. However, on the first bus to Shannon, we got trapped on the narrow road with another bus coming the other way. For thirty minutes, our bus driver coached the other driver to back up, and traffic controlled the other cars. I felt a little disappointed I wouldn’t be able to make it, then It started to rain, mirroring my emotions. But then most incredible full rainbow appeared, our bus positioned perfectly with the windows facing the coast and sky. That got me talking to the other people on the bus, one of whom was a nut scientist giving talks across Europe. When the bus arrived, I decided to go to the bar with a twenty minute timer so that I could say I had a beer in Ireland. I met two locals who were good company for a few minutes.

I caught a buzz for the second bus to Shannon and stopped at Ireland's Walmart equivalent for the bathroom. There, a high school-aged kid approached me, telling me he was short on bus money. I asked him, “how much is the bus?” and found out we were both short on bus money lol. The ATMs were closed, but I was told I could get cash back if I bought something. So I had this kid and his friend grab me two of their favorite Irish snacks. Turns out cash back only works for Irish cards. Luckily, I shared the snacks with some guys at the bus stop, and when they found out I was fifty cents short, they covered me.

In Shannon, an hour before close, I made it to Bollywood Temple and met the guy's dad I met on the bus, I got exactly what I was told to order, Chicken makati with garlic nan and a side of pilaf rice. Super full circle moment. With only one item on the list left, I felt that the last thing I needed was a Spice Box. I was so incredibly full, but I was told by Irish friends I met abroad that if there’s one thing I do, it’s get a spice box. So, I went to a Chinese place next door and bought one. I snacked on a long walk to the airport. I’m 1/2 in walking to/from airports now.

On the way back to Madrid I had a great layover at the beach in Alicante, is a place I had never heard of before. It’s awesome that chance put it on my map. The last time I left the Madrid Airport was when I first arrived in Madrid, walking out this time felt a thousand times more comfortable than the last. A good sign Madrid feels like home. I found solo travel incredible for meeting new people and forcing you, at every turn, to be open and friendly to a unique degree. Being alone creates a gap and pushes you to seek out connection wherever you go. Still, I think visiting a friend wins out in terms of overall fun.

I also want to mention a few blocks away from me this robot pizza place is opening. I was looking through the glass at the right time, met the owner and got a sample slice. This is so dystopian.

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

This weekend I visited a friend studying abroad in Barcelona. We spent all of Saturday hiking in Montserrat, mountains about an hour from the city. We took the cable car up to the trailhead and hiked to the summit. For lunch, we ate PB and jelly sandwiches on what felt like the top of the world.

Being with people who can be present is such a gift. We made the last cable car back and had to wait about forty minutes for the train. My backpack cards came in clutch, we played a few games (one of which I had just learned a week or two prior), and charades until then.

Lunch the next day was enjoyed at Ciutadella Park, which felt very utopian. We paused to watch people play pretend combat with pool noodles and cardboard shields. The friend I was visiting was going to the Barcelona game that day. So she parted ways at the park, and it marked the first “solo” travel moment besides getting off the airplane at Madrid.

While walking out of the park, a man with like 20 parrots on his arms caught my eye. For two euros, he was giving people seeds for wild green parrots to eat out of your hands. It was awesome. When all the seeds were gone from my hand, I realized my smallest bill was five euros. The parrot man said he didn’t have change. Alone and with the language barrier, I felt powerless and vulnerable. I let him keep the five euros. As I left the park I was unsure if I had been swindled, and realized at the minimum, I should have used the fiver to pay for someone else. At the end of the day, it was only three Euros, and a good reminder that I should really carry change.

I walked straight to Barcelona’s Pablo Picasso museum, having not known much about the guy, I was interested in checking it out. I liked how the exhibit was put together in chronological order, showing how his work changed in such abrupt ways as his life pushed him in different directions. My favorite part must have been his pocket sketch books, whose contents looked so ordinary. And how he took a break for a week or two to just do pigeons.

After the museum, I had overpriced ice cream on the beach, which I could’ve enjoyed more, but felt rushed. I was trying to see too many people and too many places in just a few hours, falling into the trap of doing too much and not actually enjoying any of it. Balancing sightseeing with spending time with friends felt tricky. Luckily, the Carmel Bunker, where people watch the sunset over Barcelona’s skyline, closed earlier than I had planned, forcing me to slow down. I ran to Sagrada Família, walked around the outside with a friend, then gathered my things, grabbed dinner, and caught the train home

On Monday, I was in my school’s buildings from 10AM to 10PM, but I was so filled with gumption from the weekend that I enjoyed the twelve hours. I felt the last week or two, I was beginning to meet fewer people and make less friends. Maybe as a byproduct of weekend travel, being absent in Madrid, and more tired when I’m back, but I feel this week it really spun around with a little bit of effort.

This week I started the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I’m motivated to read more, especially after finishing The Obstacle is the Way, and having it be applicable almost daily. Now I’m starting to notice resistance throughout my day.

In Spain, a lot of the food has a ranking A through E, healthy to unhealthy. I was looking for a frozen pizza and saw one that was a C in a pile of Ds. So I opted for the healthier one, went home, cooked it up. Be warned. There are tuna pizzas.

my sisters reaction to my tuna pizza

I had a Spanish Exam this week, and having missed a class or two revealed how much the class actually teaches me. I was surprised to notice huge holes in my understanding compared to my classmates. 

It’s cool to go to new places to eat, but I like being a regular as well. This week, I was back at the Kabab House for their Wednesday deal and Alma Nomad bakery again with the roommates. I have also finally begun getting real 99 cent cheesecake by bringing my own jar of Nutella.

I reached out to everyone I invited from last week’s run club for this Wednesday’s run, but only one friend could come. Still, I had an equally good time as with the large group. Going with one friend lowered the stakes in terms of me organizing, leading, and feeling somewhat responsible for everyone having a good time. It was especially nice to go with someone independent, allowing us to both freely meet new people.

I told a friend in two of my classes who I didn’t know that well I was going to walk around Salamanca, wanting to consciously explore a certain neighborhood of Madrid. He wasn’t doing anything, so we walked and talked for a solid three hours with no silence. While in a cafe, talking about taking a risk and meeting new people, a study abroad student came up to our table and asked to join us.

We stopped at two churches. The friend I walked with described having a video game mindset, exploring new parts of the map, and seeing churches as ”checkpoints,” a quick reset. To go inside a beautiful space and be silent and present for a few minutes. We checked out an art gallery and finished with a short workout at El Retiro.

At one of the parks small outdoor gyms, I did my best to talk to two older ladies in Spanish. Which I considered “the real Spanish exam.” I feel that old ladies are the perfect demographic to practice with because they are super patient and so excited to speak to someone new, as long as I listen with at least my eyes, they’re smiling.

“The wonderful things can’t be planned.”

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas Pontifical Madrid

(4/26 - 5/2)

Hi! For this post I want to mostly follow one of the days from this week, because it was one of my favorites in the semester so far!

-------------------

I finally(finally!!!) forced myself out of bed to have a solo outing day >.< It’s one of those things that I kept reserving for a day I would have lots of time to spare, but whenever those days actually came by, I would end up sleeping all the time away…So finally, during my 14th week in Hong Kong, I was able to overcome the sleepiness!

I took the MTR to Tsim Shau Tsui, one of the more tourist-y districts located right above Victoria Harbour (~1-1.5 hour transportation = the standard for getting anywhere from UST), and started by getting lunch at Shek Kee Wonton Noodles.

They only take cash but it was otherwise a very tourist-friendly restaurant, and the noodles I got were super filling and delicious for the relatively low price of $80HKD (~ $10.21USD)!

(Honestly, I’m starting to think Hong Kong prices are actually pretty high for Asia, but maybe I’m just spoiled because of Vietnam…)

and the owner gave me candy on my way out!

Because TST is super tourist-y, it’s a great place to buy souvenirs! I dropped by a store and got a couple of key chains and magnets because I realized I currently only had souvenirs from Thailand and Vietnam and not the actual place I was studying abroad in LOL

Then I finally (finally!22) went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which was honestly AMAZING… Like I said before, I think it had just been bugging me that it was something I had wanted to do for so long haha but even aside from that factor, I think it’s one of the best art museums I’ve been to (I haven’t been to many)! There was a lot of traditional(?) Chinese art, and also a lot of cool modern and abstract pieces too ❤️My favorite exhibit was one that started with a little personality test where you can get one of four ‘types’ (Adventurer/Elegant/Perfectionist/Fashionista) and had many different traditional and modern pieces that were grouped into each of the four personality types

Overall it felt like a lot of effort had been made to make art a more accessible and interesting topic for the general public! and the view from the huge ceiling-to-floor windows on each floor was a nice touch, since the museum’s located right on the harbour >.<

oh and it’s free entry by the way!

Afterwards, I met some friends at Papillon Cafe, which had been all over my Instagram explore page 

Review: 4/5 The cafe had a super cute aesthetic and the owners’ cats were sweet and a lot friendlier than the ones at the cat cafe last week! The food and drinks in all honesty were mediocre, but I think it’s still worth going at least once for the nice atmosphere 

We finished off the day by getting dinner at Hama Sushi in the East Point Mall on the way back to campus (I’ve eaten here so many times it’s embarrassing) and browsing a makeup store in the same mall (i got colored contacts for the first time!)

I realized that this was the first week that I hadn’t gone out…! I didn’t realize I was being such a partier LOL especially because back at home I’m seriously a homebody… I guess that’s just what exchange life’s like

But I think I’m at the point that I want to start spending my time here more purposefully, since there’s not much left (and not to say that I won’t be going out from now!)

It’s just that you can feel it in the air, the feeling of the semester coming to a close. My final project group for one of my classes has met for probably over 12 hours this week, and all the exchange students are starting to ask each other when their last exam is, when they’re flying out.

I don’t want it to end…!

(4/19 - 4/25)

Helloooo! i did a lot of reflecting this week

It might be because I just submitted my last assignment for a class (literally have nothing to do for it anymore except study for the final, which is in over a month), or because I was reevaluating my friendships here, but I felt reminded that I need to make the most of my time here

I still haven’t gone to the art museum, which is something I told myself I would do since week 1, and I think that’s been bugging me…

actually idk if theres much else to it haha

I got to have a deeper conversation with a friend that I met in the first week and hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to much since then, and it felt super refreshing actually! I know I’ve been saying the key to not feeling down is to not let yourself marinate in your thoughts, but getting to talk about more genuine topics for the first time in a while felt fresh.

^the friend and her fused fry (side note: do NOT eat at the American Diner on campus unless you enjoy mediocre spaghetti and consider salad to be a few sad strands of leafy greens ^_^)

And I called my roommate from home! Again, I really enjoyed having the more serious/genuine kind of conversation :) One of my biggest regrets(?) coming to Hong Kong was that I wouldn’t get to see her again because she’s graduating this semester, but thankfully it turns out she’ll stay in AA for the summer so I can see her when I come back!!

tldr I’ve allowed myself to have *some* thoughts and it feels nice

Other than that, I went to a cat cafe this week! I didn’t like it that much because all of the cats clearly didn’t favor being touched (I assume it’s like work fatigue for them), but it’s probably still worth it if you like cats enough to enjoy just being in their presence  /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

And I watched a production of the opera (for my Enjoyment of Western Opera class project) ‘Madama Butterfly’, which was alright. I got rained on on my way to the theatre, but during the time I was waiting for the first act to finish (bc got there late😔) I got dry anyways haha

Also in Vietnam I went to a market to get these wooden clog shoes that were super cheap and literally made on the spot (you can choose your base and strap and they’ll literally staple + nail it together right there) and I really love wearing them with jeans, but they lowkey hurt my feet… I’ve been getting some crazy blisters… but the concept of casual heels has such a grip on my heart that I’m probably just gonna cope❤️

My mind has been all over the place this week and it probably shows in this post haha I’ll see you all in the next one!

One of my favorite activities this week was hitting the Han River on bikes and taking in the beautiful nighttime views. Haesue put Kendall and I onto the super cheap Seoul bike-rental app. We took a little rest after a while and met up with another friend from our exchange program to chat it up by the river, too <3

Lots of fun updates with soccer: We've mainly just been training this semester to get stronger, but recently we've officially begun our matches! With that, I'm officially the first goal scorer in history for the first ever Sogang women's team 😎 Also, during one of our practices, none of the coaches could make it at last minute, so I was asked to run the training session 😎😎 It feels so good to get back into sports more seriously, which is something I miss about the old days and hope to keep up as much as possible back home. We've been mixing it up with some futsal matches, as well.

*peep the girl in the 5th photo on the opposing team wearing a UMich shirt!!!*

I took my friend from Uzbekistan (who's NEVER been to the movie theater before) to see the Michael Jackson movie. I taught him how to moonwalk during the closing credits, and we had a little dance party (the music was too good not to). I've been listening to Michael Jackson non-stop ever since…

Plus a couple extra photos here because photo booths are super popular in Seoul, and I'm a chef and want to share my creations :)

It's starting to feel a bit strange writing so much about myself. At least future me will appreciate these posts, and it's always nice to reflect on the week.

With love,

안녕! 

This past weekend I performed with ACES Orchestra!  

After 3 months of working every weekend, me and my friend Mason performed the following pieces:  

Ludwig van Beethoven - Egmont Overture 

Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished": I. Allegro moderato 

Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 8 

Johann Strauss II - Frühlingsstimmen (Voice of Spring Waltz) 

My favorite one was playing the 4th movement to Dvorak Sympnoy no 8., as I have been able to play it in orchestra with Michigan! Here is the link to listen to the Michigan version.  I really appreciate the do over since that semester I did not have the chance to practice as much as I wanted to since I had 19 credits (it killed me). I knew it like the back of my hand and just took the moment with the ACES orchestra to just enjoy it.  Apparently, my friends found it relieving every time to see me dance and sway along the piece. While I tried to contain my natural tendency to dance during the performance, I couldn’t contain my smile 😂.  

Honestly, this is a love letter to ACES Orchestra. Like I said in my previous post (week 5 I believe), they have been nothing but kind to me. Thank you 준아, 하은, 아인, and 윤형 for always including me in conversations, and taking an interest in me beyond just ACES. I loved connecting with them, and it had made my experience in ACES orchestra that much sweeter. I also want to give a big thanks to 치강 for helping me and Mason get adjusted, as he was a major help in the beginning through end. I still remember talking to him about Kafka, specifically Metamorphosis. As well, shout out to my fantastic stand partner 민서 who helped translate what the conductor was saying and carried me through Dvorak movements 1-3. ACES Orchestra has been such a big part of my trip in South Korea, and an experience I could have never thought or imagined when I first picked up the violin in middle school. I wish in the future to learn more Korean, so I could connect better with them, and enjoy our time even more. 

 Please support the ACES Orchestra if you do chose to travel to South Korea, if not for the fantastic music, but for the amazing people who have chosen to open their arms out to anybody, and include them as best as they can despite the language barrier.  

I’m horrible when it came to taking photos with everyone, but I also wanted to extend my thanks to the people who showed up to support us: Kendall, Flora, 나영, Yasmine, Joseph, Grace, Celeste. Thank you so much for attending; it always means the world to me when someone shows up to my orchestra’s performance, and I’m glad they came out to also support the orchestra.  

While our time was brief, it was such a memorable experience! Thank you so much ACES for such a great semester, and I hope that you guys can continue to host orchestra concerts!!!  

안녕히 계세요! 💕 💕 

Ariana Castanon    

Mechanical Engineering    

Semester in Seoul, Sogang University. 

I was a little sick at the start of the week, which provided a great excuse to procrastinate on everything. Luckily, two of my roommates dragged me out for Tacos and Pizza on different nights. Thank goodness for roommates. After a long weekend full of procrastination, a class-heavy Monday was exactly what I needed to put me in a finals mentality. This week I had three finals, which I spent plenty of time studying for. A lot of the procrastination stemmed from conflicting feelings, as I tried to balance studying enough to fully understand everything against studying too much for a class I just had to pass.

To celebrate finishing a class, I invited a friend for froyo. We met on the street outside, next to a game store, which was a necessary detour. The lack of a living room prevented me from playing board games this semester, but it’ll be something I’ll appreciate much more once I’m back in Ann Arbor. It’s the greatest thing to make a friend where only a bench, an empty froyo cup, and conversation are more than enough to entertain. We sat and talked for so long that we actually grew hungry again and went for tacos. Later in the week, a planned night run with a friend turned into just playing and chatting on the monkey bars for hours. Losing track of time under the moonlight was far better than any workout.

I spent an entire day working on my circuits final project. Unfortunately, my teammate and I prioritized other exams, put it off too long, and underestimated the time it would take to complete the project. I really enjoyed the problem solving and iterating, but that enjoyment was evened out by the stress of a same day deadline and a teammate with a negative mentality. We presented and submitted our project unfinished, which was unsatisfying, especially when I was just beginning to understand certain concepts.

Midway through my circuit day, my partner and I met up with another friend for lunch. It was noon, so besides cafes, not many restaurants were open. Standing at a crosswalk, we watched a man playing a pan flute walk down the street and decided that we should follow. He led us to a Poke bowl spot. We ordered, and when it came time to pay, the card machine wasn’t working, and all of our meals were on the house.

Roller skating had been on my mind for a while, but this week I finally decided now or never and invited a bunch of friends to skate with me at El Retiro. Since I organized everything, it was my responsibility to make sure I was first. I was so stressed about being a few minutes late, yet the first person came an hour and a half after me. I threw my shoes in a bush in the park and solo skated for a while.

I was constantly passing runners, dancing groups, CrossFit and kettlebell classes. I sat for a while admiring a skate school practice, doing crazy tricks through cones and on a huge low friction mat. I skated by the outdoor gym area, saw a friend there, and felt super energized. Three friends ended up coming, one of whom joined me on skates. Together we went out to dinner and wandered for dessert. I hadn’t laughed so much in a while.

School being over put me in a noticeably calm mood perfect for getting coffee with a friend who was visiting. In addition to my frisbee, postcards and pens are things I always carry. I love to write to friends and family, but also to share the experience of writing. Two blank post cards were perfect to write and draw on with my artist friend.

Mountain biking was an easy suggestion to my two friends visiting for an activity since I had just gone last week. It was fun, but I felt responsible for keeping track of time and directing us back to the shop at the right time, which took me a bit out of the experience.

To round out the week, I went to Chabad for my last Shabbat dinner in Madrid. My friend and I walked around, and people watched in Sol and Chamberi, and ended the night staring at the robot pizza place in my neighborhood.

Adios,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering