Thoughts from our Riverstone students in Europe…..
Here’s a fun follow up to the list of highlights I sent earlier. It’s a
pretty good cross-section of the things you learn when you’re out of
your element…
Sarah S – It would be great to have a more efficient public
transportation system in Boise; Europe’s system is great.
Elena – Don’t let the little things distract you from the big
picture…if you’re hungry, remember that you’re hungry in SWITZERLAND!!
Maddi – Mountains here are STEEP.
Alex – When travelling in a large group, it’s very important to be alert
all the time.
Tatjana – By making junk food more expensive and harder to find, people
will eat a lot less of it.
Lydia – Just living here is exercise…there don’t seem to be a need
for gyms because people walk everywhere.
Sarah C – People eat A LOT of bread and can actually live on baguettes.
Chris – Soccer really is everywhere.
Stearne – Public transportation is everywhere – buses, subway, trains,
trams, cog trains, bikes…all make it easier to get around.
Asher – Trains are a very cool way to travel.
Reagan – Can’t imagine a Europe without the Euro. Changing money
everywhere would have been very difficult.
Lucas – Sleep when you have the chance.
Jon – Security at border crossings is a lot looser but security at
museums is a lot more strict.
Dylan – Weather can change on a daily/hourly basis.
Coleman – Fanny packs are still in style?!?
Paul – In Paris you can find a 3-course meal for 10 euro right across
the street from a shop with a 10 euro milk shake.
Ryan – If you want to understand a culture you have to understand
their public transportation.
Sam – Expect for your expectations about people/places to be wrong.
Remy – Seeing the Mona Lisa, priceless. Climbing the Eiffel tower,
priceless. Hiking in the Swiss Alps, priceless. Shopping in any store
in Switzerland, definitely not priceless.
Ryan – European nations are very culturally diverse despite their
small size – Geneva, Switzerland seems French, but a short train ride
away, Wengen seems very German.
Austin – 1. Tiny cars really are practical. 2. Always have a couple
francs/euros in your pocket in case you need to pay to use a bathroom.
Christine – 1. Finally understands caffeine and chocolate addictions
2. Europe on $5 a day doesn’t exist anymore but Europe on 2 hours of
sleep a day does.
Tarrah – Public transportation with large groups is easier than
expected and, reservations are the way to go.
Matt – European culture is much more different than American culture
than I expected. Traveling to South America the difference was
expected, but the differences here were suprising.
Ben - 1. People in Europe use small spaces very effectively – kitchen
gardens are everywhere, a kitchen/office/dining/living/bed room really
does exist.
AND
2. Riverstone students travel well ANYWHERE!
