The Adventure Begins

Hello friends and family,

I write to you from my flight from Paris to Dublin. We had no issues with our flight from Minneapolis to Paris and were able to get to the gate for our connecting flight with plenty of time to spare. I slept a max of 45 minutes on our 7.5 hour flight, so we will see how long my energy will last today. I'm feeling pretty good right now though. :)

Before I continue, let me begin my introducing what my intentions of this blog are:

For those that have not heard, I will be spending this upcoming Fall semester in Budapest with Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education(BSME). This program is what we consider an "external" program at CSB/SJU since it is not one of the many semester-long study abroad programs that CSB/SJU offers. So why did I choose to forgo one of the many programs my school offers and the opportunity to travel with other Bennies and Johnnies? Well, I first had no intention of studying abroad when I entered into college, but when over 50% of students study abroad at CSB/SJU, it becomes something that almost everyone starts to think about during the first year, myself included. As I looked into the various CSB/SJU programs and searched the internet about studying abroad, I some how came across BSME. At first, I thought an external program would have been outrageously more expensive than a CSB/SJU program, but when the program got brought to my attention again the fall of my sophomore year, I knew I had to at least compare the costs. After doing so, I realized the cost would be about the same, and I eventually came to the conclusion that BSME was the best fit for what I was looking for in a study abroad program.

BSME is a program for Americans and Canadians that are studying (or interested in) math education. As a math major and secondary education minor, being able to continue this education abroad was very appealing and the main reason why I picked the program. While in Budapest, I will be studying the Hungarian way of teaching math in addition to the culture and mathematic history of Hungary. Throughout the semester, I will have the opportunity to observe many classes and even teach a few lessons. I am thrilled to see how much this semester will affect my future teaching. While Budapest is a city that I probably couldn't put on the map two years ago, I have heard incredible things about the city and have received lots of advice and suggestions from previous BSME participants. I am really looking forward to what the semester holds in this beautiful city.

I have started this blog in order for those back home and for those also studying abroad to hear about how the semester is going. I also plan to use this blog as a way to reflect on my semester and keep a journal of the thoughts I am having while abroad. I do not know how often I will post updates, because I do not know how busy my semester will be. I plan to post the link again on Facebook when I have big posts or you can subscribe via email on the left side. I know that I will probably post more at the beginning of the semester as I get settled in my apartment and start my classes - both I currently know little about.

So back to current plans:

The family [brother, parents, & grandparents] left yesterday evening, Friday, Aug. 5, for our week vacation in Ireland. We will be road tripping through a good portion of the country until Friday, Aug. 12. At that point, Jacob will head home for soccer tryouts and my parents and grandparents will fly to Budapest with me. They will spend the weekend in Budapest in order to help me get settled and to do some sight seeing before heading back to the states early Monday morning.  I start a three week Hungarian course (since I know basically none) on Wednesday, Aug. 17 with those in my program and a similar program, Budapest Semesters in Mathematics, before my semester starts Sept. 5. Besides my plan to fly back on Dec. 18 and do some traveling in Europe throughout the semester, I don't have much more information about my semester to share with you at this point.

Currently, I am super excited for our trip in Ireland. I know it will be an incredible start to my semester abroad and a great way to spend time with the family until we see each other again in 4 months. However, I am a bit nervous for my semester in Budapest. I have faith that God brought BSME to my attention for a reason and that He has great things in store, but I am nervous about not knowing anyone nor a lot of details of what is ahead. One of my favorite songs to listen to/pray with is "Wherever You Are" by Jon Guerra; it is a great reminder that even though I am across the Atlantic for these next four months without anyone I currently know, He will always be with me.

While I don't know how much I will be able to post this next week in Ireland, I hope to share a few things on Instagram throughout the trip and then put together a video of the entire trip afterwards. I plan to post a link on the blog once it is completed.

Please pray for safe travels this week and that our family is patient with each other as we embark on this adventure together.

Szia,

Ashley