London

This summer I had the experience of a lifetime when I crossed an ocean and stepped onto the land of castles and monarchy, England. I had the chance of living in this nation's most famous city, London, for five weeks as a member of the Loyola Summer Session in London. The program included college courses and cultural experiences which included seven plays, ranging in moods from side-splitting comedy in "Money," to disturbing tragedy in "Plenty" and "The Weir," to a foot-stomping musical in "Momma Mia." Road trips to famous castles like Windsor, historic sites like Stonehenge, and remarkable cities like Stratford-on-Avon, Oxford, and Bath added to the cultural experience of England and London in this session. However, the flats which were our living accommodations in London were the most authentic element of the whole experienced. I actually lived in London for five weeks on my own. I learned to shop and travel on the tube as the British do, and although the academic side of this session was very fulfilling and informative, I can honestly say that England became our classroom because without a doubt this was the greatest and most enjoyable learning experience of my life!

by Julie Hebert

Mexico

Upon my arrival, I felt dizzy and nervous. It was a mixture of the pollution, the altitude, jet lag and nerves. The pollution has been compared to smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes per day, but that analogy seemed outdated to me. Pollution has recently improved tremendously in Mexico City.Mexico City is 7,000 feet above sea level. That's quite a huge difference from our own Underground Cafe, which is four feet below sea level. Once, despite having already been there for two months, I became exhausted after shooting only three or four baskets at the university courts.My hometown (St. Louis), New Orleans, and Mexico City are all in the same time zone. The trip did take all day though, due to the layover. I slept most of the way.I thought I had experienced culture shock when I moved away from the comforts of home into dorm life. This time I had moved away from the comforts of my home country with its familiar social structures, paradigms and language. I now know that the dizziness was a growing pain. When it faded away, it was replaced with awareness.

by Kurt Gerwitz

Belgium

The great thing about Belgium is location. This summer when I went over, I flew in two weeks early and backpacked to Belgium. I started in Prague, went to Austria and Germany, canyoned in Switzerland, and then arrived in Belgium.The program takes place in Leuven, which is 30 minutes away from Brussels. This is a university town in the truest sense of the term. The town is very cool for the simple fact that it is medieval and you see that every time you turn a corner. But it has everything modern that one needs. It takes no time to go to Brussels. There are many museums and so much to do.We took several bus trips to areas all around Northwest Europe. We spent a day in Amsterdam, which is a beautiful city. We also took a lot of trips to historic sites, such as Ypres, Verdun and Aachen. I walked in the trenches of Ypres. I walked in the forts of Verdun, which kept France from total destruction during WWI. I strolled down the same streets that Charlemange once walked. I visited Koln and Ghent. I saw a village that was abandoned due to the plague.Faculty and classes are wonderful. You travel to three countries besides Belgium and get a long weekend to go where you please. One of my fondest memories will be in the evenings when my friends and I would sit at an Irish pub, drink, and discuss all that we had seen and learned.

by Kimberly Chehardy