Heading to Europe…

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    As I sit quietly in the dark on the plane heading to Dublin, Ireland, I wonder where my destiny shall lead me in these next few months. I contemplate the friends I will make, the lessons I will learn, the adventures I will come across, and the problems I will more than likely run into. 

    Although this is not my first time across the pond, it is my first time studying abroad and also traveling as a married woman without my husband. While I will miss my family and the daily life that I live, I do see this as an experience that is necessary for me to further my role in the field of International Relations. This is my chance to get an understanding of various cultures, expand my horizons, and hopefully learn some French through my travels.

While most of my time will be spent at Rennes University studying the French language, I cannot wait to visit Ireland for the first time, head to my favorite spots in Spain, and to explore the natural beauty of the Azores. However, the last time I was in France, I only had the pleasure of seeing Paris. This time, I wish to see more of the countryside, the culture, and the marks of history that were originally traced to rulers such as Napoleon and Charlemagne. 

In this documentation, I aim to reveal not only my journey of studying abroad as a non-traditional student, but also my passions for food, life, and the unknown. 

For now, I shall lead by my Filipino  ancestors and say, โ€œBahala Naโ€ (What may be shall be.)

Marisa 

Marisa Vickers

Bonjour! My name is Marisa Vickers and I am currently a twenty-eight year old senior that is majoring in International Relations at Texas State University. Thanks to FEA, this summer I will be studying abroad for one month in France at the University of Rennes. I am extremely excited for this opportunity because I hope to improve my French speaking abilities and submerge myself in the French culture. I have chosen this program because I was particularly inspired by my experience volunteering and interning with a non-profit that services refugees from all over the world. After helping many of those families, I realized that with proper communication, the world can seem less large if we all take the time to try and understand one another. Thus, upon graduation, my dream is to continue my work in the humanitarian sector by directly assisting those in need. If possible, I would like to focus my career on French speakers from African countries, as they contain a large number of refugees, including many of which are oppressed women and children. These issues are of great concern to me, and I believe that in order to be impactful in my chosen occupational path, I must do all I can to achieve a masterly level of fluency of the French language. Even though I am a first generation, bi-racial student that is married to an Army veteran, I have always been determined to complete my education regardless of any circumstance. I know that by studying abroad, it will be a wonderful step for me to someday take these developed skills and pay it forward by aiding those in need.