Life Lately

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Cvetanka Rizvanovic

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Cvetanka Rizvanovic

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hallo <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> The University of Utah <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Amsterdam, Netherlands <i>Program provider:</i> University of Utah Exchange Program <i>Major/minor:</i> Elementary Education / Human Development and Family Studies <i>Demographics:</i> Caucasian/White, First-Generation American, First-Generation College Student, Bosnian with a Refugee Background <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I am currently working to obtain my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with future plans to earn my Master's degree in education to serve in an administrative position. I strive to adopt a pedagogy that focuses on embracing cultural diversity and in doing so, work towards resolving educational inequities while strengthening community and family connections in all aspects of education. Within my career, I will address the intersections of environmental justice and quality of education as I believe it is of the utmost importance that every child receives an excellent education regardless of their socioeconomic status and positionality. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. Familiarize myself with different teaching styles and view the art of education from a multicultural lens. 2. Work on identifying and dismantling my own biases, learn how to implement Anti-Bias education. 3. Gain a better understanding of how Amsterdam and international history have influenced the Netherlands ' successful education model as one of the best in the world.

I can’t believe I’ve been in Amsterdam for three weeks now! It was quite an eventful week for my roommate Rachel and me as we took extra time to spend with our friends Emilee and Kailee. Together, we went on late-night runs to a nearby sushi place called ‘Sushito’ and we LOVED it. I appreciate that we all met up to sit and talk because this week, I began to feel a bit lonelier than usual. Thankfully all of the delicious food cheered me up and we adventured out into the Centrum a few more times. I explored shops there that I always dreamed of going into (I had a childhood obsession with Zoella) so going into Primark and TKMaxx was very noteworthy to me.

Once we had window shopped at the Centrum, we made our way back to Rachel and I’s apartment moments before a signature rainy evening in the Netherlands. Soon after, another friend and I went on a trip to complete our registration with the local municipalities in order to receive our residence permits. This process was very complicated and we were sent to several different addresses before we were helped which was frustrating. This was one aspect of living in Europe that I was prepared for in that I had previously encountered and overcome various inconvenient situations where the odds were against me.

Lately, I’ve been planning on finding some places I want to travel to on my own and take pictures in as a way to enjoy spending more time with myself. I was thinking about renting a bike and biking to a green space and having a picnic or even visiting a cafe. I have one in mind called ‘Sticky Fingers’ that I really would like to visit so that is one of my adventures for this upcoming week. Aside from preparing myself for attending classes in person this week, my uncle who lives in Germany is planning to stop by and meet me for the first time in his life so that is exciting. I’m looking forward to meeting him, his wife, and my cousins.

I’ve also been listening to some lovely music lately and have made these songs into my most recent Amsterdam playlist: 😁

Satellite by Harry Styles

Sinoc Sam Pola Kafane Popio by Zeljko Bebek

I’ve Never Been To LA by Oscar Lang, Wallice

End of the Day by One Direction

Void by The Neighborhood

strawberry chainsaw by JAWNY

The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift