A Blog on McConnell Center Life

Celia Cusick ('20) abroad In my last blog, I proclaimed that this year would be inspired by the women in my life and as such would be more genuine, fearless, and unapologetic. I had no idea at the time that this would mean crossing two oceans. However, as luck would have it I visited Bali, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia over this past summer. My good friend is finishing his english teaching Fulbright there currently. So with a little apprehension, one wrong plane ticket, and lots of bug spray; I went on my way with my goal of the year in mind.               Aside from the friendly face that was waiting to pick me up from the airport, I was surrounded by a world of differences. It became clear that Kentucky and the comforts it gave me were far away. When you take away the comfort and conveniences of your home, it is easy to learn lessons about exactly what you can and cannot handle.   While on the tri...

Evan Clark ('20) My five-week study in Cusco, Peru this summer was, in many ways, an ideal trip abroad for me.   Not only did I have the opportunity to practice my Spanish daily with my host family and to learn from my professors and fellow students, but I also had the opportunity to visit dozens of unique sites from Peru’s pre-Columbian and colonial past.   Coupled with the information about the Inca and their predecessors that I learned in my class on the history of the Inca civilization, these educational visits throughout the Peruvian Andes gave me a deeper appreciation of the cyclical nature of Peruvian history.   Although I had studied the Inca and the cultures that preceded them in the past in my spare time, I had never devoted extensive study to cultures like the Caral Supe civilization and the Paracas civilization, the latter of which I had not heard of before my study abroad.   I expected to learn about cyclical processes of cultural continuity an...