Study Abroad – The Gatton Academy News

Costa Rica: Sea Turtles, Hammocks, and Gallo Pinto

December 7, 2023 | Lyla Wood, Study Abroad | No Comments

My first time on an airplane landed me in Liberia, the largest city in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica. We only spent a couple days there, but they were unforgettable. Releasing baby sea turtles back into the ocean at the Goldring-Gund Marine Biology Station was like a scene straight out of a movie. My roommate and I patrolled 8 miles of beach with the researchers at Playa Grande, scanning the sands for turtle eggs. We enjoyed gallo pinto (Costa Rican beans and rice) at Kike’s and listened to our peers give presentations on various organisms and cultural facets of Costa Rica.

Our next stop was Cloudbridge, which instantly became my favorite place in the entire world. A private nature reserve in the Talamanca mountains, the entrance of Cloudbridge sits at an elevation of 5500 feet. Here, I was assigned to my research group, which consisted of 4 students, Cheryl, Dr. Martin Stone, and his wonderful wife Jolene. Our project was Herbaceous Biodiversity in Aging Cloud Forests. We spent hours outside, counting plants and hiking mountains. When we weren’t surveying plots of land, we were shopping in San Isidro, petting Gato (the local restaurant cat), or drinking Costa Rican coffee. We presented our research at the Cloudbridge Symposium and departed for Poor Man’s Paradise.

After days of aching legs and mountain hikes, falling into a hammock and doing yoga on our balcony was a welcome reprieve. Poor Man’s Paradise is aptly named (it really is a paradise!). Every night, we drank a different type of fruit juice and spent hours at the beach. We snorkeled at Isla del Caño and toured Parque Nacional Corcovado, catching glimpses of tapirs and sharks. At one point, I fell asleep on the boat ride over, jolting awake to a breathtaking ocean view.

Our return to the United States was bittersweet, and I had never been more exhausted. Now, I always have an easy answer to the question: “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 15: Carlson Software and York

August 7, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Lorenzo Mahoney, Study Abroad | No Comments

Off to York, we were! Transportation on buses here serve as an excellent time to catch up on readings, write essays, and catch up on sleep. Two hours and a great nap later, the bus arrived at Carlson Software. The company, founded in Maysville, Kentucky, now has branches in the Netherlands, Australia, and even in York, Great Britain. We were given a demo of their latest products which use laser readings to scan in mineshafts and quarries for underground cavities to aid in the safety and planning of the operation. Watching the machine in action as it precisely plotted out details of the warehouse it was scanning, and seeing how many different engineers and software developers had a piece in creating it was very impressive. Being a Kentucky company, there were even two Gatton alumni working there (one who wrote the software for their latest machine), and it was great to discuss their Gatton experience and how it helped them enter into the workforce. The two alumni are Kyle Kelly (’11, Christian County High School) and Derek Fox (’11, Campbell County High School).

After a quick snack break, we were off to downtown York. There, we ate our lunches on the banks of the Ouse River, before seeing the various historical sites the town had to offer. We visited Clifford’s Tower (no Big Red Dog included), saw Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, and climbed along the York Walls, whose construction began back in 71 AD with the Romans. However, we also walked through various street and antique markets and even got to see some of Bob Dylan’s paintings at an art gallery. One of my favorite parts of sightseeing in Britain is the ability to see historic landmarks that even predate most of American history altogether while also having modern elements immediately nearby.

Following our returning bus ride and my second nap of the day, we ate dinner in the manor and my friends were ready for more smashing rounds of croquet. The unofficial official sport of The Gatton Academy, my friends and I indulge in the opportunity to play a “gentleman’s game” during our time here. As the sun began to set on the horizon and cast a golden glow on the manor, we were busy lining up shots through gates and trying to send one another’s balls careening off the green with our mallets. With one week left here in Britain, I still see many more rounds of croquet and incredible memories in our future.

Lorenzo

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 14: Another beautiful day at the Manor

August 6, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Dalton Richardson, Study Abroad | No Comments

Today was a pretty good day at Harlaxton. Today was a class day, so I had a lot of free time to just relax and enjoy the beautiful day. First I had to get up at eight for class at nine. I got some breakfast, which mainly consisted of eggs and then got ready for the day. Class went by pretty fast actually and was quite good. We had to read some short stories the day before, so we spent a good chunk of the time talking about those. We also discussed some poetry and our professors told us the details about tomorrow’s trip to York.

Afterward, a few friends and I decided to play croquet as the weather was quite nice. I played horribly, but so did everyone else unsurprisingly. My friend Lorenzo ended up beating us most of the rounds but I got one win. We ended up playing for much longer than any of us ever expected and did not finish playing till around 4:30ish. Next up we had dinner which was quite lovely. I took a little time after this to work on a paper due in a few days but ended up procrastinating and getting barely anything done.

A few friends and I decided to order some pizza and watch a movie. We spent more time deciding what movie to watch than we should have but eventually chose one. We ended up watching “This is the End” which was okay but nothing too spectacular. Finally, I got ready for bed and played a few games of Super Smash Bros with by roommate. He absolutely dominated me most of the time, but I got a few good hits in. Once I got in bed, I watched some Brooklyn 99 on my phone before getting some rest and preparing for the next day and our trip to York. Overall, it was another great day at Harlaxton and was a blast.

Dalton

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 13: Castle Rising and The Beach

August 6, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Maggie Gossage, Study Abroad, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

GOOOOOOD MORNING! All caps was necessary to capture my excitement of FINALLY being in the beautiful Harlaxton Manor!

Today started off bright and early with students eagerly rushing to finish their breakfast so that they could hit the bus by 8:40. Once we were all on the bus, we set off to Castle Rising Castle: the ruins of a medieval castle in the small town of Castle Rising. At Castle Rising, we walked through the ruins and tried to imagine what the castle was like in its prime. Most people took advantage of the sun and either laid on the grass or threw around a frisbee.

After our time at Castle Rising Castle, we hopped back on the bus and went to the beach for lunch. Our first beach destination was Brancaster Beach. When we arrived, I soon realized that beaches in the U.K. are vastly different from beaches in the States. Brancaster Beach stretched outwards for miles, with the ocean about a mile out. We set up camp here and downed our PB&Js while feeling the sun on our face and sand between our toes. When bellies were full and lunches complete, we headed off to Hunstanton Beach. Here, students enjoyed the plethora of sweet and fried food stands set up along the beach. I decided to get a British staple, fish and chips, and something new to me, British fried donuts, as a post-lunch snack. I was thoroughly satisfied with both as they were down in less than 5 minutes.

When our time was over at Hunstanton Beach, we headed back to the manor for dinner. As students prepared for the next day’s class by reading short stories, or let off some steam by playing croquet on the lawn or snooker in the Junior Common Room, I hoped that there would be more fried donuts at our next destination.

Maggie

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 12: Making the most of a sick day!

August 3, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Jocelyn Martin, Study Abroad | 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: this blog contains spoilers for the movie Osmosis Jones.

Monday, the 29th of July, was our first truly free day. After class let out at noon, we were free to do anything our hearts desired. Some of us played croquet while the others explored this beautiful manor. I, however, stayed in bed and watched the 2001 classic, Osmosis Jones. You see, I, along with many other Gattons, have somehow contracted Hay Fever. I’m not going to gross you out with the details, so I’ll leave it at this. T’isn’t fun. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the day.

After I watched Osmosis Jones for the first time, I listened to a new album and then ordered dinner. As I was practically glued to my bed, I was sadly unable to explore Grantham or the manor. This has created the lack of content for today’s blog. So, to fill the space, and give you more insight on my day, I will recap the plot of Osmosis Jones.

Osmosis Jones follows Frank, as portrayed by Bill Murray. Frank and his daughter Shane create the frame story of Osmosis Jones. Later in the movie, we find out that Frank’s wife (unnamed) had died from complications stemming unhealthy eating and lack of self-care. We get taken inside Frank’s body and meet Thrax, the movie’s main villain, voiced by Laurence Fishburne. Thrax is a lethal disease that Frank contracted by eating an egg that had been contaminated by simian saliva. As Thrax wreaks havoc and recruits germs, we meet Osmosis Jones, a disgraced cop (a white blood cell) played by Chris Rock. Frank’s body is led by Mayor Phlegm, a corrupted leader that drives Frank to be unhealthy and rude. Jones is the only cop that recognizes Thrax as an actual illness and not just a common cold. Phlegm wants a re-election, so he covers up everything Jones is saying by employing a cold cure pill known as Drixenol (Drix for short). Much to the mayor’s dismay, Jones and Drix end up teaming up against Thrax. Frank dies for a brief second but comes back after Jones defeats Thrax just in time. Truly the comeback of the century.

Jocelyn

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 11: Brontë Country

August 2, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Michael Givens, Study Abroad | 1 Comment

The day some looked forward to and some dreaded. Today is the longest field trip day of the entire trip. We left Harlaxton Manor at 8 AM and headed to the world-famous moors in Haworth. The destination was 3 hours away, and there was a LOT of sleeping on the coach.

The moors we were visiting are the alleged inspiration for the setting of “Wuthering Heights.” We began the journey at the museum of the Brontë family. Our group then began the expected four mile hike (which ended up being six miles).

The weather was perfect for our adventure. Despite rain earlier in the day, it was now overcast with temperatures in the 60-70 degree range. We stumbled and slipped over rocks while enjoying each other’s company. Throughout the walk, we encountered many livestock along the way, including mountain goats, horses, and cows. We made three stops along the way. The first was at a beautiful waterfall, known as Brontë’s waterfall, and ate our packed lunch. The second stop was at the old ruins of the inspiration for the main location in Wuthering Heights, Wuthering Heights itself. The final stop was at a beautiful, dense forest. We walked around in the forest for a while, amazed at how dark it was underneath the trees despite the sun outside.

After we recovered from our sore feet, we headed back to the Brontë family museum. It was a self-guided tour showcasing the amazing history of the family, primarily the three author daughters.

Once we all had time to enjoy the museum, we had a quick bite to eat and then headed back to the manor. We finally arrived back at around 8 PM. A full 12 hours of fun, laughter, and excitement.

We have officially made it to the halfway point of the trip!

Michael

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 10: First full day at the Manor.

August 2, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Jack McCoun, Study Abroad | No Comments

Hello all! The last time I spoke to you was my first day in London. Since then, I have been to the Queen’s Palace, Shakespeare’s Theater, ancient Roman baths, the British Museum, and much more! However, the trip is not even at its halfway point!

Currently, we are residing in the Harlaxton Manor located near Grantham, England. The manor, which is almost two-hundred years old, is an enormous structure. When we arrived yesterday, I had no idea as to how I would navigate the building. Once you step inside, you can immediately feel the delicacy of the architecture, with each room and furnishing giving off an air of thoughtful design. Last night we received a tour of the manor, which helped me to find the room where we had class this morning.

Located in a beautiful hall, our classroom was unlike any other. The ceiling was painted with beautiful hues of blue and white. The resemblance to a cloudy day was very apparent and was captured beautifully. During our class today, we discussed “Wuthering Heights,” the famous novel by Emily Brontë. This included dissecting the motives of each character, reviewing their actions within the novel, and more. Our class also took a quiz over the novel to solidify our knowledge on this piece of literature along with accompanying terms crucial to the understanding of English 200 curriculum.

After our three-hour class concluded, we took a thirty-minute break to prepare for our late night excursion to see the play Blithe Spirit and a visit to a park for a picnic. Once our break ended, we all met on the coach at four to head to the local grocery store for picnic supplies.

Finding supplies in a foreign supermarket is harder than you think, even if everything is in English. My friends and I had trouble finding the oddest things from pickles to grape jelly. We eventually found this to be due to the fact that jelly is called jam in the United States and that grape jelly is not typically sold in the UK. As for the pickles, they were amongst a large number of other pickled items rather than actual pickled cucumbers, which made them hard to find. By the end of the supply trip though we had everything we needed to enjoy a nice picnic.

At the park, we laid out our various supplies which included lunch meat, cheese, loaves of bread, juices, peanut butter, strawberry jam, “crisps” or chips as we like to call them, and cutlery. I would have to say after the picnic I was very full and was ready to watch the play we had scheduled for later that night. By eight we were all in our seats for the show. Blithe Spirit was very funny and consisted of a man being haunted by his dead wife while being yelled at by his current, living wife. The play showed our class some different ways a play can be performed/constructed. Once the play had ended though we were ready for sleep as it was already ten at night. I would have to say that this day concluded another wonderful chapter of an already great trip!

Jackson

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 8: Last day in London!

July 29, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Study Abroad, Usman Salim | No Comments

The day that I simultaneously dreaded, and was thrilled for, ever since I landed in England a week before. I was thrilled because it was our last day in London! From here, we would go on to stay in Harlaxton Manor and see even more of the amazing country that is England. On the other hand, I dreaded it because, well, it was our last day in London. From exploring the city with help from the tube, to seeing iconic landmarks, to eating some of the best food I’ve ever had, the week had been a truly spectacular experience, and I was not ready for it to end so soon.

In honor of our last day, I wanted to go out with a bang and do as much as one could in one day. The weather had a different plan as the 101o forecast was expected to break the record for the single hottest day in the nation’s history, but I was not about to let that deter me from seeing more of the city I’ve enjoyed so much.

Because of the heat in our typical classroom, we had class at the expansive British Museum, where I conferenced with my professors about an upcoming essay that had been assigned. After leaving the museum, my group headed to the Camden Town markets because no trip to London is complete without hitting the markets at least once.

From there, we took the tube to Buckingham Palace, which is even more breathtaking in person. The beautiful architecture, the adorned gates, the gold-plated statue in front of the palace all left me in awe. I didn’t get to see any of the royal family (which I knew was a long shot to begin with, but you never know) but that didn’t make it any less of an experience.

While we were at the palace, we made plans to see Tower Bridge. Unfortunately, we confused it with London Bridge and ended up seeing Tower Bridge from far in the distance at London Bridge (oops!). But there was no time to correct this mistake as it was time to meet up with the rest of my classmates at the Globe Theatre for a showing of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s dream!

The play was amazing, hilarious, everything you would want and more! It took the classic Shakespearean comedy and put some humorous modern twists on it, making it very entertaining and engaging.

By the time the play had concluded, it was late, and most restaurants were closed, except for some fast food chains. Thus, we ended the night with a mighty feast of the most British food one could eat: McDonald’s!

As I write this, I am sitting on the coach that is taking us to Harlaxton Manor (which is where we will be staying for the remainder of this trip), looking back at this past week’s memories and eager for the next two weeks. My biggest take away from this? London town truly is an amazing place filled with rich culture and history, and I cannot wait to return here someday.

Usman

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 6: Wellcome Collection, British Library, and more!

July 28, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Lorenzo Mahoney, Study Abroad | No Comments

Heading out in the morning from our residence hall, we bypassed our usual classroom in favor of more explorative ventures at the Wellcome Collection and the British Library. Wellcome featured exhibitions on the history of magic and collections of artifacts related to human health. On display was Darwin’s walking stick, Napoleon’s toothbrush, and even an Ecuadorian shrunken head.

The British Library had some of the most important pieces in the island’s long history, including Jane Austen’s desk, lyric workings by John Lennon, and the Magna Carta. Getting to see these legendary pieces was definitely not something I will forget and a great educational use our class time while in London.

Afterward, we were off to explore London ourselves by heading south towards the Thames. Now, no visit to England would be complete without some scrumptious minced beef pies, so we stopped at a local shop, and the pies were so tasty that my friends and I questioned why there weren’t just as prevalent in the States. Nevertheless, we made it to the river and got to walk around must-see London spots like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Tower of London. Hopping across the iconic Tower Bridge, we cooled off by heading to the Borough Market, where vendors were selling local meats, cheeses, and pastries all under the shade of the train tracks above.

Taking a quick break at our dorms, we decided to set out for dinner. One of the best things to do in London is simply set out in a direction and wait for something to catch your eye in the big city. After walking around, our group finally decided to try some authentic ramen. Needless to say, it was much more complex and flavorful than what most kids who live on a college campus are familiar with. After another eventful and jam-packed day, we wound down with our new nightly tradition. First, a visit to the 24-hour Tesco (Britain’s much-condensed equivalent to Walmart) for Jaffa Cakes and then our residence hall’s own Foosball table for air conditioning and healthy competition. With 13 miles walked, this day certainly was one where we made the most of our time seeing what makes London such an incredible city.

-Lorenzo

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 5: Bath

July 27, 2019 | 2019 Harlaxton, 2019-2020, Avatars, Dalton Richardson, Study Abroad | No Comments

Today was quite the day. When I got up, I did not have much time until it was time to get on the bus for the town of Bath. The bus ride was around two and a half hours but did not feel that long at all. Bath was obviously much smaller than London but seemed decently big. All of the buildings we passed by seemed quite old, and the roads were quite small too. By the time we all got off the bus, it was probably around 11:30 AM. We walked down the small streets until we arrived at the park. The park was small and consisted mainly of just an open field where we sat down to have our sack lunches. Lunch went by quite quickly, and then they had us on the move again as we walked towards the center of town. As we got closer and closer to our destination, it got more crowded. Then we turned a corner, and a square with a massive cathedral came into view. Our destination was not the Cathedral though, it was the roman baths next to it. I walked around the baths in Bath. Looking at the ancient baths and the ruins of the once-great Roman structure was fascinating. Afterward, a few friends and I had a few hours to spare and spent them walking around the city of Bath.

We went to a small café, got some ice cream, and generally just enjoyed the excellent weather as we walked around to town. After a few hours, we were back on the bus for London. Once back, a few friends and I decided to go get some food at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Every table had a grill on it, and you had to cook your food yourself. It was a lot of fun being able to talk to a bunch of friends while cooking the meat yourself. After, we walked around London for a little bit and got some ice cream. Finally, we headed home exhausted and played a few rounds of foosball before going to bed. Overall it was a great day, and one of the most memorable I have had in England so far.

Dalton

By Gatton Academy

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