My name is Katherine d’Apice otherwise known as ‘Little Pudding’ to my close family members. On the 18th August 2019, I travelled 3842 miles from my beloved home in Lopcombe Corner to the University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) to begin my year abroad in the USA.
My original plan when deciding where to go for my year abroad was sunny Jamaica. I envisaged spending a year on white beaches in the Caribbean sunshine whilst attending my classes in a very relaxed environment. However, this did not go quite to plan and I chose Duluth, Minnesota as an alternative.
I have been told multiple times since my arrival that Duluth is going to get cold. Not just chilly but – 37.5°C. My roommate informed me that last year on my birthday (April 11th), the campus was closed due to the snow, people remained indoors for weeks and cars wouldn’t start. So, apart from the potential risk of death from being outside for more than 10 minutes there are many positives about studying in Duluth.
- The natural environment.
Duluth is a major port city set in St Louis county. It is the second largest city on Lake Superior and has numerous natural parks. It is considered to be a very popular tourist spot within America due to the beautiful natural scenery and they receive 3.5 million tourists per year. There are lots of opportunities for hiking, sailing, swimming and in the winter months, skiing and snowboarding. - The education.
The classes on offer are rather appealing. This semester I am taking a 2 credit module called ‘Outdoor Skills I’ which will give me practice in skills such as hunting, kayaking, camping and orienteering. So, basically a class in DofE but with rifles! I am also looking to further my knowledge in geology and earth based sciences which I have not studied in depth since A levels and first year uni. The main aim of this year is to decide what I would like to do for my dissertation. I am going to treat the two semesters a bit like an academic gap year where I can also focus on ideas for post uni. - Extra curricular opportunities.
I am keen to get back into sailing and make the most of Lake Superior. I also want to make the most of the snowy weather and improve my skiing ability and as UMD is famous for their ice hockey team, who knows maybe I will grab a stick and join in! - Survival skills.
Considering the fact that the weather will be significantly below freezing, it is a good opportunity to test my survival skills. My outdoor skills class will test my chances at making it out alive if faced with a hungry bear preparing for hibernation whilst the general winter conditions may finally mean that I can leave the house in weather appropriate clothing (I have been told to always leave with dry hair after a shower otherwise it may freeze and snap off)!
This blog will be password protected so that I can give a brutally honest truth about my opinions throughout the year! So, if you are reading it now then congratulations, I clearly deem you trustworthy enough to not tell the Americans what I think about them!
So without further ado, here’s to the year ahead!
A PUD ABROAD 