Stepping out of your comfort zone

Trip to China immerses students in the culture of one of the world’s growing powers.

Traveling abroad for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. Just ask Brett DuBreuil ’12 (Middletown, RI). As the departure date approached for his Sophomore International Experience to China, he started to second-guess his decision to travel halfway around the world. In the end, he took a leap of faith, and by the conclusion of his two weeks in the Far East he didn’t want to come back.

“I was very uneasy about traveling to place where I didn’t speak the native language,” he says. “But when it came time for us to depart from Shanghai and go home, I didn’t want to leave. I felt I wasn’t there long enough.”

(L-R) Catherine Heaphy '12 (Lindenhurst, NY) and Sarah Perlman '12 (Ridgefield, CT), after hiking in Guilin. The view behind them is the scene on the back of the 20 Yuan note.

His favorite part was hiking and mountain biking in Yangshuo. “The scenery was incredible,” says DuBreuil, who is now considering studying in Australia and would like to work abroad one day. “The mountains and the fog made the countryside seem like something out of this world.”

He would encourage future students to take part in SIE despite any trepidation they might feel. “I would recommend they travel to a place that is most outside their comfort zone,” says DuBreuil. “The rewards of experiencing a completely different culture are well worth the slight discomfort you might feel as an outsider.”

‘Most fun I’ve ever had’

Catherine Heaphy ’12 (Lindenhurst, NY) dreams of having a career that allows her to travel the world. The international business major plans to give her passport a workout even before she graduates.

She was one of 34 students who spent two weeks during winter break living and studying in China. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had,” she says. “I still can’t believe some of the things we got to do.”

In addition to exploring the countryside, students toured the Beijing Olympic Village, visited Tiananmen Square, and interacted with the locals. They also learned about the business climate in China and interacted with Lenovo/IMB executives.

Rebecca Ptak ’12 (Rocky Hill, CT) at the Great Wall.

Rebecca Ptak ’12 (Rocky Hill, CT) enjoyed climbing the Great Wall and a nighttime cruise on the Huangpu River that showed the grandeur of the Shanghai skyline. Pre-trip activities such as learning some of the basics of the language and how to interact with local residents were good preparation for her first time abroad.

“It was an amazing experience,” says Ptak, who is already planning to study in Spain next year. “I am so glad I went.”

Read a blog written by the students who spent two weeks in China or learn about other Winter Break study abroad trips.