Can't get enough of Harry

The adventures you go on with Harry and the gang are far more interesting than anything that happens in the ordinary world. We cling to all things fantastical; when Harry has to fight the dragon, or must confront Lord Voldemort face-to-face. These are the things I come back for every summer. I just can’t seem to get enough of that Harry Potter action. When you lead an ordinary life extraordinary things make it fun—even if they only happen on paper. You put yourself in the book; you live your life with Harry. What I think makes Harry’s story so relatable, is that—along with the extraordinary—they also face problems with things every teenager faces—relationships, school, friendships. While not many of us are being hunted by a dark wizard, many of us have faced feeling alone, in a new place or getting into a fight with our best friend. With these things that happen, it makes it easy to see yourself as Harry going through the craziness that is being a teenager. You slip into Harry’s world and fight battles with him. It is exciting, and nerve-wreaking; which makes the adventure so great. Every time I go back to the books and read them again, I read them from new perspectives and catch things that had happened, which I never realized before. It makes the journey seem new each time. Even if it is the same books, it is always a new me that gets to experience them. ~Brittany (Editor's note---all Harry Potter books and movies are available at the Stewart Memorial Library.)

I'm packing my bags.....

It has always been a dream of mine to go to a foreign country, especially one in Europe. I would hear of people’s experiences and see the numerous photos of places I could potentially travel to, which led me to become impatient sometimes. It was not until this past spring semester (‘14) that my dream was becoming a reality. I searched for multiple exchange programs where speaking Spanish was common, and I saw two. One of the programs was in Costa Rica and the other was in Spain. I thought that my chances of going to Latin America were greater than Europe, so I chose the Spain exchange.

In the fall (‘14) I will be a student at James I University (UJI) in Castellon, Spain and living with a host family. The application process was a little long; I had to fill out an application, wait for the acceptance letter, apply for a visa, and make sure that my medical benefits would cover me while in Spain. Then, choosing a host family was also a tough process since all families sounded like wonderful people: I chose a family that lives in walking distance of UJI. My host parents are in their early 50s and have three daughters in their mid to late 20s. One of the neat things about the place where I will be staying is that I am only 2 miles from the Mediterranean Ocean!! The selection of classes I was told to choose from was wide-ranging and had to choose some from one specific field, so I picked five from the media and communications department. Hopefully my 20 years of speaking Spanish will be helpful.

I am excited to say the least, and cannot wait until August 28^th for my departure. The great thing about studying abroad in Spain is that there will be another student from Coe, whom I get along with fairly well. We have been communicating this summer composing a list of places to visit, and trying to figure out the little things before leaving (baggage, travel, etc.). It will be a fun filled experience, I cannot wait. ~Alexis (Editor's note---Alexis worked for the library this summer.  I hope this Kohawk has a wonderful experience in Spain.