Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Farewell, Scandinavia!

Our three life-changing weeks have come to a close. This experience could not have been so successful if it weren't for the hard work that Bo Løkkeggard, Joe Nieszner, and Professor Paul Imbertson put in to ensure that we got the most out of our time abroad.
Well, we're all back in the United States now, and I must say it's odd being back. After three weeks of constant activity, daily life back in Minneapolis is a stark change.

Our trip to Scandinavia was an incredible experience, and we will never forget the memories we made on this trip. We learned to appreciate the resources surrounding us and adapt in order to sustainably withdraw only what we need from the world around us. Take what you need, nothing more.

I couldn't finish off these blogs without a huge thanks to Joe Nieszner, our supervisor for the Norway portion of the trip. His leadership and coordination made the trip run smoothly, and we wouldn't have had the experience we did without his help.

And finally, I would like to thank Professor Paul Imbertson. Professor Imbertson was one of the individuals responsible for creating this seminar back when it started more than a decade ago, and he has been helping it to grow and expand every year.

He taught us a tremendous amount throughout our time abroad, helping us to learn about the history, culture, and renewable energy production methods present in the countries we visited. Professor Imbertson was an integral part of this life-changing experience, and for that we will be forever indebted to him.

This trip has been the highlight of my college career thus far, and I can't speak about this experience highly enough. Studying abroad gives a perspective that no other program in college can.

To all students out there: Study abroad. You owe it to yourself.