Olivia Waldron | John Brown University Student Life Blog

Forming a Family

Nov 30 2018

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I’ve mentioned in numerous previous posts about the group here in Northern Ireland, and how they’re some of the best people I’ve met since coming to college. But I realize that these good relationships didn’t just happen. It was a mix of effort and events that made it possible, so here I present the top 4 ways to bond with others while abroad! Step #1: Be intentional and open. I’m the kind of person who takes a while to get to know people and open up, so I really appreciate all the people who took the time during the first[…]

Nov 25 2018

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I’ve had the opportunity to write a previous blog post about celebrating the 4th of July while in Jordan–a unique experience of mashing together very different cultures and time periods–and I’ve had to continue this trend of celebrating holidays (particularly American-specific holidays) in other countries this year. And while this isn’t the first year I’ve spent away from the States during holidays, it is the first time I’ve been abroad and separated from my family. But despite this, I still spent a really good time with really good people. The feeling of the holiday season for me actually started a[…]

Oct 25 2018

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This last week I had the opportunity to follow my resolution to get out and explore on the weekends in a big way: I got to go to London, England! The Irish fall studies group is allowed two free weekends, a long one of four days and a short one of two and a half days, and my friend/roommate Katie and I decided that we were going to invade–that is, tour–London for our long weekend. Having never been before, I was eager to see all the sights: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London,[…]

Oct 18 2018

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When I first heard that the classes for the fall semester in Ireland were three hours each, I must admit I had a moment of doubt in my commitment to the trip. Just a moment, though, and, when that news was quickly followed by the reassurance that there would be a tea break per class, I was a hundred and ten percent onboard again. Since each class is taught at Lakeside Manor, it’s essentially college via homeschooling, which suits my background as a homeschooler up until college perfectly. Aside from the sheer length, what I didn’t think about beforehand was[…]

Oct 11 2018

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When I first arrived here in Belfast, I swore to myself that I was going to get out to explore and not sequester myself in my room like I tend to do once homework starts to pile up. After all, I’m in Ireland! So, I’ve set a goal for myself: every Saturday I leave the house and go on a small adventure. I go for a long walk in a nearby park, explore local grocery stores, or bus into Belfast’s city center. There’re always things to see in city center: the street performers who are always playing music or singing[…]

Sep 26 2018

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It was a dark and stormy night. Well, to be precise, when I first touched down at Dublin Airport, it was a dark and stormy morning. It turned out the trip directors had not been lying about the copious amount of rain in Ireland, and the 50°F weather was a big change from the sweltering 90°F August heat I had left behind me in Arkansas. As I would soon be told by a local in Belfast, the common saying in Ireland is that it’s either about to rain, raining or just finished raining. This provides the “Emerald Isle” with its[…]

Jul 10 2018

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Due to previous stints abroad, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July away from the patriotic enthusiasm of the United States before, but the 4th of July of 2018 was definitely a new experience for me. In Jordan, there are no fireworks stands by the roadside or American flags in the stores. It can be easy to forget about the holiday when you’re 6,695 miles away from the U.S.: there’s work at the dig site, pottery reading, and homework still to be done. But Americans can still have an amazing celebration wherever we are in the world![…]

Jul 01 2018

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“Okay,” I told myself as I looked out over Area B of the Abila site for the first day of excavation. “It’s Indiana Jones time.” The gray light of dawn was just coming, giving everything—the squares, the tells, and even the goats and sheep on the hill across the narrow valley—a hazy image. In the cool, crisp morning it was easy to imagine that I could actually do this; I could be a little bit like Indiana Jones, or Benjamin Gates from National Treasure, or even Alan Grant from the original Jurassic Park film. Just a little. When I first[…]

Author - Olivia Waldron

Forming a Family

Not Home for the Holidays

The 2018 Invasion of London (AKA Two JBU Students on Fall Break)

An Apologia for Tea Breaks in Classes

A Weekend in Belfast

Olivia, Meet Ireland

Celebrating Independence–Jordanian Style

The Dig’s What You Make It