Well, I’m Alzebeth and this gets to be my summer blog for the 8 weeks I will be studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany! I feel like some brief facts will help me get this whole thing started, so here goes:
Name: Alzebeth Monchi Roman (pronounced: al-zuh-beth)
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican & Czech/Slovak
Major: Accounting
Minors: Political Science & International Studies
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
University: North Carolina State University located in Raleigh
Post-Grad Plans: Grad school for Accounting and work in Charlotte, NC after grad school
Random Facts:
I know sign language.
I took two years of German, but I’m really shy when it comes to actually using it.
My hobbies include: photography, reading (while sitting in my hammock), exploring, and sleeping (:
So now that I’ve properly introduced myself, it seems a bit easier to talk about how all of this makes me feel. I’m at 12 days left until departure. I feel like I’ve been counting down since day 60 and every day I tell myself I’m just that much closer to being on a plane, leaving the place I call home. I can’t explain the feeling I have every time I think of arriving to the Raleigh-Durham Airport, luggage in hand, and saying goodbye to my grandmother (because the odds are, she’s the one that’s going to take me there) on May 26th…. it’s almost like excitement filled with curiosity and some slight anxiety (or a lot of anxiety). Most of that comes from the fact that I have only left the country once before (to the DR), for a week, which doesn’t even begin to compare to the 8 weeks I’m studying abroad.
Me with my grandmother (middle) and 2nd cousin (left).
Studying abroad has been something both of my grandparents have strongly encouraged me to do and I can definitely say it is because they constantly asked me when I was going to do it, that I found the motivation to do my research and apply. I actually remember the day last summer when I found this program and told them how excited I was for it. The length, country, and field study trips were everything that I wanted in a program and I decided right then and there that I was going to find a way to make this trip a possibility, regardless of the cost. So yeah, now here I am trying to figure out what in the world to pack on top of a list of things to do that seems never-ending, but I’m ready to go.. (I think..)
I mean… there’s no going back at this point! Something that’s inspired me this past week is the quote below by Dr. Seuss from “Oh, the Places You Will Go!”
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
Lastly, here are some snippets of my life in America! I think it will be interesting to see what holds meaning for me once I go abroad versus what I appreciate while I’m here!
My siblings! I’m the oldest.
This is my best friend and biggest travel supporter, Alex!
My hermanas and boyfriend (:
Arial photo of my university in Raleigh, North Carolina. #GOPACK!
Alzebeth Roman
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<div><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Alzebeth Roman and I am currently a Senior at North Carolina State University in Raleigh studying Accounting with minors in International Studies and Political Science. This summer, I will be studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany learning about the politics of the EU and its' neighbors. This is only my second time traveling out of the United States and my first time in Europe. In my spare time, I love service, reading, swimming, dancing, napping, and writing which I plan to do in my free time while abroad!</span></div>
