Laura Baracaldo

Studying abroad has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was three weeks away from what I was used to and overall a really humbling time. One of the few worries of going on the trip was that I was going to be in a new country with complete strangers. We were a group of eight, and by the end of the trip I knew I had life long friends that I could go to. Although we all came from difference parts of the United States, we had gone through a whole new world together.

Our friendships started because we all wanted to become veterinarians, but in those three weeks of camping together, sleeping on the bus rides and trying new foods, we all felt like we had known each other for such a long time. This trip not only gave me new friendships, but inspired me to continue reaching for my career goals. The process of becoming a veterinarian is long and difficult, but I came back home more motivated than ever.

South Africa has won over my heart, and I definitely plan on returning again. They have the most amazing exotic animals, best sunsets and kindest people. Leaving home and taking this opportunity turned into an experience I will never forget and will always recommend to other people. Take the time to travel and learn a new culture and you will be in awe at how amazing the world is.

Hands down one of my favorite parts of the trip was volunteering for an organization called HALO, which stands for Hoedspruit Animal Outreach. They consisted of a veterinarian, a veterinarian assistant and a translator. We first meet them outside of town, and then followed them into a rural community. When we first entered the community, the translator pulled out a megaphone and began to tell the community that a veterinarian was there to provide free medical care for their animals.

Once we arrived, we were all so overjoyed and could not believe our eyes. Before we even got the chance to set up there were already owners and about twenty dogs already there waiting for us. We got to spend some time petting and getting to know the dogs, and we were then filled in on our duties and certain symptoms and signs to look out for on the dogs. My group was first in charge of bathing dogs that were flea and tick infested. For many of us it was a big shock to see dogs in poor conditions, but we were also excited that we were given the opportunity to make a difference in the community. 

Our second station consisted of giving physical examinations to dogs and identifying if they had been spayed or neutered. One of the challenges was that there was only one translator, and few locals that knew and understood english. We made the best out of the situation by using non verbal communication and just patiently working with the owners to get the message across. At this station we were taught how to give subcutaneous injections and take vitals.            

Aside from such a great educational experience that we had, we were so thankful for the veterinarian that we got to work with. She was kind, approachable and as much as she wanted to help the community, she also was very passionate about teaching us and making sure we were comfortable in our roles.  This experience just further emphasized how much I want to be a veterinarian, andmade me also consider taking a non profit route as a career, because I was so impressed with how much they did with so little resources.

After a very cold night at Journeys Inn, it was time to pack up, have breakfast, and head out. We were on our way to North West University for a lecture. We were a small group of 8 people: 7 women and 1 man. We have only known each other for one night but we already began to form a bond.

One of our main goals as a group was to try to blend in with the locals and not appear to be “typical” Americans. That goal quickly left usthe moment we saw monkeys casually roaming the campus. Immediately, we all flocked together with our phones to take pictures, definitely making us stand out from the crowd.

Once we settled in, our professor gave us a lecture on the conservation model used in South Africa and howit applies to ecotourism. From our perspective interest, one of our first questions was how hunting innocent animals could have a benefit to anyone. We saw it as a cruel and selfish act, which people partook in simply to show dominance over animals. The professor understood why we thought this way, but she explained the benefits of legal and managed hunting. To summarize her telling: hunting creates a large work industry to maintain the animals. It takes a large sum of money to be able to afford to go hunting, and that money goes straight back into conservation. Although I could never imagine myself hunting a trophy animal, I now have a better understanding of why South Africa allows and encourages it.

The rest of the day we spent on the road to Shosholoza Game Lodge, where we would spend the next couple of days. Since arriving, not only have I been jet lagged but we have been getting up around 6am each day, furthering my exhaustion. For those that know me personally know that’s definitely a big challenge for me because I love sleeping in.

Friday was the first day we got to meet and work with one of the exotic vets. Dr. James was kind and had two interns who were veterinary students from Belgium. We drove up to a local game reserve and the owner told us that one of his sable were limping and needed to be checked out. Dr.James explained to us how to safely work with wildlife animals. He emphasized speed and alertness. Once the sable was darted we rode over and assisted with keeping it still. The limp seemed to be from arthritis and all Dr. James could do was give a cortisol shot.

Afterwards, we had a lecture about the types of drugs he carried and diseases associated with each animal. Dr. James has been a wildlife vet for 6 years and  told us some unbelievable stories. He very casually told us that he’s been kicked by a giraffe, bitten by a lion cub, and been in a helicopter accident. All of these stories made it clear as to why his insurance is 4 times higher than a regular vet.

In the afternoon, Dr. James did not have any clients for us to work with so we had some free time at the lodge where we were residing. Michael, our tour guide, organized a game run at the lodge. A game run is basically a drive through a large plot of land that has different animals, with the purpose of spotting as many as possible. During our drive we tried to identify as many animals as we could. One of the best parts of the drive was seeing a small herd of giraffes right in front of our truck. I never imagined being so close to such a huge and majestic animal. It had only been a few days of being in South Africa and I could not be more excited for what else we were going to experience.

After a long and successful day, we got back on the road to headed home. Unfortunately, 2 of our tires popped on the road, but Michael came to the rescue with a tire change. We all looked at the bright side of the situation and just enjoyed the sunset we were able to see.

Traveling has always excited me. I did not get to do much of it when I was younger, so I have tried my best as a young adult to go out and explore. This is my first solo trip so of course I want to take in as much as I can. I packed my bags and boarded my flight from New York City to France.

 

A couple of movies and phones games later, and I arrived in France. My layover was more than enough time to adventure through the city and see some of the major landmarks. I utilized Uber to get from the airport to Paris, but from there a large part of my trip was done on foot. My friend, Megan, who was studying abroad in Paris at the time, did not get out of class until 1 pm, and I was in the city by 10 am, so I had plenty of time to explore at my own pace. Although I had hoped to see some sort of celebrations taking place, since France had just won the World Cup, the team arrived back in the country the previous Monday, so I had just missed the parading.

During my solo-exploration I toured around outside of the Louvre, but was unable to go in, since they are closed on Tuesdays. I also got to visit the Fontaine Saint-Michel and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Of the many interesting and warming things about Paris is the laid-back culture. Living so close to NYC and seeing the constant hustle of the city that never sleeps, this was a welcomed change of pace, especially with jet lag beginning to hit and some exhaustion from the amount of walking.

 

 

 

Luckily, by the time Megan got out of class, I was only 2 blocks away from where she was.

We had not seen each other in about 3 weeks, which was a dramatically long time for us, since we are roommates during the school years. Seeing her was exciting, and I could not wait to see the city with her. We went directly to the Eiffel Tower, as it was her favorite sight. It was breathtakingly beautiful and exceeded my expectations. The area was filled with tourists and locals having picnics and taking pictures in the grass.

There was still so much time before I hadto leave the city, and we wanted to make the most of it. We took some time to eat at a cafe and catch up before we visited the Arc de Triomphe, De Champs Elysees and a Pablo Picasso museum. By the end of our journey, I was so exhausted, it seemed as though I had walked the whole city in one day. The exhaustion was worth it, because I had the opportunity to try a lot of the food. We went to an ice-cream shop, which was unreal. From there we crossed the street to a bakery, where I tried an eclair and a chocolate stuffed croissant, which made me never want to leave.

As excited as I was to go to South Africa, I found myself feeling a bit morose about leaving Paris. It was a beautiful city, filled with so much culture and stunning architecture. But it was time to get back to the airport and prepare myself mentally for another flight. So far everything had gone smoothly and I slept on and off for the full 10 hour flight until my arrival in South Africa.