Traveling Terps

Susan Hong

I traveled Europe with some friends for three weeks in August, visiting Rome, Paris, Versailles, Prague, Munich, Vienna, and Koln. We went to several museums, saw the Eiffel Tower, visited the Vatican, Neuschwanstein Castle, and several beautiful gardens in Versailles. The food (and coffee) was delicious, and the music, culture, and art were beautiful. I’m looking forward to visiting again in the near future!












Mike Ryan

I spent the summer living and working on my dissertation in Lima, Peru. I also set off on trips to see the Nazca lines, the waterfalls of Matucana, and spent a week in Iquitos, an Amazonian jungle town only accessible by air or boat. I leave in a few weeks for Ecuador to continue working on my dissertation and exploring the wonders of South American life!











Nanae Nakamoto

This summer, I went back to Japan for a month and also visited Korea for a week. Every year, when I visit home, my family would take a trip. This year, we went to Kanazawa (located northwest of Tokyo along the Sea of Japan). It was only a two-nights trip, but it is always nice to spend time with my family…

Then, at the end of May, I visited my friend from UMD in Seoul. I was surprised to find that the
atmosphere in Korea and Japan was very much alike (e.g. buildings and how people dressed). I want to thank my friend for being a great
tour guide as well as a translator! I bought Korean language books in Seoul and have been trying to learn Korean since I came back to College Park…

Kathryn Buford

Rome is like walking into a work of art. Event the clouds look as if
God edited them in photo-shop. My friend Candice and I had the
opportunity to spend five days there eating gelato and taking in
popular sites like Trevi Fountain, the Vatican and the Spanish Steps.
However, it’s always difficult hearing sad news away from home. I
heard about Michael Jackson’s passing while in Europe. At the time,
I was among mainly new friends from different parts of the world.
We all shared our favorite songs and dance moves with varying
degrees of nostalgia, disbelief and sorrow. Many musicians, dj’s
and nightclubs across the world paid special tribute to the timeless
“King of Pop.”

My friend Candice and I met some kindred spirits from Chile while
looking for a place to dance in Via Testaccio, a center in Rome with
a lot of nightlife.

We all talked about many things, including, of course, Michael.
Later that night we had the opportunity to see an appreciation
performance while in Rome. We all danced and sang: “You
can be my baby, it don’t matter if your black or white…
dooooodoodoodoodooooodooooo…” Here is a piece of the
performance.

My favorite songs by Michael Jackson are “Man in the Mirror”
and “Bad.” My favorite music videos are “Remember the Time”
and “Smooth Criminal.” Michael always danced like his life
depended on it! He sang about what was in his heart. The world
has lost a king, but Michael left a precious legacy. I love looking
around the globe and seeing his style, energy and spirit.