Date: February 26th, 2023
Location: State College, PA, United States of America
Hello! My name is Danielle Dedeaux and as of writing this, I am a sophomore geography student with a focus on Climatology. I’m originally from Maryland but I currently go to school at Penn State University. There, I’m a member of the Geography club, Campus band, and I’m secretary of the club ”Women in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Outside of the classroom, I really enjoy listening and playing music, reading, writing, and more.
Pretty soon, I’ll get the chance to spend a week in Iceland! I’ll be going to the capital city, Reykjavik, and will be learning all about the country and its focus on using renewable resources and overall dedication to sustainability.
I chose this program because I knew very little about Iceland, but I was thoroughly interested in how the country dedicates a lot of time and research to using green energy. As someone who wants to study climatology (more specifically, how we can mitigate the damages of anthropogenic climate change) I realized that having firsthand experience about the efficiency of renewable energies and how it can be implemented in a large scale environment can really help my understanding of the topic and bolster the knowledge needed for my future career.
I’m a little worried since this trip is happening not too long after Covid really started to die down. Even though it has been a while and Iceland doesn’t seem to have very many Covid cases, I’m not sure how travel protocols or etiquette have changed. I’ve traveled to Europe once before but that was way before Covid and I can’t help but wonder if there are certain cultural shifts and differences that I might not know about yet. I know where I’m from, there were definitely some noticeable changes that happened because of Covid and have still lingered despite cases numbers going down.
I’m also a little worried about a potential government shutdown. My last trip to Europe (Spain, more specifically) missed the 2018-2019 government shutdown by a couple of weeks. Because it was looking like it would be a threat to my exchange trip to Spain, my parents have a lot of talks with me about what the American government being shut down could imply for me, an American in a foreign country. It’s only a minor fear but it is something that does linger in the back of my mind. At least a little bit.
Though to make sure I get the most out of this experience, I’m doing as much research as I can. From looking up articles to watching documentaries, I figured the best way to prepare myself for this experience would be to make sure I have a lot of knowledge going into the trip so I know a bit more about what to expect. After all, it never hurts to be well-informed!
Additionally, I’m planning to make sure I have at least majority of my schoolwork finished before going on this trip. Because I’ll be going over my spring break, I know I’ll it’ll be hard to fully enjoy and immerse myself in the experience if I’m worried about missing due dates all the time. That's why I hope to finish my homework and my papers and my projects and everything else of the sort before going on the trip. All so I can make sure this experience gets my full attention and I can enjoy every moment of the trip (without having to worry about opening my Canvas account).
While traveling, I expect to learn about goal seven (Affordable and Clean Energy), goal eleven (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and goal thirteen (Climate Action) of the United Nations Sustainability Development goals.
From everything that I have heard about Iceland, the fact that a lot of the country is powered by natural resources is extremely exciting to learn about. I often read about how our energy practices in the United States are far from sustainable and are extremely bad for the climate. I even hear about how some people believe that switching to green energy wouldn’t work and that it would be useless to try. However, knowing I’m about to visit a country that is able to run on sustainable, green energy shows me that I have much to learn and to experience about these topics.
I’d say one of my biggest strengths going into this experience is my curiosity and my eagerness to learn. And I think that also goes hand in hand with my willingness to work with others in order to ensure everything runs smoothly. Whether it is trying to get directions or trying to solve a problem, I know that I can definitely be a team player on this trip and put forth my best effort to make this experience the best it can be for myself and for everyone else I’m traveling with.
Despite my curiosity, I know I can be overly cautious when I’m unsure about something. While that can be a helpful trait when it comes to preparing for the worst, I want to spend this trip getting out of my comfort zone and taking chances. Of course, they’ll be carefully considered chances, but I’ll still try my best to get all the new experiences I can possibly get while not letting fear or concern get into the way of every little thing.
When looking at the Penn State's 5 Student Engagement Network Growth areas, I expect that this experience will help me grow in the Civic Responsibility and Systems Thinking areas. Because there’s a big focus on climate action and green energy on this trip, I believe that my exposure to how Iceland powers itself will really help me get a better understanding of my civic responsibility as both an American citizen and a citizen of the world. I feel as though I really could apply what I learned through my trip to Iceland and use that knowledge to better grasp and fight for important social issues related to energy, sustainability, and climate action back in America. Or possibly, around the world.
Also think that I’ll be able to grow a lot in the Systems Thinking area. Because I’m going to a place that is very different from what I’m used to, I know there will definitely be some differences in the way I think about certain things versus how the local people think about those same topics. However, I know that through spending time in a place that is organized and run very differently than what I’m used to, I know I will have a lot to learn about just through practicing looking at their environment, their problems, and their solutions through a completely different lens.
Well, that's it from me for now! I'll continue writing more on this trip so expect to hear more
from me! Thanks for reading! Until next time!
-DD
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This so amazing. You have excellent writing skills and a passion for knowledge and learning. Be Blessed and have a great time! Aunt Sandra