Campus Connection

Student shares summer study abroad experience

Emily Taylor was one of 24 UW-La Crosse students who traveled to Dubrovnik, Croatia to study psychology for four weeks this summer with UWL Psychology Professor Ryan McKelley. Below she shares her experience. Learn more about UWL education abroad opportunities. 

A 12-hour plane ride and a seven-hour time change was well worth being engulfed in the culture of this country bordering the Adriatic Sea. Most of us on the trip were both excited and anxious about navigating a brand-new place. 

Every walk down the street, public bus ride, conversation or short trip to the convivence store was a learning experience in itself. Going into this trip I knew very little of Croatia’s history and culture. However, it was refreshing to be surrounded by an environment so different from my own. 

We stayed at the University of Dubrovnik's student dormitory. Early in the trip, our group toured Dubrovnik’s Old Town including walking the city walls, defensive stone structures originally built between the 13th and 17th centuries that still surround most of the old city. 

Croatia’s tourist rate has increased significantly the last decade with Dubrovnik being a major port for ship cruises and a popular filming location for major movies and TV shows, including “Game of Thrones.” Living in Dubrovnik for a month, it became clear that the Old Town is where all the city’s foot traffic happens. 

Our student group also visited Lokrum Island (nature reserve), rode Cable Cars up Mt. Srd, explored the Homeland War Museum and hiked Plitvice Lakes National Park with its chains of interconnected waterfalls and crystal-clear lakes. 

Some of my favorite moments on the trip were guest speakers we had. One week we heard from a Catholic priest while visiting the palliative care unit in Dubrovnik's hospital. Another week, a local woman who grew up during the Croatia’s war in 1992 vulnerably shared her stories and the drastic impacts war had on her life and the entire city. Some of our interactions with locals were more hands-on. We assisted one guest speaker with cooking healthy Mediterranean dishes while learning about traditional Mediterranean nutrition. 

On the weekends, our schedule allowed for trips. Several students traveled to nearby places like Montenegro and Bosnia while others took short flights to areas in Italy. I was fortunate enough to visit Split, the second-largest city of Croatia, just a short bus ride from Dubrovnik. I also visited local beaches and markets, went on island-hopping cruises, attended local festivals, and experienced grocery shopping while reading labels I could not understand without Google translate. 

I enjoyed trying to venture into areas of the city I had not yet seen, like taking a walk to local schools or hiking Mt. Srd before class to see the sunrise over Dubrovnik. Having an itinerary and planned events was a great way to experience parts of Croatia, but the random spontaneous trips were just as memorable. 

After the trip I learned it didn’t really matter where I ended up or how much money I brought. Simply being in Croatia was something I’ll remember forever. Even if I went to the same places and met the same people, my experience wouldn’t be the same. To me, that’s what studying abroad and traveling is all about: Meeting people, learning to appreciate and enjoy a different culture like a local and seeing where the journey takes you.