The Sweet Life.

On most college campuses, at least the larger ones, there exists some sort of office that serves as the liason for oppurtunities in study abroad. On OSU’s campus, this office is located in the basement of the student union. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about different outlets that make it possible for one to go abroad.

Study during a regular semester is available, as well as year-long study. There are programs that are specifically for summer, winter, and spring break trips as well. The best part about choosing to study abroad is that you can earn college credit while having a life-changing experience and seeing parts of the world that you might not have otherwise.

Listed below are some websites that can help in finding more information about study, various destinations, and programs.

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If you are a first time visitor to the Oklahoma City are, this list is a wonderful tool when you THINK you’ve seen everything or are unsure what you should do next. Hopefully you’ve been a saavy enough traveler that you are NOT in some days in some where with screaming children claiming that they’re “bored.”

Take control of the little heathens and teach them something about the great state of Oklahoma.

(The words listed in pink are all linked to sites with more information)

1. Visit the Martin Park Nature Center (Dogs not allowed)
2. High-tail it with your Fido to the Oklahoma City Paw Park
3. Explore the Oklahoma City Zoo
4. Watch sailboats (or sail one!) at Lake Hefner
5. Enjoy a bicycle ride around Lake Overholser
6. Shop at Penn Square Mall
7. Check out some books from the library
8. Visit the Oklahoma Historical Society
9. Explore the Will Rogers Rose Garden
10. Enjoy a picnic at Lake Thunderbird
11. Go climbing or hiking at Red Rock Canyon
12. Check out the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole
13. Visit the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
14. Try indoor rock climbing
15. Eat a steak at Cattlemen’s
16. Take lots of pictures.
17. Feed the ducks (and get buzzed by gulls) at Lake Hefner
18. Visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial
19. Listen to a concert at the newly-refurbished Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall
20. Eat Indian food
21. Visit Chickasaw National Recreation Area
22. Play some golf.
23. Visit Woolaroc
24. Check out the Harn Homestead
25. See the Oklahoma City Art Museum (Opening March ‘02)
26. Walk, run, cycle or skate Lake Hefner Trails
27. Enjoy the spectacular fall color of the woods.
28. Visit Lake Arcadia near Edmond
29. See historical Guthrie, Oklahoma
30. Have an ice cream cone
31. Volunteer! Walk an adoptable dog at Pets & People
32. Visit the Five Civilized Tribes Museum
33. Explore the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
34. See the Overholser Mansion
35. Stroll through Bricktown
36. Take in a large-format film or Planetarium show at the Omniplex
37. Visit quaint shops in downtown Bethany
38. Be entertained at the Oklahoma Opry
39. Revel in an evening of the blues
40. Explore Turner Falls, Davis, OK
41. Find out what’s playing at Lyric Theatre
42. Go ice skating
43. Adopt a bison
44. See a movie
45. Fly a kite
46. Sleep in a log cabin
47. Visit a ranch
48. Catch an OCU basketball game
49. Walk through the The Myriad Botanical Gardens and Tropical Conservatory
50. Experience the Red Earth Festival
51. Visit the new Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, OK.
52. Take in a night of Shakespeare in the Park
53. Visit The Paseo arts district
54. Learn to Row - Overholser & Bricktown Rowing Centers
55. Events Calendar for Oklahoma City
56. More things to do at the City of Oklahoma City’s website

If anyone has any further suggestions of those great little secrets, please don’t hesitate to let me know. The world is an amazing place, and there’s lots to see, so get a good taste of Oklahoma and take off!

A large percentage of the population (mainly female) approach important feats such as traveling with care and organization. I will not discredit all men, but in this example it only seems fitting that example imitate life. Therefore, I would like to give a fair warning in planning ahead and acting in a timely manner in order to accomplish what you desire. In a word, it’s one of the many pieces of advice that most mothers give. I know mine did.

PLAN AHEAD. If you intend on traveling, especially air travel, it is wise to plan ahead and accordingly in order to have the proper resources ready at

your disposal. This includes, but is not limited to:

• FINANCES: money to purchase a ticket, money for the actual trip, and money that will cushion you when you return otherwise broke and stunned.
• PASSPORT: If traveling domestically this will most likely not be an issue. However, when traveling abroad/internationally a passport is required for travel. It IS a good idea to travel with copies of this document and keep them in different locations.

• For example…In Spring 2006, I was in Madrid and due to exertions from the night before I arrived at Barajas airport as my flight was at its ‘LAST CALL.’ I attempted to get another flight later on that afternoon and when asked, I was unable to produce my passport. Set-back #2 for the day. I was able to recover it about an hour later, and then made plans to get on a flight exactly one hour later. When I returned to check in and then board, it was gone AGAIN. No joke. Basically, I had to stay in Madrid for two more days and have to visit the American Embassy at the crack of dawn. DON’T LOSE YOUR PASSPORT. When traveling abroad, it is YOUR BEST FRIEND.

SCHEDULING: Before you make plans to travel, make sure that you are not skipping out on any obligations or pressing matters back home. As humans we have the ability to choose, and do, and go whenever we please. However, as party of humanity and American citizens we also have an obligation to our responsibilities and holding ourselves accountable for our own lives. Remember this before you spontaneously buy a ticket to go see something or someone. Check your schedule, assuming that you have one. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE: This goes back to #1, FINANCES. Unless you have a rather comfortable monetary pillow comforting you, you might need to save a little in order to make this excursion happen. Especially if you are planning to make a large purchase, keep track of your spending and balance at the bank to make sure that when the time comes, you will be able to purchase what is needed with few complications. I know I’m not your mother. But choose to be responsible and take care of what you need to. Otherwise, you could be very disappointed when your plans fall through, as could the parties that were anticipating your arrival.

I’m sure that if you’ve ever made a major investment of your own time and money purchasing a plane ticket that you’ll know all the things I’m about to suggest. However, if you have not, then let me provide some great suggestions so that you can make sure you find the absolutel cheapest deal in air travel, domestic AND international.

Since it’s the most popular of search engines, we’re going to use Travelocity.com as our example. There are many others such as Expedia, Orbitx, CheapTickets, etc. Having provided you with other options, I have found that travelocity usually does have the rock bottom prices for flights, and the most options in searching.

OPTION #1: Search EXACT Dates

• If you search exact dates, be wary that you may not be searching for the cheapest deal. Exact dates are ticky, but if your schedule is specific, then there’s no other way around it.

OPTION #2: Search FLEXIBLE Dates

• This is what I have found to be the way to get the cheapest deal. It after entering your departure location and destination, click on the FLEXIBLE DATES option. You can choose the month in which you are hoping to depart & arrive at your destination. This will bring up the cheapest flight between ALL dates in the month you chose.

OPTION #3: Search with +/- 1, 2 or 3 Days

• I have found this to be an excellent way to see your options spread out before you. If you are a visual person, try this search. Choose your departure & arrival locales, pick the dates you want, then click on the +/- day. I tend to always search for 3 days give or take. When your search returns, the info will be in the form of a graph/spreadsheet that lines up all options possible. For a search of 3 days give or take, you will end up getting the pricing for 49 different travel combinations around the exact dates you had requested. It’s the best option to see all choices without doing individual searches again and again and again.

There are good deals to be found, but you have to search for them. Try different combinations before you jump off the handle and buy the ticket that you feel MIGHT be your only option.

Good Luck!

This weekend was incredible. Since this semester has been so damn demanding, it was truly the first weekend that I really got to just absolutely cut loose and hang out.

I got off work Friday afternoon around the same time Kyle and John E. rolled into my driveway. I had to work on a paper that was due the next day, Sunday, at 4 p.m. so they cracked open a beer for me and turned the music on. Tiffany T and Seth arrived a little later, then Tyler T, then Susan. My toilet broke and it was mayhem until I was able to borrow the “necessary tools” from the neighbors.

I finally came to a stopping point around 5-ish and had to get ready lightening fast in order to try and make it to Aggie’s Big House in time for kick-off for Seth, which we didn’t. Regardless, I donned my only good pair of fit-me jeans, my black chucks, black beret, and bright red velvet blazer. It was fab, yet I was the only one not in orange.

We proceeded to get absolutely belligerent at Aggie’s and munched on chips, laughed, took lots of pictures, and went through lots of Aggies’ mugs of beer. It was such an incredible time. After a quick run back by my house, we went to Mike’s and the night slowly disintegrated into passing out.

Sunday morning found me - head aching & sick - still needing to finish my story before 4 p.m. Kyle, Tiff, Seth, John, AND Thompson were all sleeping on my floor covered in blankets and I can only imagine how freezing it was. I got up and did my story, but it was damn hard and only possible with frequent trips to the once broken bathroom. Phew.

Tiff and Seth had to unfortunately return to Tulsa, but John and Kyle and I made a run to El Tap for some seriously tasty Mexican food. We came home, they played guitar and we were all lulled into a fabulously late afternoon nap.

It is something to be able to look back upon, such a weekend with such friends. I considered for a moment that maybe leaving Stillwater wasn’t the best thing for me. However, I realized that this time I’d had was a temporal and rare occasion. I am the only one out of the bunch that still lives in Stillwater, and knowing I’ll be back comforts me to know that I’ll be returning to the most amazing people I have ever met.

After spending a grand total of 15 minutes on my Reporting mid-term (the mid-term that cost me $100 extra…) I left Stillwater and arrived in Oklahoma City around 2 p.m. I visited with my aunt and uncle for a while and then Karen took me to the airport.
I had already planned to drive myself, but since Karen got off around 5 and I didn’t leave until 8, she took me to the airport after pizza & gooey delicious brownie bites.

The flights were just as I’d thought. Tedious. I couldn’t study even though I tried. I read a little, and thought alot, and luckily arrived in Boise a tad earlier than planned.

I met Brad down at baggage claim and Boise vacation ‘numero due’ ensued.

I had an amazing time over fall break.

I got to get out of town for a little while and spend some time with Brad.

Crazily enough, I rearranged my entire schedule for next semester in order to be there…

The reason for this entry? It’s just a reminder that traveling does not always turn out to be just a get-away or just a break from the norm. Sometimes, going somewhere else can be just the boost or push you need to realize that you were meant to be somewhere else, or at least with someone else, all along.

I found the most awesome tasty fall treat while I was in Boise.

Simply put: Pumpkin Ale & Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies.

I guarantee you that if you can get your hands on this combination, it is absolutely blue-ribbon. Add in the atmosphere of leaves of every color cascading down like rain, crisp cool air, and a handsome guy that you’re madly in love with, and I promise - it will become an INSTANT fave.**UPDATE!** Amazingly enough, I found that these delicious cookies ARE available to those not living directly in Boise. Here’s a couple ways to get them wherever you are.

1. Contact a little someone named “To whom it may concern,” at INFO@BOISECOOP.COM
2. Secondly, you can call Customer Service at (208)472-4500.
3. And thirdly, you can take a killer road trip and hunt these delectables down yourself! The address for the Boise Co-op is: 888 West Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702.

Once I was already in Malta, I wanted to start exploring my options for going abroad on some sort of mini vacation. My brother sent me the link to AttitudeTravel.comFrom the main page you can search (or click on) almost any location and the site will return a new page of Web sites and linke to all budget airlines that may apply to that destination.  The site advertises indpendent travel advice, photos, guides, and articles and delivers just that.  I referred to it many times to get an initial list of airline sites, and then links, when searching for a destination and way to get there for Spring Break 2006.

Again, in the words of my traveling-saavy brother, “Check it out.” Travel with some attitude.