Meeting 1

In the first meeting we met in the Philippus United Church of Christ in Cincinnati. While there we had time to get to know our group members better. First, we sat in groups and brainstormed what similarities we all shared, we then talked about places where we felt most comfortable, and then we had time to explore downtown. Each group was given a different map to help us learn how to read maps and apply it to the area. This strengthened my confidence in knowing how to read maps and it also helped me to feel less anxiety about getting lost in Europe. Once we arrived at Findlay Market, we were able to grab some lunch and then head back to the church. While walking around the area we were to observe our surroundings, when we got back to the church, we talked about what we observed. This helped me to be more aware of where I am at and to understand why we have certain things in particular areas. Doing this exercise would have helped me while traveling abroad because I would have been more aware of my surroundings and I could have learned more about the area by noticing the small things and asking questions about them. In this meeting we were given a “before you travel” check list which helped ease my anxiety of preparing to travel abroad, a tentative syllabus, and a mental health guide. This first meeting was a great way for me to get to know my travel group better and to understand more about what traveling abroad is like. Below are some pictures I took while walking around downtown.