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Spotlight on Megan Lobert

November 2, 2015

Spotlight on Megan Lobert

Megan Lobert

Our Assitant Language Program Director, Megan Lobert, was recently featured in Hagerty Happenings!

Hi! I hear that you've had the opportunity to study abroad in multiple countries. Where did you go and what were your top three favorite trips?

I have been fortunate enough to study in five different countries: Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Spain. In all honesty, there is something incredible to appreciate about each country. It was just as intriguing to see the indigenous women in Antigua, Guatemala speaking Cakchiquel and wearing the traditional huipil as it was witnessing a bullfight in Spain. With that being said, it's hard to beat the beaches of Costa Rica!

A favorite time/moment/experience during one of your trips?

I would be lying if I didn't say my favorite moment was meeting my now husband of six years in the jungle of Costa Rica. Definitely was not expecting that!

Why did you choose to study abroad so many times?

It was never my goal to pursue so many opportunities abroad. It was sheer curiosity that kept me motivated to pack up and go so many times. My first trip abroad was on a class trip to Spain and it was the first time I'd ever been immersed in a completely different culture. As it turns out, it isn't necessarily the "big" events (i.e., attending a bullfight, visiting La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, or admiring La Alhambra in Granada) that were as impactful one might expect.

What has really fueled my interest in studying so many countries is observing the smaller, daily things such as being served an entire roasted pig for dinner (head and all!), seeing the look of confusion when you ask which aisle has the refrigerated milk, or watching an entire loaf of bread being passed around the table with bare hands and ripped apart piece-by-piece. It makes you question your reality and why you do the things you do. You begin to realize your entire life, down to which hand you hold your fork in, is dictated by your culture. It forces you to step back, perhaps for the first time, and evaluate the origin of your own values, customs, and traditions. It's an exciting experience.

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