Introduction

Hi, I am Lotta van Leeuwen, currently 3rd year student of the Bachelor Soil Water and Atmosphere. I am about to take off for New York (state), where I’ll spend the next 5 months.

I have been accepted for an exchange at the university of Cornell, situated in the city of Ithaca. It is a very good institution on the topic of life sciences, having both top level education and research going on. I’m going to do my minor in renewable energies. And I’m very excited to discover this new world, new city, new university, new environment, new people! It has taken a lot of paper work to get there. First I had to be selected by Cornell, then I had to do the visa administration (which is crazy!), then I had to fill in plenty of forms for the university and the insurances, and finally I was able to buy a ticket for a plane. So my advice to you if you are willing to go to the US is: prepare in advance, you are never too early in starting filling in forms!

Finally I may go… so much preparation and now the time has come. Things are getting real! I am very eager get in the discovery mood, in which every single thing is new, from language to eating habits, and in which I am going to learn so much and have so much fun! I have no clue yet of how life is going to be there so I can’t tell you exactly. But among the things I do know is that the weather is bitter cold out there, temperatures can get bellow -20degrees Celsius! Which means snow, ice, and frozen toes! It’s going to be great fun for sure.

For now I wish you all plenty of lovely things for this new year, new period and not so new Wageningen…