Spending the holidays abroad!

I used to feel homesick when I’d be traveling for two weeks, now I’ve been away from home for almost a year and I’m spending holidays away from home for the first time.

For someone that travels home regularly, travel restrictions and a global pandemic has definitely made this year different. But different doesn’t always have to mean bad, I still managed to make the best of celebrating holidays away from home. As an International Student, when you live so far from home, it’s easy to consider the friends you make abroad your family away from home. 

For Thanksgiving weekend, me and some of my best friends celebrated Thanksgiving at one of my good friends and her family’s beach house. All weekend I felt so thankful for my friends and the family we got to spend Thanksgiving with. It made me realize how lucky we are to get to experience a different culture and their hospitality. It was ultimately a great weekend where we got to enjoy some really good Thanksgiving food following a beautiful beach sunset. Spending a holiday away from home truly gives you the opportunity to experience cultural enrichment and a chance to learn more about a different culture and their traditions.

One of the best ways to cope with holidays away from home is knowing that you’re not alone, you’re probably not the only English, Australian, Brazilian or, in my case, Swedish person around Luckily, most of my friends are staying here in Santa Barbara, and it’s all of our first Christmas away from our family at home. It brings the excitement back with a sense of home and nostalgia knowing there are other people yearning to celebrate the same traditions. There are many other International Students in the same boat as you; far from home and feeling down or homesick around this time of year.

This year, me and one of my best friends are celebrating Christmas the traditional Swedish way. Growing up in Sweden, the julbord (translated to literally Christmas table) may look like any other buffet, but to us it’s a very important tradition to uphold. The table usually consists of a variety of pickled herring, cured salmon, meatballs, sausages and pork ribs. We’re also making Swedish Candy like Christmas toffee, and watching Donald Duck at 3pm as we always do in Sweden, so even if we’re not physically at home, we’ll still bring some of our traditions here which will hopefully make Christmas away from home more manageable.

Instead of getting the Christmas blues my advice when celebrating the holidays away from home is to try to uphold any traditions from home and (if you can) find friends to celebrate the holidays with. Not only is this a great way to make new friends, but also bond about being in the same situation. As much as I miss my family and home, I think this experience has taught me that even when we get homesick, there’s always a way of bringing home to your newfound home.

Activities with friends (Astrid Sidibe)

Sandbar

I have found a super cosy bar with a tropical vibe down on state street. Me and my new friend Ann-Kathrine were looking for a place to hang out on a normal wednesday. We went to this place called Sandbar and ordered the best burgers in town (so far) and a killer mango drink. We choose a great evening to go out because we stumbled into their reggae wednesday so we also got a live performance. I love reggae and the band that played was really good.  Apparently this is something they do every wednesday with different reggae bands. So if you are looking for a good place to hang out with good music and great food you should check it out on wednesdays.

Creamistry

Last week we celebrated my friend Vanessa’s birthday by going downtown for some good Thai food and Ice cream. We ate the creamiest ice cream I have ever tried in my life. It’s  called Creamistry and it’s a nice place downtown located on state street. They make the ice cream right in front of you with a special liquid that makes it freeze. It was such a great experience! When they make the Ice cream it looks like they are doing some kind of magic potion in a secret lab somewhere. It is super cool! But the best part is that you get to create your own ice cream by choosing  what type of base (dairy or non-dairy), flavor and toppings you want. I am a vanilla flavor kind of girl so that was my pic, with fresh banana pieces on it. My husband on the other hand tried the espresso flavor and the other girls chose coconut and chocolate. There were so many different flavors to choose from so I am sure that they have something to offer everybody!

Pilates at SBCC

I have always been a yoga girl but this semester I wanted to spread my wings and try something else so I am taking pilates. I am taking a great class in school and loving  this type of workout. It is a great workout that really focuses on your core and breath in a very similar way to yoga yet it is very different. I have come to understand that yoga is a workout that is on a deeper spiritual level while pilates is more about the physical. In our pilates class we get to work with different types of equipment such as balls, bands and bricks. I do love the feeling after every class because I feel so focused on what I am doing. I feel extremely connected to my body and it makes it easier to move and be present. Our teacher Deborah is really good and always shows up with high energy and ready to teach.  So if you want to strengthen your core then I strongly recommend for you to take a pilates class. I am finding activation in muscles that have been asleep for way to long. It is bringing me back to the now! Amazing!!!

Food sharing Event at SBCC!

Last but not least I want to share a great thing about our campus. The food pantry had an event called “Food Sharing” were all students are invited to get lots of free food. They gave us big boxes that we could fill with vegetables, nuts, pasta, drinks, candy, cans of all sorts and they also gave us burritos. They had so much more than what I mentioned but I just wanted you to get the picture. This Is AMAZING! They fed hundreds of students and played music and spread the love. I had a great time and I feel so thankful that there are so many givers out there. It is not something you see everyday and it is truly appreciated as a student to be able to save some money on things like that.

Student life at SBCC (Antonio Monteiro)

1. Relationships

One of the main things that you're going to realize that is different once you move away from home, is the development of new relationships. As soon as you get here, you won't have any attachments to people, which therefore might boil some loneliness and homesickness inside of you. But don't think that you're the only one that has faced these issues, it is more normal than you imagine! Sometimes could be difficult to make new friendships in the beginning, primarily if you're international, since the language could be a barrier at first. I highly recommend that you sign up in a club, sport, or even seek to meet some veteran people that are from your country in the begging, this could be helpful to make new friends and connect with people, because we're social creatures, and by not having any relationships you could get on a rut of being depressed or sad with your choice, believe me, because I've been there.

One thing that I advise against, however, is to close yourself with your nationality. I do know a lot of Brazilians, Chinese, Swedish, etc. that normally only hang out with people from their own country.

By doing that you're missing a lot of important lessons on learning how to deal with differences, understanding how relationships work in different cultures, and of course, improving your English skills. In other words, you're missing out on a lot.

2. Education and Career Opportunities

This comes in two ways, academic education and cultural education. People here are different from your country, and therefore, they act and talk differently. This could be an issue if you're not open to learning from them how to properly interact, but if openness to new experiences is a part of who you are, it won't hurt to learn their culture, because you can teach them yours also.With regards to academic studies, the educational system is something that most people struggle in the begging, on my previous blog post I've shared some advice on how to cope with that, I believe you should check it out.

Talking about professional life, career is something that is going to be a bit challenging here. Unfortunately, our visa allows working on campus or in an internship mediated by the college. At the same time that this could limit you, it could also force you to look for new alternatives to develop yourself professionally.

Nowadays with social media, the internet, and this huge amount of connections and knowledge that you can make, there could be a possibility of developing a unique set of skills that will benefit you in the long run. Give it a shot, try something new. This is the best time to experiment and learn new things.

3. Lifestyle in Santa Barbara

I love Santa Barbara, so this section is a bit biased towards the positive side (luckily). In short words, Santa Barbara offers a lifestyle that fits most peoples', because even though the city is small, there are a lot of things to do. Mostly, the city emphasizes the local community in general, so there are a lot of activities, such as the farmer's market, that you can enjoy by just being here.

Also, Santa Barbara hosts its famous Santa Barbara Film Festival, a full two-week of movies, speakers, and cool stuff to watch. And yeah, all the Hollywood famous people come over, so you'll probably see them around.

In addition, Santa Barbara is a very cool spot for nature lovers. So if you like hiking, surfing, relaxing at the beach and gardening, for example, you'll have a great time while around.

Celebrating my birthday abroad (Vanessa To)

Studying abroad in Santa Barbara means to me discovering the intriguing, great and beautiful country in the United States on my own, being almost independent by living on my own with a great international community thanks to my lovely parents caring a lot for me!

After that, I can develop my own personality such as being more self-confident; more mature and also more organized etc. In addition to it, I really like to meet many new people; students as well as teachers or professors in SBCC. I am really open-minded about new cultures and new people from all over the world. Furthermore, I can maybe to get to know a lot of international friends and have maybe a friendship with them for a lifetime.

Me and my friends eating in Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar

On the 24th of February, I went for my nineteenth birthday for lunch at Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar  (38 W Victoria Street) which was a Thai restaurant in the Public Market with some of my friends from my acting class. One of them is also our International Blogger for SBCC. Her name is Astrid.

Celebrating my 19th Birthday

Hangover Noodles and Thai Tea

While we were inside of the Thai restaurant I ordered the dish “Hangover Noodles” and I chose “Thai Tea” for lunch. The noodles were really good flavored with a hint of spicy taste as well the “Thai Tea” was perfect sweetened.

 

After eating in the restaurant we went to Creamistry and had a lot of fun while we have been there. I had a really nice and unforgettable birthday with them.

My birthday cake by Lilac Pâtisserie

In the afternoon, I picked up my really cute and beautiful birthday cake from Lilac Pâtisserie (1017 State Street) which is a gluten free bakery and café with a French flair. The name of my cake was “The Berry Patch Cake”. I could change the flavour from the inside. So I decided on chocolate. This cake was a really great choice because from the inside the cream was made of raspberries and strawberries and from the outside I had as toppings also blueberries and green leaves with vanilla flavor.

Vanilla ice cream and deep fried banana dessert

After picking up my cake from the bakery I celebrated in the garden of my house and invited some of my other friends from Santa Barbara City College. The time I spent with them in the late afternoon was really unique. Thereupon, we chose together a restaurant and decided to go to Sushi Teri. In that restaurant I ordered Sushi, Miso Soup and Agedashi Tofu (deep-fried tofu) and my friends ordered a salad and some of them ordered Tempura Shrimp and Tempura Shrimp Rolls. At the end of my time in that restaurant I got a little surprise after eating. I got a tasty dessert with a candle which comprised vanilla ice cream with pineapple pieces and cake under the ice cream and deep fried bananas topped with chocolate sauce.

You can find me on social media to stay tuned:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xunxianvanessa.to.1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestyleblog.vt/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xun-xian-vanessa-to-379517179/

vanessaa.to

Snapchat: vanessaa.to

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQJM_pBEpokvVAQYvvvfAA

Best wishes,

Your International Blogger, Vanessa

California (Ruth Zapico)

The first President of the United States, George Washington was born on the 18th of February. Which means that we do not have school on the 18th. The perfect reason to make a trip to Los Angeles and to always keep exploring.

Hello Readers! My name is Ruth Zapico Mancebo, I am an international student from Spain studying at Santa Barbara City College. I just wanted to tell you how my experience is going so far as well as my personal opinion about California and what I have learned about myself.

First of all, in Spain, when you mention that you are going to the United States, without a doubt the next thing to be asked is: are you going to California or New York? California is well known for its good wealth, weather, health, freedom and for being a romantic place. In fact, if we think about it, how has California become such a well-known place? California has earned itself all these titles due in part to its socially accepting sanctuary for the diverse and unique number of people living there and for the initiation of companies like Apple, Disney or Netflix as well as millions of other clothing brands known all over the world such as Patagonia, The North Face or O’Neill. To explain the titles that define California, we could put more emphasis on the multiculturalism that takes place in California, which allows the exchange of knowledge between people with different mindsets, cultures, and desires. Having a larger amount and more diverse array of knowledge only encourages the production of trends, creativity and marks the difference between California and other states in the United States.

California became a dream to many because of the high expectations and speculations. Thanks to the entertainment California acquired a great image. I am sure many of you have heard “Malibu,” a song from Miley Cyrus which has an awesome video clip with images from the California beaches. The band Sweet California already has the message on their group name and songs like “Hotel California,” “California Gurls,” “Californication,” or the classic “California Dreaming” are many pretty letters dedicated to California that make you imagine something that does not always match the reality. As far as my experience has gone, I came to California with the high expectations that media, including movies, social media, marketing, and society put on me thanks to the globalization. I was looking for a good life or for the “summer” life that movies have shown over time. However, this weekend I visited Los Angeles and nothing was as I imagined it. Or maybe it was but the expectations were so high that it felt like it did not matter. Nothing surprised me, neither the restaurants, the streets, the buildings, the beaches, or the lifestyle. Nevertheless, this did not bother me and I decided to see the good side of everything because every place, and every moment has always a good side. The good side and the reasons why California keeps me here is because of Santa Barbara City College. The resources here are incredible but even better are the professors. They make learning to be fun, motivating, based on understanding and in a way that it hooks you and makes you want to learn more and more. In my English 110 class, we are learning about California and Professor Jason File makes us think and be creative which is something I love because he is giving me the opportunity to express myself and have a voice. Professor Cindy Benelli teaches me ECON 101, and her class is amazing because she explains everything with real-life examples and situations to which most of us can relate. Professor Caren Adorni teaches Acting for the Camera and it is the class I live for since acting is my passion. Last but not least, my BUS 101 class is taught by Professor Dorthe Walker who is really interesting listening to because of all the knowledge and experience she has.

To sum up, if you are one of the Readers that is feeling like for some reason you have not connected with California, try to relate by looking at the good facts or the positive points it has. Be open-minded to situations, and travel to grow personally and discover new places. You never know where and when the biggest opportunity is going to call your name, so keep the positive side of every place you go to.

Reader, thank you for getting all the way here! Remember always to be critical with your opinions and to have a comprehensive, optimistic and open-minded view of life, it helps to live your every day in a happier mood.

See you soon! Ruth.

Housing (Antonio Monteiro)

Moving away from our parents is not easy. Yeah... sometimes this is all we have been wishing for. You might be just moving from a different city in California or a state in the U.S., but the "moving" part is much more intense for exchange students. The cultural adaptation, homesickness, and loneliness that comes with the first few months it's all part of the journey. More maturity about your choices and the type of living situation that you are looking for yourself is going to become much more important if you chose to move away from your country, state, or city. 

In this blog post, I'll share with you some insights on what you have to look for and think about when searching for a place here in Santa Barbara. And also, I'll share my thoughts on what I perceive to be the pros and cons of the following neighborhoods: The Mesa, Downtown/East Beach, Goleta, and Isla Vista

Basically, I asked myself "what would have helped me finding a good place when moving to Santa Barbara?" And the answer it's what follows.

Variables To Be Analyzed 
We're going to analyze three main variables that will help you knowing more about housing in Santa Barbara

- Pricing around Santa Barbara

- Location & Locomotion

- Your Living Situation

Pricing Around Santa Barbara
If you don't live here in California, probably you have no idea how expensive things are around here. Coming from Brazil, and already living in Australia, I felt that here is different in terms of pricing. What you should be looking for is to pay around $750-$1200 per month for a single room. And in some places, such as Buena Vista, or Beach City (apartment complexes next to school), an one year lease is required, plus a security deposit. So keep that in mind. However, you can find places that charge monthly. But you will need to make a security deposit, which is normally the same price as the rent that you're paying if you chose to close the deal. 

Location & Locomotion
Santa Barbara is relatively small, with the population of only 92,000 people (2018 census, from Santa Barbara County). This is good because most things aren't that far, and you won't have to deal with much traffic if you happen to buy a car around here. Also, you can manage your routine with the buses that the city provide, SBCC students can get them for free with our student ID in hands. One thing though, is that the bus schedule is very limited, so you are going to have to build your routine and schedule with this in mind

Your Living Situation

You can't have it all. If you want to live in a quiet house, do not expect to be able to make pull up the living room table, stack some red cups and play blasting music. If you want to live in a party house, do not expect to be lighting up incenses and reading a book with a cup of tea on your Friday night. So, chose what you want. I would say that you can choose to live with people of your age, older folks, and a family. I've lived with all of them, all are good (except for the family) With students, if you find people that resonate with you, you're going to have more fun at home, and hang out more often. Also, you might meet more people because everyone is making friends and connecting with each other. This is the good part. But keep in mind that most students are lazy regarding household duties (a.k.a. doing dishes, laundry, keeping things clean in the bathroom...) So you might live in a mess... but that's not certain. You never truly know until you live the experience. 

With older folks (in their late twenties or thirties), it's fun too. But it is a different kind of fun. No partying, more talking about life, going to restaurants, and any other random subject that comes up. People are more mature, and therefore you should expect a more respectful, clean and "home-like" environment. This is the type of living situation that I liked the most so far.

Living with a family is not that good, because you are out 1000 miles from the student life. And families have discussions, and they are at their house. So if you are renting a room, expect to live in the room. No more than that. And I did not like that idea. 

Now let's look at the neighborhoods around town

The Neighborhoods Around Town

The Mesa

School is located at the Mesa/West Beach. So you can find places that are walking distance from the College. This is nice because you don't have to worry about buses and all of that.

Pros:

- Near school

- Supermarkets Available

- A lot bus stops

- Great for people who do not have a car

- Quiet neighborhood

- Amazing sunsets.

Cons:

- Don't expect to find $750 single rooms too easily. I would be expecting a $1000+ month for a single in a good spot. 

Downtown/East Beach

This is the most populated area of Santa Barbara, and it is near everything. Also, there is the transit station, which you can get buses to anywhere in town.

Pros:

- Near shops, places to walk/visit, supermarket, laundry mats

- Buses to school available

Cons:

- Difficult to park if you have a car and no parking spot. 

Goleta

This is a city located near Santa Barbara, I don't consider outside of Santa Barbara because both cities connect. It is a good, organized place to live. 

Pros:

   - Can find cheaper housing options

Cons:

   - Relatively far from school if you don't have a car

Isla Vista

Isla Vista, known as IV, is next to UCSB, and it is a university town. There are a lot of students there, and parties too. 

Pros:

- Student environment

- You meet a lot of people

- There are plenty of parties

Cons:

- Too much partying, difficult to study and focus at school

- It is not so safe (people might steal your bike)

- It is far from SBCC (there is an express bus though)

- If you live in a party house, there will be strangers there, so it's riskier to have your stuff hanging around the house

Bonus: Be Careful w/ Scammers (They are out there) 
If you're looking to find places to live here, you would probably have to go to craigstlist.com and search for housing there. However, I would recommend you to beware of scammers. The most common type is when someone says that he/she is out of town, but can send you the keys if you send them the security deposit. I know, it sounds so obvious... but if you're looking for a place to stay, you might be stressed out. Therefore, this could be your "only hope." But don't act too quickly if this situation comes up to you.

Another classic "scam" is when people post an unbelievable room with cheap price and ask you to sign in on Roomster or any housing website. They're not trying to sign you up for your good, they earn a commission based on that. Therefore, I would say that 95% of these postings, the room is not even real. 

To Sum:
This is a helpful guide to decrease a bit of your anxiety if you're planning to come on over. However, it is still going to be a difficult process to find a place and settle. Just pay attention to how much you want to pay, what environment you want to live, and who is offering the place, and you will be good! I wish you all of the best

Resources that might be helpful:

Sbcc housing list: https://www.sbcc.edu/housinglist/

Best, Antonio