Day: July 6, 2022

https://flic.kr/p/2nu7uHt

This picture was of me on our last day at Lake Atitlan, June 5th. Looking back on my month abroad, I experienced so many things: good and bad. Let’s get the bad stuff over with first. I managed to contract a parasite, a virus, and a bacterial infection all in my stomach 4 days before this picture was taken and I wasn’t feeling the best. Feeling sick abroad is a lot more uncomfortable than when you’re in the comfort of your own home, but luckily the UT staff that were with us were extremely kind and helpful during this unfortunate experience. Now for the good: I still had the best time ever on all of the excursions and learned so much about the Maya, gaining a new perspective on life and valuing simple things I never really thought about. So many people in the places we visited were so happy to share parts of themselves and their identity with us and the geography as we traveled across Guatemala and Belize was insane! Seeing how different Maya urban populations adapted to and interacted with the environment around them was so interesting and it was the focus of my research throughout the program and the research I did now makes me view urban development with a whole new perspective.

Attending this study abroad program is one of the best decisions I have made at UT thus far. It gave me the opportunity to travel, create memories with other UT students, and conduct hands-on research on Maya Art and Architecture. Throughout the program, we learned about a variety of aspects of Maya culture in Belize and Guatemala such as Maya spirituality, food, history, clothing, and overall lifestyle. My favorite part of the program was our excursion to the oldest ancient Maya kingdom, Tikal. This land holds so much rich history, and it was surreal to see all the ancient structures firsthand.

On top of the adventures we endured, my classmates and I were simultaneously taking a course in which we all chose a topic related to our majors to conduct a research project on. As a Sustainability Studies major with an Interior Design minor, I chose to study Maya Architecture and its sustainable and unsustainable aspects, with a focus on the widespread Maya building material, lime plaster. Lime plaster is made of limestone, sand, water, and other aggregates. This building was material everywhere, especially in Tikal. It was used for walking paths, the inside and outside of temples, and even at the base of water reservoirs. I was able to gain much information about the production and the effects lime plaster has on the environment while at Tikal by observing, researching, and talking with tour guides and Doctor Runggaldier. Walking through Tikal felt as if I was walking through a time portal. The whole area gave a sense of mystery, Maya resilience, and value. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to study abroad. The memories will last a lifetime.

-Zoe Faus