A study abroad opportunity provides thousands of university students across the country with unique and enriching experiences. Many Jewish students and students from the St. Louis area have taken advantage of this opportunity, and as a result, they have learned about different cultures around the world.

Two such students are Noah Adelstein, a Washington University junior who is currently studying in Buenos Aires, and Zoe Schuver, a St. Louis native attending St. Louis University who is now in Saigon for the semester. Both students say they are thoroughly enjoying the experience of immersing themselves in a different culture, though at times they do miss home.

Adventures in Argentina

Adelstein, who grew up in Denver, is a part of the Congregation Hebrew Educational Alliance in his hometown. Some of his family members grew up and still live in the St. Louis area.  Through the School for International Training (SIT), Adelstein is studying abroad in Buenos Aires for three and a half months, along with 15 other students from the United States.

“I was looking for a program where I could get cultural immersion, have an opportunity to travel, be in a large city that I wouldn’t get bored of quickly, be able to take classes that I was interested in and practice the native language,” said Adelstein, who is studying economics and earning a minor in computer science at Wash U.

During his study abroad journey, Adelstein has also visited Peru and Ecuador. In his program, he also will have the opportunity to go to Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.  In Ecuador, Adelstein had the opportunity to view a stunning waterfall and felt the thrill of jumping off a towering cliff into the water below. In Buenos Aires, Adelstein has made numerous memories and grown accustomed to the city’s culture. 

“We found this huge club where there must have been thousands of people and each room had different types of music,” Adelstein said. “Some of it was outdoors. [It] was so much fun. [I] ended up getting back home at 5:30 a.m. We have also visited China Town here, which was really cool. [We] spent some time at super fun and awesome parks outdoors, walked around the city, which is huge, and explored a lot.”

Adelstein has enjoyed learning about Argentina’s culture and seeing the differences between the culture in Argentina and in the United States. He noted that the way people live in South America varies from the way people live in the United States. 

“For all the modernism that exists in the world, there are still many many people living in older ages,” Adelstein said. “And the crazy thing is that they seem to be generally happier than people in America. There appears to be much less anxiety and stress in a lot of these countries.”

Along with a full course load, Adelstein is studying Spanish. He compares the Spanish class he took at Wash U., and the one in his study abroad program as being vastly different.

“Every class and readings are in Spanish [in Buenos Aires], which is a transition,” Adelstein said. “I’ve only taken one Spanish class at Wash U., but this differs because we are able to go into class and talk about our Spanish experiences in the country, things we didn’t understand and then we can immediately apply them in our conversations and daily life.”

While Adelstein does miss his home, he suggests that other students should study abroad if they have the chance.

“[I] mostly miss the comfort of being home. In a new place your guard has to be up more, adjusting can be challenging and there are many new roadblocks that you would not have anticipated beforehand, especially with the language and living with a local family,” he said. “That being said, [studying abroad] is so worth it because it pushes you to learn new things about yourself and shows you how small our bubble is in the United States.

Venturing in Vietnam

Zoe Schuver, who grew up in St. Louis and attended Parkway North High School, is a sophomore at SLU, studying occupational therapy. In January, she began her four-month study abroad experience in Saigon.    

“I chose Vietnam because I wanted to explore parts of Asia and have a different experience than the typical European study abroad,” Schuver said. “I also decided to do a program that I knew no one in so that I would have a more personal experience.” 

In Southeast Asia, Schuver is surrounded by many historical sites, including the Reunification Palace, a French-influenced post office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. In addition to seeing these Vietnamese landmarks, she has visited Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia. 

“I visited a bunch of places in Thailand and Bali that were Buddhist temples and there were Buddhist statues there, and a lot of beautiful artwork on the walls,” said Schuver, who is a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth

Schuver was in Vietnam during Tết, the Vietnamese New Year, which follows the lunar calendar. It took place during February, and this year was the Year of the Dog.

“I went to this celebration in the downtown area and there were a bunch of beautiful flowers and red and yellow ribbons on the trees and a bunch of really pretty decorations, but most people who live in Saigon will leave the city for the New Year and go back to their hometown because most people are from the countryside,” Schuver said.

Schuver has 32 people in her program, making it easy to get acquainted with everyone. She believes in finding a nice group of friends with whom to share the study abroad experience.

“One of my friends is from Japan and my other friends are from the States. We live in a dorm and we have Vietnamese partners that also live in the dorm with us so we have a lot of Vietnamese friends too, they can speak English,” Schuver said.

Although she sometimes still misses her home, Schuver believes that studying abroad is one of the most wonderful experiences in college. 

“ Going to Vietnam is something that someone would not normally do, and I think it has been a lot better experience than doing something mainstream,” Schuver said.