Student's blog features Spain, Northern Ireland

Kelly Behrend, ’10, is spending her junior year studying in Europe, but her friends and family can follow her adventures on her weekly travel blog. Behrend created the blog last fall and has filled it with photos, videos and journals from Northern Ireland and the Basque region of Spain.

Behrend developed her own major—peace and conflict studies—with the idea of traveling in countries that have histories of conflict. She spent the fall semester in the Basque region, home to the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), a Basque separatist group. This spring she is studying in Derry, Northern Ireland, where she is learning about the Irish conflict and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

“Being abroad has really complemented my academic experience,” Behrend says. “These experiences have enhanced my education by taking me out of the classroom and into the field.”

In addition to informing friends and family about her travels, Kelly’s blog helps her reflect on her adventures. “I see myself potentially working abroad in the future and look forward to keeping … track of my travels and seeing how I grow from these experiences,” she adds.

To view Behrend’s blog, visit web.mac.com/kellybehrend.