How did I get there?

When I decided to study English and PE as a teacher four years ago, I knew that I definitely wanted to spend a semester abroad in an English-speaking country.

This used to be a compulsory part of the degree course, which in my opinion only makes sense, as you have to teach the language, which is not my mother tongue, to children later on. As my mother is also an English teacher and never had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad and regrets it very much,
she also recommended it to me.

I am also very keen on sports and my main hobbies include swimming, surfing, and hiking, all of which are perfect for Hawaii. Hawaii offers the Pacific Ocean with both small and big waves, mountain landscapes and hiking trails with views that I can only dream of at home and lots of sun all year round. So, my motto quickly became:

“if you’re going to go away, then go really far!”

My journey in Hawaii

First things first: it was the best time of my life and every effort was worth it and I would spend every dollar on it again! Every new beginning seems hard – saying goodbye at home, a stressful apartment search, a long journey and a “new” language – full of new beginnings. But you get used to the new life quite quickly in such a wonderful place.

The people were friendly and open, and all the other students are largely in the same situation. However, once you have arrived, time passes quickly. Since HPU is in the center of Honolulu, it makes sense to live nearby. However, as I didn’t want to live in the urban part, but closer to the beach, I lived in a shared flat in Waikiki. From there you can get to the university stress-free by bus, which you can use for free as an HPU student on the whole island, and I could walk to the beach in about five minutes.

My tip: definitely look for accommodation in Waikiki or the Ala Moana area! I lived in a shared flat with another German and two Swedes, which I can also highly
recommend. This gave me a good mix between home and abroad, and I also had the opportunity to speak a lot of English at home and not fall back into German all the time (because: the Germans are everywhere).

In summary, my semester abroad consisted of a lot of surfing, hiking, exploring Oahu
and the neighboring islands and a bit of university

My personal highlight

To be honest, it’s really hard for me to narrow it down to just one of the many highlights. I would almost say that everyday life itself was my highlight. The ability to go surfing before or after university is a luxury that’s hard to imagine back home.

Or going on hikes on the weekends without having to drive for hours to reach the mountains, since they’re right at your doorstep. Or “just” (about 30-40 minutes) flying to one of the neighboring islands to see nature that you’ve only ever seen in movies— the life and opportunities that the Hawaiian Islands offer are truly incredible!

The Best.

//Emma Ripper

@Emmaripper

@try.out.the.water

If you visit Oahu, Sunset Beach is a must-visit!💙 #tryoutthewaters #hawaiitips #sunsetbeach #sunset #foryoupage #inspirationalvideo

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