Rein in Mongolia

Ask me where I've been: Mongolia

Major(s) Physics and Anthropology
Hobbies Comedy, backpacking, farming
Hometown Saint John, Canada
Program/Study Site SIT Mongolia
Rein in Mongolia | Mongolia

Why study abroad?

To me, study abroad is a chance to experience a place like a local. Living and learning with locals feels more like home than travel.

Why did you choose Mongolia?

I wanted to study abroad somewhere that I wouldn’t be able to travel alone. I’m very interested in agriculture and herding practices around the world, but Mongolia is a difficult country to visit without the language and logistical help. The homestays allowed me to see Mongolia in a way that I wouldn’t if I were a traveler, which is exactly what I wanted from an abroad program.

What courses did you enroll in while abroad?

  • Mongolian language
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Nomadism

What was your living situation?

I lived with a host family in Ulaanbaatar for a third of the time, with a rural nomadic host family for a third the time, and traveled between families for an independent research project a third of the time.

What did you do for fun?

I spent a lot of time with the seven other people on the program. Most of our time was filled with the program schedule, with our teachers and program leaders. On the weekends we met up to go on hikes, to the market, or to ride our horses in the pastures.

Highlights of the program:

Learning to herd goats, cooking over a fire, getting clothes at the outdoor market, drinking tea in the living room at our program center, hitchhiking in the western provinces.

The most challenging aspects of your experience:

This program had many challenges, but all were expected, and worth the experience. The weather in Mongolia is very cold, and the city where the program center is located has very poor air quality due to the country’s reliance on coal. Most time is spent inside and around the stove. Vegetables are not eaten in most homes, and eating goat and mutton took a few weeks to get used to. In my rural homestay, I spent most of my time inside the yurt with my host mother, who did not speak English, and my Mongolian was limited. We did not have internet or electricity, so it was difficult to find ways to communicate and keep busy, but this motivated my Mongolian language learning and forced me to learn and step into my host mother’s routine.

Final comments or suggestions for future participants:

I traveled very lightly – just a backpack – and was glad I did, as there was a lot of moving around. At the same time, expect not to be able to buy anything you can buy at home, so bring what is truly necessary. Bring very warm clothes that don’t need to be washed often, because there won’t be many laundry opportunities.

 

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