About Me

About Me:


Hello friends! Welcome to my Blog. My name is Emily Green and I am a senior at Washington & Jefferson College. I study Spanish and Latin American Studies. I am also the captain of the Women's Tennis Team here at W&J. I can be found giving tours for prospective students, sitting at baseball games, or off on an adventure somewhere around the world. After studying abroad in Costa Rica, I also traveled to Nicaragua and Panama. Afterwards, I helped to coordinate and translate a medical missions trip in the Dominican Republic. From there I went to Easter Island, Chile for my Magellan Project.

I want to see as much of the world as I can and meet every person I come across. My plan is to just go: Go across the street and share a smile and go across the world and share a lifetime of experiences. After completing an intersession trip to Spain, and a semester-long study abroad program in San Ramón, Costa Rica, I realize how much I want to visit places that are not fairly represented or understood. Easter Island, Chile, is well known for the giant stone heads greeting everyone who crosses the Pacific Ocean. Aside from that, most of the culture and people are underappreciated. I loved the chance to change that. I learned about their culture and history that spans the entire age of the island. I came back to educate the people around me about the polynesian culture that is far south of us. I now also have the chance to represent the United States as a respectful, curious, and cautious traveler. I did not want to be merely just a tourist, I left the island as a friend.

Around the world, culture and religion are compacted into one-minute segments shot from GoPros and plastered onto Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. People, as a whole, long for the feeling of adventure and knowledge about a life different than their own. However, sociology, political science, and religion classes fall silent when professors and students ask certain questions. Once the adventure is taken out of the equation, no one wants to be offensive or wrong about other cultures and religions. I do not want to be that person. I never want to add my opinion on something that I have no perspective in. I want to be able to confidently talk about culture and religions. I believe no one should blindly accept beliefs or information; we should be able to see it for ourselves. Knowledge is the greatest power we have. Most of my adventures and perspectives come from a modern world. By experiencing the modern culture mixing with the ancient culture of the Rapa Nui people, I gained entirely new definitions for religions and cultures. I had the chance to talk with the people of the island about religion and culture, as they are not always separate distinctions. Also, the people of the island were very, very cool.

As a senior at W&J, my “adult” life is quickly approaching. This trip will be added to my resume as nothing but a positive addition. With this solo trip, I will be able to understand language, archaeology, engineering, and people more than I could on any other trip. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, but in an area that was safe and reliable. This trip was truly be once-in-a-lifetime. The island does not get too many visitors each year, and those that do go are not usually so young with ambitions as big as my research proposal. I came back to the United States with a book of experiences and a blog of historical and archaeological finds. I hope to share my findings and ideas with anyone who is willing to listen.

About My Magellan

About Magellan:


The Magellan Project is a student-led project only found at Washington & Jefferson College. It allows students to plan, organize, and pursue their own independent research study. Students can choose just about anywhere in the world to go!!


Through a Magellan Project, students can develop their educational, language, and independent research skills, all while staying within a budget and itinerary. It looks amazing on resumes and really teaches more than you could ever think. If you have any questions about the Magellan Project, feel free to contact me or to visit washjeff.edu/the-magellan-project for more information!


Friday, August 31, 2018

My Final Days


My final days on the island and on my Magellan Trip were bittersweet. I was so happy to have had this
experience and to be going HOME after SEVEN long months of being abroad. I am happy knowing that
my research was better than I ever could have hoped for and that I have more friends to keep in touch
with. However, I am sad that this journey was coming to an end. I had so much fun, I worked hard and
played even harder on my Magellan on Easter Island. I am so thankful to everyone who helped me get
here and everyone who helped me while I was here!!

As my National Park Ticket is expired and I have traveled the ENTIRE island, I spent my last few days
here being with my friends and taking some time to do some extra things I wanted to do. I was able to
hang out with my hostel mom, be with my local friends, try more local food, learn to fish, and I saw every
sunset for the entire week! I even went to Tongariki for the best sunrise ever.


Watching the sunset for the equinox/solstice.

Some of my local friends were teaching me how to fish from the tide pools.


Enjoying a sunrise at Tongariki!

Thank you, Easter Island.


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