Adam Kamholz
“I brought a Rameses stuffed animal. Carolina basketball is a really big deal in my household and with my extended family. Many years ago my grandma got this stuffed animal for my sister when she was really young to watch the games with. When I left, I stole it from her room so that I could have a little memory from home and for basketball games. She was OK with it.”
Anne Tie
“I brought my violin with me. It’s my baby. I’m actually really bad at Spanish, but music is a universal language. I just thought it would be a more familiar outlet for me to connect with the culture, which is what it’s all about.”
Noah McLauchlin
“I brought two fishing rods, an 8-foot and a 7-foot rod. I’ve been fishing since I was 1 or 2 years old, and I’ve been fly-fishing since I was 5. I bring rods wherever I go where there’s water that I can fish. We’re going to be near the water on the Caribbean, so I hope to take some trips on my own and rent some stuff to go fishing.”
Tarraleah Driessen
“I brought a journal and photo album that my mom gave to me right before I left with some notes from her and a picture of my family so that I can add to it while I’m here. I really love letters so I’ll be able to see that, feel close to them and stay connected to them.”
Tré Kirton
“I brought my acoustic electric guitar. It’s really important because this has been a part of my main job for three and a half years. I play professionally at breweries, cafes and restaurants — and music in general is also a big part of my life.”
Arden Wilkes
“I brought a necklace from home. It was a birthday gift from my boyfriend, and it just means a lot to have a memento — a little piece of him here with me.”
Colin Love
“I brought my DJ controller. I don’t typically consider myself a creative person, but this is something I took up before I left. I brought it to Costa Rica because I want to expand on that creativity but also try to DJ at clubs and share that with this culture. They mostly play reggaeton here so to be able to play American house music or EDM (electronic dance music) at clubs in Costa Rica would be pretty awesome.”
Diya Ramesh
“I brought my eyelash curler. My best friend from childhood gave it to me just before she moved to North Carolina from our hometown in New Jersey. It’s one of the reasons I decided to go to UNC because I know she lives in the state and it would be nice to see her more often after she moved away. I’ve had it with me for a really long time and bring it everywhere.”
Carson Hawkins
“This is my lucky hat, the hunter hat. It’s red. It’s sweat-stained. It’s kind of gross. It’s very worn in. But the more worn it it gets, the luckier it gets. It’s my stepdad’s brother’s (hat), who unfortunately passed away, but by wearing it I continue his legacy and make him proud.”
Shea Bryan
“This is my iPhone case, and it has the Danish word ‘hygge’ on it. This is a word that can’t be directly translated to English, but it’s kind of like what ‘pura vida’ is here (in Costa Rica). It’s kind of a mindset and an atmospheric part of culture and society, as the definition reads on my phone: ‘A feeling of coziness and comfort or creating a sense of well-being and contentment or savoring the present moment.’ It’s really a lifestyle that a lot of Danish people live by, and I feel like it’s a really important thing to remember in another culture to gain a greater perspective. My senior year of high school was chaotic for me, and that’s when I got the phone case from my sister.”
