Hostels, Politics, and Malta

Hi friends!

We’ve been in Malta for around 3 weeks now and it is just as interesting as the start

We’re learning a lot about the Island -and a lot about how to be adults and not just college students (RCJH). We have started grad school and there will be a video to come... or you can just totally ignore it (again thanks for reading and watching Mom). Starting grad school we’ve been reading about 80-120 pages a night, living in a hostel, and learning about Malta. Living in a hostel, you read that right. Still on the hunt for a true apartment, but by no means without a home. We just have some visitors living in the room next door.

Malta is this tiny island seemingly forgotten while also the epicenter of immigration, the hub of gambling, and the connection/barrier between Western Europe and Northern Africa.

Historically Malta has been controlled by many different people, with bouts of historical peace under Roman, Arab, and other rules. However, their language is derived from a combination of Arabic and Italian, and there is a long tradition of Arab and Islamic cultural traits that people tend to ignore. There seems to be a history of striving for European inclusion which led to Malta entering the EU in 2004. This little overview barely touched on the thousands of years of history, culture, and subsequent chauvinism that comes with political power, but is a good(?) introduction.

We have a lot more to learn and are open to what the island has to offer.

Quick Travel Tips:

1. If you are a student flying, use StudentUniverse (https://www.studentuniverse.com/ ) you can get discounts because they get us students can be a low little low on cash (just use a student email).

2. Malta → set up housing appointments early, DO NOT expect to show up and find a reasonable place in a few days