This week’s Student Spotlight from ELC Santa Barbara is a little different. A former ELC student, Pieter Koelmans, has written this piece about his time here in sunny Santa Barbara. Pieter, from the Netherlands, is currently an office volunteer at ELC Santa Barbara. Read on to learn first-hand, what this experience has been like for Pieter…
First of all, ELC Santa Barbara has been one of the best experiences of my life. Besides learning English at school, you will also have a great time! You can come the teachers and the Director at any time for any questions that you might have. For those who decide to attend ELC Santa Barbara, which is a very good choice, there are a few things I definitely recommend you should see and do.
Some beautiful sights you have to visit during your time in Santa Barbara are the pier at Stearns Wharf and the Courthouse Viewing Tower. The Viewing Tower provides you with a stunning view of Santa Barbara, you can even see the Channel Islands! Besides the Viewing Tower, the Courthouse itself is lovely place to wander around and enjoy the sunshine.
The Pier at Stearsn Wharf has really beautiful views of the Santa Barbara coastline and of course the Channel Islands, too. At the Pier, there are a few great restaurants where you can enjoy the outdoor scenery and have a cold drink.
Considering restaurants and other food chains, there are a few I definitely recommend. Joe’s is a fun café where you can have dinner and drinks. The staff is very friendly and the food is really good (I recommend the cheeseburger!). The most popular place to go for a burrito is Chipotle. At Chipotle, you can choose what you would like inside your burrito and they prepare it right it front of you. The last restaurant I really like is called Jeannine’s. Not only is the staff very friendly, and it is a fun place to be, the food is just delicious. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is for sure worth it to try all of them!
In conclusion, I definitely recommend visiting Santa Barbara. It is a great city for exploring the outdoors, hiking, walking, sightseeing, and more. This city has a lot to offer and I feel lucky for being able to visit here!
We are very proud of Pieter and so grateful for his volunteer work with us. As long as you work hard, dream big and set goals, you can do it!
