One More Chapter
A twenty two year-old's view on life, death,
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
5/27/2015 0 Comments What Studying Abroad Has Given MeAs I type this blog post I am sitting on my plane back to Boston, Massachusetts. When I touch down in the United States it will be the first time that I see my country in almost four months. I have never been that long away from home – let alone out of the country. Actually, this was the first time that I’ve ever been out of the country (besides a cruise to the Virgin Isles, which I don’t really count). This trip was full of a lot of firsts in fact. First time out of the country, first time taking a taxi, first time arranging flights and travelling on my own (besides a small jump to LA, but I had help with everything except the actual boarding of the plane), first time living in a city, first time being in a place that didn’t speak my language, etc. You get the point. Needless to say, all these experiences led to me learning a lot and gaining new skills. And here is just a taste of what this experience has given me. The Ability To Read Maps: My small map book of each arrondissement was my everything while living in Paris. I’m pretty sure that there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t use that thing. After a few trips to the same areas you start to memorize the streets, but Paris is such an enormous place that it would be simply impossible to learn all the streets. Learning to read a map was a MUST when trying to go anywhere new. One time I got a bit lost and I hadn’t mastered the map yet, so I told myself to just keep taking right turns until I ended up back where I started. DO NOT DO THIS. It doesn’t work like that in European cities. It’s not New York. Most of the time the area you’re in looks like this: So it’s safe to say that reading a map is a must. It reminded me of the days when we had to use the enormous atlas that we kept under the driver’s seat of my Dad’s car when we went on vacation. There was a huge map of each state and it how we found our way driving to New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, etc. Those were the days before GPS systems were a common staple in cars. A Master’s Degree in Airport Procedures: Counting the flight that I’m on now, I’ll have taken something like 17 flights since August. Most of which took place during my stay in Europe. When taking a plane is cheaper that most train tickets and more practical that the 16+ hour bus rides, you tend to choose it as your main means of transportation. Because of this, I have had to go through airport security more times than I care to think about. By now it’s become simply second nature to me. And, naturally, the people in front of me who forget to put their liquids in a bag or to take out their laptops or don’t take their shoes off in advance tend to drive me crazy. SORRY. But even though it seems like I’ve been in the air more than I’ve been on the ground, the idea of flying still scares me beyond all comprehension. I understand that there is some kind of science behind all of it, but to me it just doesn’t make sense. Nothing that heave should be able to fly. Especially when it’s wings don’t even flap like a bird! I don’t have anxiety when flying, but that’s because I’ve become a professional in pushing all question as to how this is happening and all the thoughts about how we could plummet to our death at any moment far, far away from my mind. A New Coffee Addiction: COSTA Anyone that has spent any time in the UK will know what I’m talking about. Costa Coffee is like a much better version of Starbucks. In the UK a Costa can be seen on every corner (it originated somewhere there) and, much to my delight, there are four or five locations throughout Paris as well. It was my haven during this past semester. I could order a coffee and maybe a snack then sit and work for three hours or even more on papers, projects, stories, etc. and not be rushed to leave. If you’ve never been there, it set up much like a Starbucks with hip, comfortable chairs and table to sit and work at while you drink your coffee, except they have better food, better coffee and it’s all much cheaper (Starbucks in Paris is much more expensive than in the States, and even then it’s not cheap!) Costa, you’re the best, but Dunk’s: I’m coming for you. Wanderlust: Must this be said? Travelling is like getting tattoos; once you get started you just can’t get enough. It’s also like Cheeze-Its in this way. At first, I was terrified. I landed in Paris and went through hell to get to my host mother’s house, was exhausted and overwhelmed and miss my friends and family so much. I thought to myself for the first few days that it was a mistake and that all I wanted was to go home and never travel again. But soon, these feelings start to fade and you grow more accustomed to being in a place that it so vastly different from home. Then I started travelling. We went to La Loire, Champagne, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Brighton, London, Dublin, St Andrews, Cannes, The Highlands and more and the more I did it the more I fell completely and utterly in love. All I wanted was more. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to hike the amazing mountains that there were to hike. I wanted to meet people of different walks of life. It’s such an amazing feeling and I really encourage everyone to spend at least part of their life doing some travelling. It may be frightening at first, but trust me, you’ll love it. A New Perspective on Things: Getting to see and experience so many different ways of life really does give you a new perspective on things, as cliché as it sounds, and primarily on the United States and my home university, Umass Amherst. I’ve decided to make a separate post on this matter since I think that it deserves a more in depth explanation. A New Appreciation for my Friends and Family: I never knew I could miss anyone so much. It would actually hurt at times. Enough said. Approximately 15 pounds: I kid to my friends about this. But I really did gain a substantial amount of extra pounds while away. Primarily this was due to not only eating lots and lots of not-so-healthy foods (primarily bread-based food) but also because I basically didn’t exercise my entire time abroad besides lots of walking and the occasional run. Going from at least 1.5 – 3 hours of exercise most days of the week to this was probably my downfall. An Empty Wallet: Yepp. Having no income for the first time in five years while also spending more money than I ever have due to travel expenses, hostels, food and other such things, really does some damage. Sorry Mom and Dad. An Experience to Last a Lifetime: While this is actually the tag-line for Camp Harrington I feel like it was a perfect time to borrow it because it really will stick with me for a lifetime and I will be forever grateful for it. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the Day"Thank God For Home Towns" by Carrie Underwood
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About This Blog:I started this blog as a way to challenge myself to write more over the 2014 year, but it has blossomed into so much more than that. I use it to let people in on what's happening in my life, talk about things I find important and to spread the news about amazing people, places and art. Archives
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