I'm now approaching my final month abroad and you cannot imagine how many directions my mind is spinning right now. I'm excited to get back to America to see my family and friends, buy American brands, eat good American food, and watch Glee, Grey's Anatomy, and The Big Bang Theory. [Okay, I confess, I'm starting to feel a little homesick......but I give myself credit for making it to 6 months without wanting to go home!] But at the same time, I don't want to leave this beautiful country and I still want to travel some places I haven't gotten to visit yet, such as Ireland, Scotland, Turkey, and Switzerland. Well, if I've visited 13 different European countries, 35 globally known cities, hundreds art museums, and more churches than a Baptist minister has, then I feel that I have seen quite a bit. But why am I freaking out that I haven't traveled enough? I need to remind myself how fortunate I am to have such a remarkable experience. Some people have never even stepped out of their own native country. Sigh, why do I have to be so ambitious? But my travels are not quite over yet.
In a few weeks, during Easter break where we have a four day weekend, I'm taking the train to Amsterdam and meeting up with my friend Amanda from UP, who is studying abroad this semester in London. We have the same days off, so after I'm done with classes on Maunday Thursday, I will depart Salzburg via train to Amsterdam. We will spend two days in Amsterdam and then catch a train and spend two days in Berlin. I'm very excited. Mostly, because I get to spend time with one of my best friends and I get to see two of the top 10 European cities to visit. What a perfect way to end my eight months abroad and to enjoy myself before I have my final exams the next week. It shall be a fabulous weekend! Hopefully the weather will be nice enough to ride bikes along the canals, visit the Van Gogh and Rjiknik Museums, and best of all see the very house were Anne Frank hid during World War II, which is one thing I've always wanted to see. Then in Berlin, I would really like to see some museums and famous historical sites, such as where the Berlin Wall use to separate East and West Germany.
I DO NOT regret any of the experiences I have had within these past seven months. I have learned a great deal- much more than I would back home in PT or even Seattle. I've exposed myself to different languages, cultures, and customs, which has made me more confident and independent. I know that I said to before I left home in September that I would not be homesick at all, but I guess I may have overestimated that. I was extremely happy when I got here in September, but until about the beginning of March, I've been feeling ready to go home. What can I say, six months is a long time to be away from home and the people you love. I'm treating these eight months abroad as a test for myself to see how long I can stand living away from the American lifestyle and family and friends. It's been a really good experience for me because now when I go back to America, week long or month long trips will no longer be a problem for me. Adventure is always a good way to make one's life more interesting.
I can't believe that I will be a junior in college this coming fall. And before I know it I will be out to conquer the world as a college graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in English as well as two minors in German and Music. What am I going to do after I graduate? I have absolutely no idea! But I do know for sure that I will not be living in Port Townsend. Seattle, maybe. But I would like to experience living places outside of my circumference of home. Am I considering graduate school? Yes. But I'm not exactly sure where or what I want my focus to be. My plan is at the moment to take a year or two of after I graduate from UP and either get a job somewhere in the theater arts, do some kind of service or volunteering program, or just travel more. If you are at all curious about what I want to do with my life, don't worry, it's one of the things I think about everyday to tell you the truth.
In a few weeks, during Easter break where we have a four day weekend, I'm taking the train to Amsterdam and meeting up with my friend Amanda from UP, who is studying abroad this semester in London. We have the same days off, so after I'm done with classes on Maunday Thursday, I will depart Salzburg via train to Amsterdam. We will spend two days in Amsterdam and then catch a train and spend two days in Berlin. I'm very excited. Mostly, because I get to spend time with one of my best friends and I get to see two of the top 10 European cities to visit. What a perfect way to end my eight months abroad and to enjoy myself before I have my final exams the next week. It shall be a fabulous weekend! Hopefully the weather will be nice enough to ride bikes along the canals, visit the Van Gogh and Rjiknik Museums, and best of all see the very house were Anne Frank hid during World War II, which is one thing I've always wanted to see. Then in Berlin, I would really like to see some museums and famous historical sites, such as where the Berlin Wall use to separate East and West Germany.
I DO NOT regret any of the experiences I have had within these past seven months. I have learned a great deal- much more than I would back home in PT or even Seattle. I've exposed myself to different languages, cultures, and customs, which has made me more confident and independent. I know that I said to before I left home in September that I would not be homesick at all, but I guess I may have overestimated that. I was extremely happy when I got here in September, but until about the beginning of March, I've been feeling ready to go home. What can I say, six months is a long time to be away from home and the people you love. I'm treating these eight months abroad as a test for myself to see how long I can stand living away from the American lifestyle and family and friends. It's been a really good experience for me because now when I go back to America, week long or month long trips will no longer be a problem for me. Adventure is always a good way to make one's life more interesting.
I can't believe that I will be a junior in college this coming fall. And before I know it I will be out to conquer the world as a college graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in English as well as two minors in German and Music. What am I going to do after I graduate? I have absolutely no idea! But I do know for sure that I will not be living in Port Townsend. Seattle, maybe. But I would like to experience living places outside of my circumference of home. Am I considering graduate school? Yes. But I'm not exactly sure where or what I want my focus to be. My plan is at the moment to take a year or two of after I graduate from UP and either get a job somewhere in the theater arts, do some kind of service or volunteering program, or just travel more. If you are at all curious about what I want to do with my life, don't worry, it's one of the things I think about everyday to tell you the truth.
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