The feeling of being home varies from day to day. Some days I feel so blessed to be back with my family and friends and in a place where I am comfortable. Other days I loathe the familiarity I feel because I am scared I will simply regress back into who I was before I went abroad and it will be like those five months were just a dream, another life. When I first came home it felt as if I went back in time. The streets of my neighborhood appeared to be glazed in sepia tone, like an old photograph exposed to the sun. I felt as if I was living in flashbacks. This was because although everything around me had stayed the same, I had changed so much since I was away.
It is an odd feeling to find everything exactly how you left it and it feels even weirder to know you have a completely different outlook on the world we inhabit now than you did the last time you laid on your bed. Your mind drifts to other places and realities you have experienced that no one else here can relate to. People ask how your trip was but don't necessarily care too much about your response. You want to talk for hours about your journey but instead just smile and say "it was great." The thing I miss the most about studying abroad is the spontaneity of adventure and ease of going to new places. During my time in Ireland I could suddenly book a trip to Portugal, buy a plane ticket for 30-60 euro and be gone a few days later. The American culture does not coincide with a travel culture. We suffer through 9-5 jobs with only two weeks of vacation time and just assume that is how it is supposed to be. We often do not see past our own culture and look at other countries for inspiration in how to obtain a better quality of life. It is easy to dwell on these things and cry over how much better things were while you were abroad but instead I choose to embrace the now. While abroad I always chose a positive outlook even when things were bad because I was so fortunate to be there I didn't want to waste a second of it being upset. Why don't we carry that mantra into our daily lives? Why don't we stop worrying and getting upset and simply appreciate how fortunate we are to be alive or to have a happy and healthy family? There are joys and adventures in our everyday lives that warrant celebration. And that is what studying abroad as taught me: perspective. Be thankful for the life you have been given but use your good fortune to help those in need. Find a job that challenges you. Although my bank account is surely saying I cannot travel again this summer, when I am camp counseling I am transported into a child's world. I am a shark chasing my kids in the pool or an under water scuba diver searching for rings. Imagination in our everyday lives can transport us the way travel does because we are opening our minds and in turn, our hearts. Maybe this is sounds like hippie mumbo jumbo to you but to me it sounds like a way to lead a happy and fulfilled life every single day.
0 Comments
Holland is a region in The Netherlands known for its beauty, serenity and incredible cheeses. Before arriving in The Netherlands I did not know much at all about Dutch Cuisine. During my time there I spent most of my meals attempting to eat as much cheese as possible. Gouda is my favorite and their most popular cheese, so I was one lucky gal! I also tried a mustard soup in Zaanse Schans that was surprisingly souper good! Our first few days were spent in Amsterdam, a city that feels more like a quiet, peaceful town than it does a loud bustling city. I think that has a great deal to do with the sort of transportation the Dutch use. In Amsterdam, it is more common for someone to use a bike as their primary form of transportation than a car or tram. This creates a symphony of bike bells rather than car horns to score the sound of the city. Amsterdam is unlike any place I have seen before and when you are there, you feel as if time is somehow standing still. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the Anne Frank house because you had to book tickets months in advance, a fact we were not aware of until a few days before our travel. Although I have been fortunate to have seen a lot in my travels, the Anne Frank house is what I regret not seeing the most. I have always been fascinated by Anne Frank, not only by her story but because of the person she was. I have read her diary multiple times and every time I am amazed by how wise she is at such a young age. She wanted to grow up to be a writer and have stories touch others and in death that goal was accomplished. I have always wondered if given an option, would Anne have chosen to grow old and live a mundane life or would she suffer a short life so that millions could be touched by her story? What which you choose: acclaim in death that helps millions comprehend a horrific period in time or a long, painless but unmemorable life? I can only hope that we all strive for somewhere in between: a fulfilled life spent making each day a bit brighter for those around you. These were the thoughts that cluttered my mind as I wandered through this amazing city. I pictured Anne, locked away in hiding for two years while the world continued on without her. (Anne Frank's House is the fourth house in from the left) Now on to some more cheery stories. On our last day in Holland we went to a place called Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans literally translates to chocolate river and is nothing short of a fairy tale. The houses look like the real life version of gingerbread houses. Cute, tiny houses with white frosted trim juxtaposed with farm animals and old wind mills truly created a quaint, charming atmosphere. Also the entire town smells like chocolate because there is a chocolate factory that makes the whole town smell like pure happiness. Three girls one shoe?!? Now that's a clog! Overall, my last abroad trip while studying abroad was a success. Of the 10 other countries I visited, no people were nicer than the Dutch. They are such a kind and welcoming people, anyone traveling there feels grateful to have met some of the nicest people in the world!
|
AuthorI'm Angelisa. I am studying at NUI Galway for the semester and writing about my experience. Archives
June 2017
Categories |