Saying Hello Again
Coming Home You come home and everyone is happy to see you and exclaim how much they loved seeing your pictures. They ask a few questions, which will seem like strange questions to you since you’ve found so much more than stereotypes on the other side of the world. So you start telling them about the little things that warmed your heart, be it the street musicians or that shop owner you passed everyday on your way to class....
A European Nostalgic Slump
Wow. I have fallen in love with the city of Dublin, feeling more like a local here than I do in my hometown. I’m accustomed to the daily life, from the bus system to the food trucks and city trends; it all feels so comfortable, so normal. But after all, this is one of the main reasons I came abroad: to experience raw cultural immersion and adapt to unfamiliar surroundings until they became familiar. I’m in disbelief...
Home Sweet Home: Little Changes
I’ve been back in the states for almost three weeks now. It feels like far longer. It feels like I just got back. Reverse culture shock, despite the large differences in Thai and American culture hasn’t been as bad as I was expecting. I’m often disappointed when I see there are no hoses/bidets in the bathroom anymore (America needs to hurry up and get with it). I definitely miss the cheap food stalls, fresh fruit & meals...
honey, i’m home
Sadly, my journey abroad has come to an end, and after a long eleven hour flight home, it still doesn’t even feel real. Initially, the first thoughts going through my head were all positive and I could not wait to be home, see my friends, and eat the food that I had been missing for four months. Of course, I missed Florence and all of the incredible people that I met there, but I am sure that I will be back and definitely stay...
Time is Different Here
From There to Here I am currently about halfway through my time here in Florence, Italy. It feels both as if I just arrived here yesterday and like I have been here for years. Before this experience I had never been to Europe. Now it feels just as familiar as my hometown. I have learned a lot about various cultures (Italy alone has 10 specific cultural identities) and a lot about myself. Though I am only halfway through, I have had...
Saying Goodbye
The Places Today I walked past Santa Maria del Fiore (Il Duomo) after my last final. It previously stood as the pinnacle of where I wanted to be. Now, it is a pin on the map of my life. I will miss walking past the remnants of the Renaissance and living within eyesight of the resting place of some of the most brilliant people in history (Santa Croce). I’ll even miss this apartment which certainly doesn’t have the same...