Isn't it the responsible thing to do to start with a quote from the Hobbit and end with a quote from the Hobbit? Indeed, Gandalf makes a valuable point. Everytime you walk out of your home, you are becoming more vulnerable. You expose yourself to scrutiny, disappointment, and failure. But you also may encounter adventure, success, and the greatest people you may ever meet. It is truly remarkable that just six months ago I was too nervous to go to a movie by myself. Seriously. I thought I was such an independent person when I saw Gone Girl solo one Friday night. Imagine that. Since then, I have stepped on planes, trains, taxis, and metros with just my own company. I walked through Copenhagen, Prague, and Versailles unafraid. Those memories seem unreal.
It has officially been one week since returning home. Needless to say, it has been surreal. Before I even finished unpacking, I started my internship in downtown Kansas City. I have only been there for two days and those two days have consisted of sketching a map of the office, organizing spreadsheets, and the usual intern duties. Although it is unpaid and eats eight and a half hours of my day, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get into a routine. The short days where I lay around the house are the hardest. I start thinking about the times when I rode my bike along the canals and visited a new city every weekend. I allow myself to be nostalgic but not sad. The trick is to find goals to fulfill and new dreams to chase.
So, when my three days a week internship are not keeping me busy, I have been gathering things to donate and sell (It goes without saying that there is no money), learning to make an iced cappuccino (because the barista at Starbucks keeps giving me a smug look whenever I order one), and practicing caligraphy and script as a new hobby (I feel like Bilbo writing with my quill). Sadly, this is my last post so I will wrap it up. I have not exactly taken any pictures of the great Midwest (yet), so I will include all my favorite cats I have encountered in the last week as a treat to those reading (it's mostly for me though). Until the next time I walk out my front door.
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She Stood at the Very Edge. She Saw a Light. She Leaned Out to Touch it. And She Flew.
Basically, trying not to ugly cry while I write my post the night before departing Amsterdam.
Emily Xouris
<p>Although I am a Kansas native, I can honestly say I have never witnessed a tornado, tended to the farm, or religiously watched The Wizard of Oz. I am a studious college student who enjoys going into the city and testing new ethnic restaurants or going to a symphony performance on the weekends. This explains why my phone primarily consists of photos of food porn and Kansas City architecture. I study international relations and Spanish, both of which offer me a different perspective to the world beyond the Midwest. I often find myself distracted walking to and from class because I hoard pinecones and insist on showing my friends the ones I come across. </p>
