As the semester is winding down, I have had to say some goodbyes. Fortunately for me, the concept of going back home, and the cruel realities of America are something for Sam in 3 to 4 months to deal with. Third person aside, I must now deal with some sad goodbyes.
One of the phrases I despised the most when planning a semester abroad was “I can’t wait to see how much you change.” I knew that I’d change after spending four months in Europe, but I wasn’t sure how much of it would be visible. After all, I’m not planning on dying my hair a new color or trying to lose a bunch of weight. I’m not going to magically come back Dutch.
This past spring break (or Semana Santa) I went to Chile to visit both Valparaíso and Santiago. What I experienced was unexpected: a bit of culture shock.
(del 6 de abril)
Hoy estaba atrapada en casa todo el día. ¿Por qué? Porque hoy fue el paro general -- cada trabajador del sector transporte no trabajaba hoy. Entonces, porque casi todos utilizan el transporte público, nadie trabajaba hoy, y, por eso, nada estaba abierto. ¿Qué podés hacer sin transporte, negocios o escuela? No mucho, menos hacer tarea todo el día en casa (porque las cafeterías y bibliotecas también están cerradas) o caminar al parque (porque no podés tomar el colectivo allá).
As hard as it is to believe, my time in Milan is quickly coming to an end. This semester flew by quicker than the last and I can't believe I'll be having to say goodbye in less than two months. During my final weeks in this city that never fails to grab my attention, I plan to do all the things that I kept putting off, thinking that I had so much time to do them all. It's time to become a tourist and accomplish this bucket list before it's too late!
1. Go inside the Duomo on a Sunday
It has been a very long time since I’ve sat down for a blog writing session: a month, even. It’s not because I’ve had nothing to say: it’s more because Japan has been an overwhelming experience. Every day brings new challenges and excitement, and it was easy for me to get lost in all of that. I only just recently realized just how long I have been living in a dream. In the weeks I have been here, the cherry blossoms bloomed. Once-bare branches suddenly became alive, supporting a beautiful canopy of soft pink and white petals.
I spent three days in London during Easter break-- here are some photos from my time there!
Croatia is the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited. Our three days there were a blur of palm trees and waterfalls, punctuated by street sandwiches (which all had corn on them, for some reason) and blue Fanta. I really did enjoy the scenery, the restaurants, and the fresh mussels we were able to buy by the kilo straight from the sea, but my most memorable experience had nothing to do with the standard tourist attractions.
It has taken me time since returning to the United States to really think on all of the experiences I have had over the last few months. In general, it has been a lot to take in. Going from a European country that slowly but surely became my home back to the life I had known before is a culture shock all of its own. I needed some time before trying to wrap up my feelings on it all.