To be honest, I don’t know if I belong here.

Starting a new year of college is always overwhelming, and this semester has been very out of the ordinary for me—what with being in a foreign country and all—so I guess being really stressed out isn’t unexpected. Trying to figure out my shipping address, dorm etiquette, a post-midnight fire alarm, and decorating when I know everything must go in two months have all been taxing, to say the least. 

Halfway Through: Being with Yourself in Amsterdam

Two months into my experience in Amsterdam, I think I can now confidently offer real thoughts and advice about how to be in Amsterdam, how to be away from home, and how to be with yourself in Amsterdam. I can also confidently say two things: that I didn’t know what I was getting into prior to arriving and everything has been more than I could have ever imagined.

Okay, here’s something a little embarrassing. I love cream tea.

This is Week 5 here at St. Catherine’s, which means I am more than halfway through my academic time here at Oxford. In my previous posts, I had mentioned trying to settle into a rhythm here.

One of the many advantages of studying abroad in Europe is how incredibly easy it is to travel to all the countries that inhabited your childhood fantasies of elegance and grandeur. It’s less than 40 euros to get a train to Paris (with proper planning) from Berlin and a flight to Amsterdam is under two hours. There are a few excuses not to travel while you’re abroad. I just spent spring break in Italy with a friend and enjoyed every second of it (right up to when my wallet got stolen). Obviously, I made some mistakes and learned some important lessons while traveling.