A Traveler’s Thoughts

Hello friends! It’s been two whole weeks since I last traveled (gasp!), so I need to get on the move again. I am taking advantage of my two days off from work to visit my friend in Maine! My journey starts tomorrow at 6:30 am (yuck) as I catch a train to Boston to take a bus from there to my destination.

I found that I actually enjoy taking public transportation for long-distant travel. It gives me time to just sit, listen to music, read, and especially, write.

And write I did. I found that my time in Europe really got my juices flowing and I wrote more creatively during my time there than I have ever before. Here’s a poem I wrote which was published in the Castle’s literary magazine. I thought I’d share since it not only reflects how I felt during my travels, but also what I’m feeling now after being home for nearly a month.

 

Where is home?

Home is found in worn New England streets, paved with children’s shoes and bikes and the tires of my first car

In tired Boston monuments

and in the breath taken away by its skyline

 

I was told before I went away

That I would never come back

And I did not believe them

Thinking my heart would be forever trapped

Like a hand print in concrete on those East Coast streets

 

And then I lost myself

A piece of my heart nestling in these castle walls and cobblestone squares

And on the brick roads leading to everywhere imaginable

 

A piece of me slipped into Amsterdam

In a crowded Irish pub

Amongst confessed words and hushed jazz

 

I grew roots in London

In the underground and by fairy tale palaces

 

And there’s a part of me in Paris

Drowning in cheap wine and stuck between apartment bed sheets

 

I’m in Cologne, on crowded, commercial streets

And yet, in the quietest corner of Well

 

I am in places that I’ve yet to see

Somewhere across the sea from what I’ve known

I lost myself in the best way

And I don’t think

I can ever be home again.

 

 

What do you think? Does travel inspire creativity in you? Share your thoughts!

 

Home away from Homesick

Hello all! I hope everyone doesn’t mind that my posts are going to be less frequent now, simply due to the fact that I am no longer traveling. In fact, I’m working again, which leaves me stranded in one place for the time being. However, I still hope to bring you weekly tips and musings on travel and life after spending three months living in Europe.

Now one thing I was told to expect after arriving home to America was reverse culture shock. This is sort of like culture shock, but in reverse; you find yourself shocked by things being different from the place you just visited.

I’m not here to tell you that reverse culture shock is a myth. But I will say that I am very skeptical of its existence, mainly because I barely experienced it at all. The biggest thing for me was I kept forgetting that my phone would actually work when I left the house. Other than that, I found that it’s easy to come home because honestly, this is what I’m used to having in my life.

What I have been experiencing is homesickness, or perhaps more correctly, home away from home sickness. Before we left, the castle administration told us that the castle would always be our home away from home. And the truth is, I’m missing it like crazy. One thing I will say is that it’s a large adjustment to go from country hopping in Europe to living back at home and working a retail job part time. (Not that I don’t love it, but come on, what compares to Europe?)

So I’ve been trying to find remedies to nurse my overwhelming urge to collect my friends and hop on a plane right back to the good, old Netherlands. Here are a few that have been easing my withdrawal pain.

• Watching movies filmed in Europe (or anywhere else that you’re missing). Last night I popped on Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette while doing some internship work. It’s the only movie they’ve ever allowed to be filmed in Versailles and seeing it brought back all the good memories I had of touring there with my friends. It allowed me to take a little vacation, if only in my mind.
• Indulging in some native cuisine. Namely, in my case, stroopwaffel. I started carrying around a pack in my purse for a snack during my breaks at work. It always brings me back to mornings in the tower where I’d have it every day for breakfast (even if its status as a breakfast food is questionable).
• Talking about your experience. I recently volunteered to go back to my old middle school to talk about my experiences studying abroad. It gave me a chance to spread my enthusiasm for the experience, while teaching kids a bit about Europe. It was nice being able to relive my experience, even if I was probably more excited about it than the kids!
•  Visiting your travel companions. I’m meeting up with a friend who lives nearby on Thursday and hoping to plan a trip to New York City to visit some others later in the summer. It’s been hard not seeing them after spending three months together and I hope by meeting up, we can get a chance to relive our adventures while swapping stories about readjusting to life in America.
• Reading. Similar to watching a movie, reading a book that’s set in a place you’ve visited can be oddly comforting. I hope to start The Diary of Anne Frank soon as well, since I bought it while in Amsterdam. I’m actually glad now that I brought so many books while abroad, because each now holds a unique memory of the place where I bought it!

What are some things you do to relieve the post-travel blues?

Where’s Kevin?

Over Spring Break, my friends and I had a recurring joke: every time we got some place, someone would look around and ask “where’s Kevin?” in a panic, a reference to the Home Alone films. We would all respond with some excuse, saying Kevin had gone ahead without us or something. Yes, we were a real bundle of laughs.

The whole idea was that all of a sudden, you realized someone was missing. That is how I felt almost as soon as I walked away from the group of people who were by my side constantly since January. I actually felt that I lost Kevin. It felt like something was missing.

Life gets funny at this age. As soon as you turn eighteen, they slap a label on you: adult. You have to pick a major, a life path, a place to call home. They send you off to foreign countries, saying you can care for yourself.

The undeniable truth is that no one can take care of themselves, but especially not college kids. We were far from home and everything we’d known. So we turned to each other. We became family. We held each other when we cried, looked after each other when we were sick, and were there for each other to make sure we all made it back alive. (Good news: we all did!) One of my pre-departure fears was that I’d feel alone, leaving the country with all new people. The reality was that I never for a second felt that I wasn’t taken care of.

They say the biggest thing about going back home after being away is experiencing reverse culture shock, culture shock’s scarier older cousin. But I’m used to the American way. The biggest shock is being away from these people who were all I knew for three months. It felt weird leaving the airport and not making sure my group was with me, trundling along with overstuffed backpacks. I think of jokes or things I want to tell them and then remember we won’t all be reunited until September. I went to bed feeling weird and realized that it’s because for the first time in three months, I was sleeping in a room alone. No more being lulled to sleep by my roommate’s snores or waking up to find my other roommate already dressed and watching TV.

I loved studying abroad. But I think the best part wasn’t the places, but the people who made these places special. So here’s to every single person that made my time in Europe so special. Whatever happens, you all made a wonderful impact on my life and I can’t say thank you enough.

Europe 2014 Superlatives

As I finish up my last final and start packing my room up, I’ve also begun reflecting more on my trip and dealing with the reality of going home. Namely, I’ve been trying to think up an answer to the inevitable question that everyone will ask me: where was my favorite place to visit?

As I discover more and more trinkets from my trips upon packing, the more and more difficult this question becomes to answer. So many things factor into whether or not you enjoy a trip. There’s who you travel with, the weather, where you stayed, how you were feeling when you were traveling. Sure, these things don’t always affect you, but sometimes they have more affect than the actual place you visited! Every trip had things I liked more than others. Here are a few final thoughts on the many places I visited and trips that I took this semester!

Favorite weekend: Road trip weekend. Not only did we get to visit some really unique places that I might not have seen otherwise (mainly Luxembourg), but this was also the only weekend where the actual travel was enjoyable. Sure, planes are nice, but it can be a pain stuffing all your stuff into a bag, shuffling it through security, rushing to get to the airport on time, sitting through the takeoff procedure for the hundredth time…I liked being able to sit back, relax, enjoy my friends, and travel on my own schedule.

Most unique place: A toss-up between Switzerland and Luxembourg. Luxembourg was definitely unique in its storybook like feel, but Switzerland was such a unique mix of cultures. It was the only place I went where the language changed between cities.

Okay, I think I’ll add this to the list of places to return to, simply for the view

Plus, how many other places can boast fondue and chocolate as national foods? Yum! Speaking of which…

Best food: Again, I have to go with Switzerland, mostly because of the fondue and the delicious home cooked meal I had while there. But overall, I’d have to go with Italy. Pizza, pasta, gelato…oh, take me back. Honorable mention goes to Madrid for introducing me to seafood paella.

This definitely wasn’t my fifth cup or anything…

Favorite country: The Netherlands will always have a special place in my heart because I live here! I will defend the Dutch and their stroopwafel until the day I die and nothing puts a smile on my face like taking a walk into town and seeing the townspeople on their bikes and with their dogs and saying hello to them. But, I also found that I really love Italy. It’s not just the food, but the fact that even after two trips there, I’d still go back to Rome and I still want to go back to visit more places within the country. Maybe that’s because I’m still hoping to meet the pope though.

Most memorable experience: Another tie, this time between riding a gondola in Venice and going to mass in the Vatican. Both were such amazing  once in a lifetime experiences that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. The gondola ride was so relaxing and unbelievably beautiful, while mass in the Vatican meant so much to me on a spiritual level. I had a lot of cool experiences on this trip, but I think those two will stick with me for the rest of my life.

 

A boat ride like no other

 

Places to revisit: I don’t think there’s a single place that I wouldn’t revisit. But my top two are London and Paris. I just feel like I could’ve stayed so much longer in both of them. They are definitely at the top of my list.

 

I’ll be back!

 

Favorite city: If I absolutely had to choose, I’d go with Rome. I just love it, there’s really no reason for it. But the reality is, I loved everywhere I went. There’s no city or place that doesn’t have something to love and I traveled with some great people, so I’ll always have wonderful memories of all the places I’ve went. Essentially, travel is what you make of it. I just was able to make more out of some places than others. In the end though, I don’t regret a thing!

 

 

Studying abroad and me: before and after

Thank you all for baring with me and my lack of posts! Finals and a newfound addiction to the game 2048 have been eating up most of time. I’ve also stopped traveling, and as I mentioned, looking forward to my future and life beyond the castle and my semester abroad. We leave on Wednesday, a thought that leaves many people emotional.I too find myself emotional at the thought of going, but in a different way from most. I am sad to leave, but I know the time has come to move on. Instead, as my days abroad dwindle, I’m thinking back to the beginning of the semester and where I was and how much I’ve changed.

I must admit that I’m surprised by the change I’ve seen in myself. Back in the early part of January, as I was stuffing my suitcase in preparation to leave, I caught a glimpse of a quote on one of the packets of paperwork they required we bring with us. I can’t remember the exact wording, but it said something along the lines of “once you go abroad, you’ll never come back”. The idea was that you grow up and lose a bit of yourself in Europe, in a good way. “Yeah, right”, I thought, as I zipped up my suitcase, allowing the thought to be eaten away by the black nylon pocket.

But who would have thought that three months ago I could be so different and so wrong? I look back on the person I was before leaving and laugh. I was resistant to change, wanting to remain the same way, bitter at the thought that spending a semester would make me a different person. I know now that change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. I see myself now as a more established, happy, secure, and grateful person. Leaving everything I know has made me appreciate it so much and given me a bird’s eye view of my life, what I’ve done and what I want my life to become in the future.

Just in missing so many people has made me realize what a loving network I have in my life and I’m proud of that. I am so pleased that I have maintained so many amazing relationships throughout my twenty years. I love that I’ve missed my family so much because it’s made me realize what a positive influence they are in my life. I would now say that being a part of my family is one of the best things about me and financial support aside, I could not be where I am today without my parents. As grateful as I am for this experience, I am even more grateful for them, for knowing what’s best for me and pushing me towards this experience, however difficult it was for them to let me go.

Being part of my family is one important defining thing I’ve discovered about myself. But I’ve also learned so much more about who I am, from the silly to serious. I’ve learned that I’m a pretty laid back traveler and that I get cranky when I wake up in the morning and when I am hungry. I’ve learned that I think it’s most important to be honest and I’ve learned that I am a very driven person. I’ve also realized that I’m a writer, but that’s something I learn time and time again whenever I sit down to write and rediscover my love all over again.

I don’t think I would have learned as much about myself though, if it wasn’t for the new people around me, who’ve allowed me to see myself through new eyes. I have made such wonderful friends who have pointed out these qualities in me. They’ve been not only an important part of my travel experience, but an important part of my personal development. They are my security net and I feel good knowing that I have them to support me in life, whenever I need them.

While my travels in Europe are over, my journey is not over, as cliché as it may be. And while this post isn’t necessarily about travel, I hope it highlights one of the most important and unexpected aspects of traveling. When you leave, do not expect to come back, at least, not as the same person you were when you left.

Barcelona

This past weekend was our last travel weekend. No more crazy busy weekends, no more cramming clothes and travel sized liquids into a backpack, no more train-bus-plane-train chaos. I’m a mix of emotions about it. But I couldn’t ask for a better end to my travels. I decided to spend the weekend, rather than traveling to a country I haven’t visited before. traveling with a group of friends. I like to think we went out with a bang.

Yet another photo stolen from Gavin. Embracing the last of the beach weather before heading back to Boston.

Barcelona really showed me how far we’ve all come as traveller because almost everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong. We arrived smoothly (too smoothly) on Thursday night. Of course, once we go to the airport, we realized no one knew how to get to the apartment and we couldn’t work the pay phone to call the man renting us the apartment. No problem, though. We decided splitting a van between the eight of us would be cost-effective and easier than figuring out the bus and used our Dutch phones to get in touch with our apartment owner and get into our apartment.

Some Picasso on the side of a building. Helen said some people think it’s ugly, but I find it kind of interesting.

The next day, we did a free walking tour. I wish I’d done more of these in other cities to learn more about the history of where I was visiting. Our tour guide was a plucky Scottish woman named Helen who’d relocated to Spain. She was great and I’d recommend her if you get a chance. It was after our tour that our troubles began again. One of our group was the victim of a pickpocket. While she went to file a police report of the incident, three of us decided to go to the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s famous church. We had all tried to buy tickets online, but only three of us succeeded. When we got to the ticket booth, we discovered that there’d been some mishaps with the website and everyone’s attempts to purchase tickets actually went through…several times. After sorting that out, we finally got into the church.

 Some people might argue it’s too extravagant, but I think it’s beautiful how much work people put into a house of worship.

After that, my friends and I hiked up to the top of Barcelona to a park there. From there, we enjoyed an evening of Spanish food and drinks, before heading to the beach the next day. It was a perfect day. We just sat without a care in the world.

Perfect last day

The next dat though, we were plagued by more problems. Despite my best efforts, I got sick again and we missed our bus back to the airport. Despite this and buying, returning, and buying bus tickets, not only did we make it to the airport with plenty of time, but none of even blinked before jumping into planning mode. We have come such a long way from our early travel days, when missing a train when trying to get to London threw us into a grumpy panic.

This trip has just made me all the more sentimental about this semester. Not only have I seen myself grow, but I’ve seen the people around me grow. It’s hard to believe that less than three months ago that these people were just strangers. Funny what traveling Europe can do to you.

In whatever time we have

Well, it’s official: I am done with travel weekends. As I sit here writing this, I am fresh off the heels of Barcelona, having just landed on my last (for now) Ryanair flight about an hour ago.

I realize I haven’t taken the time to blog as much because I’ve been looking towards the future. In the past week, I chose where I’ll be living during next fall in Boston, I picked out my classes for the first semester of my junior year of college, and I looked into what I’ll be doing with my time this summer.

When you’re young, you’ll think everything will last forever. But I was never under the impression that this would last forever. I always knew there was an expiration date on this fantasy and that in a short ninety days, it’d be over for good. And yet, it’s not until recently, as I plan life beyond the castle and return from one last travel weekend that I realize that soon, there’s a limit on this time in my life.

In one sense, I’m excited to go home. A hard bout of homesickness hit me last night when I missed my brother’s junior prom. Even though I was in Barcelona, I hate missing out on such events and I realized how excited I am to see him and the rest of my family when I get home.

But when I think about what going home really means, I can’t wrap my mind around it. What will weekends be without hopping over to a new European city? How am I going to stay entertained without the people who’ve been by my side for the last three months? I’m afraid I’m becoming one of those people that I said I’d never be; someone who dreads going home because it will be dull.

So I’ve promised myself that no matter where I am or what I do this summer, I’m going to find adventure and travel. Sure, nothing will compare to Europe. But, there are many hidden gems in New England. And with my new thirst to explore, I’m going to see them all.

It’s just still hard to believe that in nine days, this will all just be memories.

Greece in photos

So five days, twenty-three hours of travel, and lots of Euro, historical sites, and yummy food later, I’m back in Well! Unfortunately, I’m about to collapse under the pile of work I have to do. Getting back at two AM, combined with six hours of class and a rapidly growing to-do list takes its toll on a girl. So, I present to you here, Greece in photos. They’ll speak for themselves anyways! Greece is certainly a gorgeous place!

 

If only every day’s breakfast was a chocolate croissant with hot chocolate.

 

The view from the top of the Temple of Athena. Athens is absolutely huge! A friend of mine told me that if a business shuts down, they merely keep the empty building, rather than replacing the business, which probably contributes to its size.

The temple was getting a little work done when we were there.

The world’s first ampitheatre. Such sentimental value for a high school actor.

This isn’t exactly moussaka, but I had a pizza burrito for lunch and it was fantastic.

On our second day, we went to the first ever Olympic stadium.

I’m not a huge sports fan, but it was still pretty cool to see such an important part of history.

Here’s the torch from Sochi in the stadium.

And then, we went to the beach. Don’t let the bare legs fool you, I was actually wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. It was so windy!

The view on the walk down to the beach was incredible though.

This was some of the view I saw on the two hour bus ride to the beach from Athens. The Greek coastline is like something out of a travel magazine.

We watched the sunset from the top of a nearby mountain which was incredible.

We spent the last day strolling through and admiring the neighborhood that our apartment was in.

 

Several Greek people I encountered during the trip mistook me for Greek. Considering how lovely the country is and how kind the people are, I don’t think I’d mind it! I think Greece is earning a spot on my list of places to visit again.

 

Greek Life

Tonight, I’m off to Greece! Well actually, we’re spending the night in Amsterdam and leaving for Athens very early tomorrow morning. Since travel is an important part of our study abroad program, our school gives us a a chance to skip some classes to do so, so my roommates and I are taking our class cuts for a five day trip. So I’ll be on a temporary hiatus. Instead, I leave you with some ABBA, in honor of my trip.

 

 

Any tips for traveling Greece? Comment and let me know! You can also follow my Twitter and Instagram for more frequent travel updates!

Hostel-tality?

Since my arrival in Europe, I’ve stayed in several different hostels. Each one was a new and different experience. I’ve stayed in nice chain hostels and in privately owned ones that are like someone’s house. I’ve stayed in a room with just friends and in a room of sixteen people, most of whom are strangers. I may not be the most experienced hostel guest, but I’d like to think that I’ve sampled a few.

Most of my hostel stays went without incident. However, this past weekend in Zurich, we had a few weird incidents with our roommates. In the past, when returning to the room when our roommates were still asleep, we would never turn on the light (or even think to do so!). When we returned in Zurich, one girl turned on the light, despite our sleeping roommates. Then, in the morning, she turned it on again, while everyone else was still asleep. Even stranger, the next night when staying in a hostel in Basel, someone woke us up at 2 AM with the sound of a blow-dryer. This girl was doing her hair in the hall! At 2 AM!

I thought hostel etiquette was one of those things that came naturally, but this weekend proved that not everyone might have the same ideas on what is and isn’t okay to do when sharing a space with strangers. Based on my very limited experience, I thought I’d share some things I’ve learned about how to respectfully share a hostel room.

• Don’t turn on the lights! Unless, of course, your roommates are awake.  I’ve found that the way my travel goes, I’m often arriving at hostels in the middle of the night. Realize that if this is the case, you are most likely entering a room of sleeping people. Keep the things you’ll need to settle in at the top of your bag so you don’t have to worry about rummaging around and use your phone for light. Many phones now have flashlights. If not, there are plenty of apps to download to use as a flashlight. But don’t be that person that comes in at 2 AM and turns on the light. A little consideration will get you a long way with your roommates.
• Be friendly. Again, a little consideration goes away. You certainly don’t have to strike up talk to every person in the room, but a smile and greeting are always nice. Who knows, you might make great friends for exploring the city!
• Be realistic. You are sharing a room with other people. Sure, they should be respecting you as well, but don’t be that person that shushes people for talking in hushed tones at 8:30 in the morning. (Actually happened in the sixteen person room we stayed in in Venice.) Realize that your roommates’ travel plans may have them coming in late and leaving early, so they might accidentally wake you in the middle of the night or early in the morning. If you think it’ll bother you, bring ear plugs and eye blinds.
• Don’t hog the outlets/shower/any other shared accommodations. You’re not the only one who wants to charge your cell phone. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to get ready in the morning because someone won’t get out of the shower or give up the only outlet in the room in favor of their blow dryer. I cannot stress enough how far a little consideration for other people will go!
• Don’t make a lot of noise at night. Like blow drying your hair in the hall at 2 AM…just no.

Have any crazy hostel stories or tips? Feel free to share!