Well, here we are. One year later. I have been sitting at my new computer (story to come later) for hours with this blog post open in an unchecked tab, trying to find the right words for this moment.
One year ago, I nervously walked through the security line at Newark airport after saying goodbye to my parents, who were more emotional than I was. To be fair, they were watching their little girl walk away, knowing that they wouldn't see me again for four long months. It was the longest single stretch I had ever spent away from them.
One year ago, I was a mile high, trying to sleep. I knew that I should get some rest, but I had taken off at 6PM NY time (just before the Superbowl kicked off) and I would land at 6AM local time, and the dark wasn't quite long enough to overcome my nervousness and excitement about the adventure ahead of me.
One year ago, I dragged a giant suitcase behind me through the winding corridors of an airport I had never seen, feeling too small in its path. In it, I had crammed four months worth of clothes, and shoes, and hopes, and fears, and everything that I thought I could possibly need.
One year ago, I stepped off a train for the first time in my brand new city, looking around until I found others who looked just as confused and lost as me. I dragged my bags across the cobblestones and the sidewalk and into the small house that would be my home for the duration of my stay. It took two of us to carry my bag up the stairs, and it would take the same effort to bring it back down after.
One year ago, I met some of my most trusted friends, though I didn't know it yet. Together we would travel, we would study and write, we would push our boundaries and try new things. We would share the adventures in a way no one else would be able to understand.
It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year. I can still remember calling my mom that day, telling her I had arrived safely, and unpacking four months worth of life, knowing even then that it would never fit back in quite the same way. I can't begin to describe the ways this year has changed me, no matter how hard I try, but I am who I am now because of this adventure and because of all the amazing people and places who witnessed it, and I will never stop being grateful for it.
Happy one year anniversary, ASE Spring 2014. Love you all.
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2015
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Giving Thanks
I know, I know - this is a little late. Thanksgiving was 2 days ago, but between all the travel and then spending time with family, I never got around to blogging like I had hoped. But hey, better late than never, right? So, here it is: a list of (a few of) the things I'm thankful for this year.
This year, I'm thankful for music. I've been singing with Roc Hakol since my sophomore year, but this year we're finally starting to come together. There are so many amazing opportunities opening up for us, and as excited as I am for all of those, the best part is spending time with these amazing girls. Some weeks, we spend more time laughing and joking around in rehearsals than actually singing, but we still get our work done. I'm so grateful to have them in my life.
This year, I'm thankful for dance. Dance has been my place of refuge for as long as I can remember, but after a few injuries during high school (and then a repeat my sophomore year of college), I wasn't really sure that I would be able to keep dancing as much as I wanted. Simply stepping back on stage this fall was a blessing, and being able to do so with some of my closest friends was more incredible than I could ever imagine. There's something so special about the bonds I've formed with these dancers through hours spent together. I can't imagine how different my life would be without them, and to be honest, I wouldn't want to try.
This year, I'm thankful for adventures. I had the amazing opportunity to spend 4 months abroad this year, and I can't begin to explain how incredible this was. The people I met and the places I went have become such an integral part of the person I am. In truth, the semester I spent in Bath was one giant adventure in the littlest ways. I've barely gotten to see the others who were on my program since we got back, but that doesn't lessen the space they hold in my heart.
This year, I'm thankful for friends. I've already mentioned Roc Hakol, dancing, and my program abroad, and to be fair, these three groups have shaped who I am in more ways than I can count. However, others have also played a role - friends from my trip to Israel, friends who have moved away over the years, even a few friends from high school who are still around - and I'm so happy that they have.
This year, I'm thankful for family. My siblings and I were never close growing up, but now that we're older, we get along a lot better. I don't get to see any of my family as often as I did when I was living at home, which makes the we spend time together even sweeter.
This year, I'm thankful for change. I'm not the same person I was 4 years ago. In fact, I'm not even the same person I was at this time last year. The person I am today is a combination of all of the amazing experiences I've had and the choices I've made, and I am so thankful that I can say I have no regrets and that I am truly being the best version of me that I can.
This year, I'm thankful for music. I've been singing with Roc Hakol since my sophomore year, but this year we're finally starting to come together. There are so many amazing opportunities opening up for us, and as excited as I am for all of those, the best part is spending time with these amazing girls. Some weeks, we spend more time laughing and joking around in rehearsals than actually singing, but we still get our work done. I'm so grateful to have them in my life.
This year, I'm thankful for dance. Dance has been my place of refuge for as long as I can remember, but after a few injuries during high school (and then a repeat my sophomore year of college), I wasn't really sure that I would be able to keep dancing as much as I wanted. Simply stepping back on stage this fall was a blessing, and being able to do so with some of my closest friends was more incredible than I could ever imagine. There's something so special about the bonds I've formed with these dancers through hours spent together. I can't imagine how different my life would be without them, and to be honest, I wouldn't want to try.
This year, I'm thankful for adventures. I had the amazing opportunity to spend 4 months abroad this year, and I can't begin to explain how incredible this was. The people I met and the places I went have become such an integral part of the person I am. In truth, the semester I spent in Bath was one giant adventure in the littlest ways. I've barely gotten to see the others who were on my program since we got back, but that doesn't lessen the space they hold in my heart.
This year, I'm thankful for friends. I've already mentioned Roc Hakol, dancing, and my program abroad, and to be fair, these three groups have shaped who I am in more ways than I can count. However, others have also played a role - friends from my trip to Israel, friends who have moved away over the years, even a few friends from high school who are still around - and I'm so happy that they have.
This year, I'm thankful for family. My siblings and I were never close growing up, but now that we're older, we get along a lot better. I don't get to see any of my family as often as I did when I was living at home, which makes the we spend time together even sweeter.
This year, I'm thankful for change. I'm not the same person I was 4 years ago. In fact, I'm not even the same person I was at this time last year. The person I am today is a combination of all of the amazing experiences I've had and the choices I've made, and I am so thankful that I can say I have no regrets and that I am truly being the best version of me that I can.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Lucky Number 4
As I tried to sit down and write this post, I was at a loss for words. I didn't know where to start. There seemed to be no way to sum up the time I had spent abroad. No way, that is, until I started to think back further to my trip to Israel. That's when I realized today's date, and suddenly, everything came together.
Exactly 4 years ago today, on June 23, 2010, I left on my first trip abroad. I packed my giant suitcase and a small overnight bag and piled into the car. At JFK Airport, I met the 25 other students I would be traveling with that summer for the first time, and boarded my first international flight. We studied and traveled together for 45 days, and I will never stop being grateful for the friendships I made and the ways that travel changed me.
Fast forward to today. Not only has it been 4 years since my first trip began, Saturday marked 4 weeks since my semester abroad - which lasted 4 months - ended. A journey that started when I first landed in England on February 4 came to its conclusion at JFK Airport, where my first journey had begun.
At times, it feels like lifetimes have passed in the last 4 years. I'm so different today from the girl I was then. Even spending just 4 months abroad has changed me in so many ways. In the weeks since my return, I've started to pick apart the 4 months I spent in England, and here's what I've boiled it down to.
Number of photos uploaded to Facebook: 1252 (plus 1 video)
Exactly 4 years ago today, on June 23, 2010, I left on my first trip abroad. I packed my giant suitcase and a small overnight bag and piled into the car. At JFK Airport, I met the 25 other students I would be traveling with that summer for the first time, and boarded my first international flight. We studied and traveled together for 45 days, and I will never stop being grateful for the friendships I made and the ways that travel changed me.
Fast forward to today. Not only has it been 4 years since my first trip began, Saturday marked 4 weeks since my semester abroad - which lasted 4 months - ended. A journey that started when I first landed in England on February 4 came to its conclusion at JFK Airport, where my first journey had begun.
At times, it feels like lifetimes have passed in the last 4 years. I'm so different today from the girl I was then. Even spending just 4 months abroad has changed me in so many ways. In the weeks since my return, I've started to pick apart the 4 months I spent in England, and here's what I've boiled it down to.
Number of visits made to St. Andrew's: 10 (to a class of 23 students)
The school placement program was one of the main reasons I had initially chosen to apply to ASE. I liked a number of things about the program, but the education program had been the first thing that pulled me to it. Thanks in part to friends in Rochester who listened to me rant about ASE and another program that had accepted me, I eventually decided to go to Bath for the semester, which was the best decision I could have made. The students in Year 4 welcomed me with open arms, and I had a fantastic time joining their class every week.
Number of formal essays written: 6 (plus a 40-plus page education portfolio)
That's right, I did take classes this semester. It's called "STUDY" abroad for a reason. I did plenty of reading, took lots of notes, and even learned a few things in the classroom. As torturous as my Shakespeare class was, it taught me quite a bit. My Tudors and Stuarts course was equally as informative, although significantly more enjoyable thanks to a friendlier environment. My favorites by far were the education courses (one theory and one based on our placements) when the seven of us in the education program basically just hung out with Mike Rix and Andrew Butterworth.
Number of cities visited: 19 (spanning 6 countries)
Traveling, whether with the program or for personal reasons, was one of the most fun things I did all semester. I took more train rides than I can count, and saw more landmarks and museums than I'll probably remember. I got a taste of so many incredible places, which only made me want to see more.
Number of blog posts related to my trip: 38
Even though I knew not many people would probably read my blog posts, I was so glad I decided to write about my journey. I would get back from a new place and pour all the memories out. I realized I became a bit of an adjective junky, but I simply couldn't find any other way to describe all I had seen.
Where words failed, my camera at least came closer. So many people have yelled at me for not being in many of my own photos, but as cliche as it sounds, I loved the way that the world looked through the lens of my camera. There were so many moments I wanted to capture, and looking back, I'm so happy I did.
And, of course, the reason you all probably read this post, my grand total.
Number of miles logged: 269.28
I still can't believe all of the experiences I had this semester, or how long it's been since I returned. Looking back to my first summer abroad, I never saw this coming. I never imagined these opportunities, or the wonderful people I would meet along my journeys.
Here's to my next 4 amazing years.
Here's to my next 4 amazing years.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
A Temporary Home, Part II
In the first part of this post, I focused on the officially sanctioned activities I've been participating in while I'm in Bath. Of course, those don't make a home on their own. The most memorable moments of the places I've called home have been the interactions I've had with people. Friends, teachers/professors, neighbors, they all play a role in making a place feel like home.
I mentioned the knitting circle and choir I joined, which have both exposed me to new people, but "home" isn't a once-a-week activity. "Home" is stopping for coffee or grabbing a bite to eat. It's going on an adventure and knowing exactly where you're going back to when it's all said and done. Some of my favorite moments this semester have been creating a home within the program by getting out and hanging out with people. There have been a few stand-out moments, to which this post is dedicated.
1. Galentine's Day
To those of you unfamiliar with Galentine's Day, it happens on February 13, the day before Valentine's Day. While the 14th is about going out with your significant other, the day before is a chance to leave the boys behind and go out with all the girls. Because our program is almost all girls (we have 47 girls and only 6 boys) we decided that this would be a wonderful decision. However, we didn't realize it was Galentine's Day until midmorning! After our first tutorial session on Thursday morning, the ladies of the education programme (there are 7 of us total) went out for tea with Andrew Butterworth, which was when we made this important discovery. As we walked back to Nelson House, we quickly formed a plan to gather as many of the girls as possible for dinner that night. We spoke to our student helpers to find a restaurant that could hold as many of us as were interested in going, and Hadley called ahead to let them know we would be bringing a decent sized group. In the end, 16 ladies turned up for a wonderful night of girls-only bonding over dinner.
2. Sally Lunn's and Bath Abbey Tower Tour
You may have noticed that there was no post this week about my visit to St. Andrews. (If not, guess what? There was no post this week about my visit to St. Andrews!) That was because this week, the students were on holiday for half term, aka they got a week off. All of a sudden, we had a day to spend doing whatever it was that pleased us. Megan, Hadley and I decided to grab lunch at Sally Lunn's, a local favorite, and then take our obligatory tour of the Bath Abbey Tower. We all indulged in the famous Sally Lunn's Buns as part of our lunches, which were absolutely delicious. We just barely missed the noon tower tour (they leave once an hour), but we were able to get our tickets for the following tour without any trouble. At 1, we started to ascend the 212 steps winding up the tower, which I have to admit was a bit dizzying. We stopped in a few rooms along the way, including the ringing room and the bell chamber, before we reached the top of the tower. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of heights, I had to admit that the view was absolutely incredible. There was something really wonderful about being able to look out and see the city of Bath beneath us.
3. Sushi Night
This Thursday, a group of us piled into Yen Sushi to grab a bite to eat. This was particularly exciting for me, since I had never actually eaten sushi before. I sat near a few more experienced sushi-eaters, who advised me to start with something where I knew all the ingredients, so I stuck to salmon-based sushi for the evening, which I found that I enjoyed. This particular sushi bar was unique in that we were able to pick what we wanted from a conveyor belt instead of ordering, though we could also request specific items if we didn't see them. Different colored plates indicated the prices of the items, and at the end of the night, our bill was determined by the plates sitting before us.
4. Pudding Club
Last semester, Lucie (one of our wonderful student helpers) created a Pudding Club in which everyone could come, bring a dessert, and spend a little time eating and chatting before the week began. Because it was a smashing success, she decided to bring it back this semester, and we started with a theme of "chocolate". Our flat whipped up a pan of brownies and a batch of black bean-chocolate cupcakes, both of which were delicious. The brownies, in fact, were so delicious that we won the prize of "best dessert" for the week! By the end of tasting everything, however, we all went into a bit of a chocolate coma and waited to eat dinner until about 9 o'clock. 100% worth it.
Classes start up again tomorrow morning, so it's just about time for bed. Cheers!
I mentioned the knitting circle and choir I joined, which have both exposed me to new people, but "home" isn't a once-a-week activity. "Home" is stopping for coffee or grabbing a bite to eat. It's going on an adventure and knowing exactly where you're going back to when it's all said and done. Some of my favorite moments this semester have been creating a home within the program by getting out and hanging out with people. There have been a few stand-out moments, to which this post is dedicated.
1. Galentine's Day
To those of you unfamiliar with Galentine's Day, it happens on February 13, the day before Valentine's Day. While the 14th is about going out with your significant other, the day before is a chance to leave the boys behind and go out with all the girls. Because our program is almost all girls (we have 47 girls and only 6 boys) we decided that this would be a wonderful decision. However, we didn't realize it was Galentine's Day until midmorning! After our first tutorial session on Thursday morning, the ladies of the education programme (there are 7 of us total) went out for tea with Andrew Butterworth, which was when we made this important discovery. As we walked back to Nelson House, we quickly formed a plan to gather as many of the girls as possible for dinner that night. We spoke to our student helpers to find a restaurant that could hold as many of us as were interested in going, and Hadley called ahead to let them know we would be bringing a decent sized group. In the end, 16 ladies turned up for a wonderful night of girls-only bonding over dinner.
2. Sally Lunn's and Bath Abbey Tower Tour
You may have noticed that there was no post this week about my visit to St. Andrews. (If not, guess what? There was no post this week about my visit to St. Andrews!) That was because this week, the students were on holiday for half term, aka they got a week off. All of a sudden, we had a day to spend doing whatever it was that pleased us. Megan, Hadley and I decided to grab lunch at Sally Lunn's, a local favorite, and then take our obligatory tour of the Bath Abbey Tower. We all indulged in the famous Sally Lunn's Buns as part of our lunches, which were absolutely delicious. We just barely missed the noon tower tour (they leave once an hour), but we were able to get our tickets for the following tour without any trouble. At 1, we started to ascend the 212 steps winding up the tower, which I have to admit was a bit dizzying. We stopped in a few rooms along the way, including the ringing room and the bell chamber, before we reached the top of the tower. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of heights, I had to admit that the view was absolutely incredible. There was something really wonderful about being able to look out and see the city of Bath beneath us.
3. Sushi Night
This Thursday, a group of us piled into Yen Sushi to grab a bite to eat. This was particularly exciting for me, since I had never actually eaten sushi before. I sat near a few more experienced sushi-eaters, who advised me to start with something where I knew all the ingredients, so I stuck to salmon-based sushi for the evening, which I found that I enjoyed. This particular sushi bar was unique in that we were able to pick what we wanted from a conveyor belt instead of ordering, though we could also request specific items if we didn't see them. Different colored plates indicated the prices of the items, and at the end of the night, our bill was determined by the plates sitting before us.
4. Pudding Club
Last semester, Lucie (one of our wonderful student helpers) created a Pudding Club in which everyone could come, bring a dessert, and spend a little time eating and chatting before the week began. Because it was a smashing success, she decided to bring it back this semester, and we started with a theme of "chocolate". Our flat whipped up a pan of brownies and a batch of black bean-chocolate cupcakes, both of which were delicious. The brownies, in fact, were so delicious that we won the prize of "best dessert" for the week! By the end of tasting everything, however, we all went into a bit of a chocolate coma and waited to eat dinner until about 9 o'clock. 100% worth it.
Classes start up again tomorrow morning, so it's just about time for bed. Cheers!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
A Temporary Home
I realized that I haven't actually written about my day-to-day life in Bath since my classes started. Sure, adventuring is fun, but equally fun is hanging around at home.
That's right, home. I've actually taken to calling Bath "home" for the semester, the same word I used for Rochester for the last 2 and a half years, and the same word I used for Kibbutz Tzuba for a summer in my teens. I know that this is only temporary, but there's something very special about calling it "home." Even 3.5 years later, there is a part of me that feels like Kibbutz Tzuba is exactly where I should be, a part of me that knows I would still feel comfortable there. Even though I love being in Bath, I'm feeling a little homesick for Rochester.
"Home" has meant something different in each case. Some things, however have been constant. One of those has been my academics. Right now, I'm taking three courses. My Monday mornings start with "Education in England," which is definitely my favorite class I'm taking. We spend our time reading and talking about the various nuances of the English education system, which inevitably brings us back to the US education system. Our discussion this week centered on the National Curriculum and the new Core Curriculum. Because the National Curriculum was implemented 20 years ago, England has already been through many of the debates currently going on in the USA. Very interesting, at least to someone like me who's a big fan of policy talks.
After my education class, I go straight to "Mythologising Shakespeare," where my tutor has memorized most of Shakespeare's works. We know this because he will literally spout off quotes in the middle of class. My third and final academic class for the week is on Wednesdays around midday, when I have "Tudor and Stuart England." This tutor is also quite knowledgeable, but he doesn't intimidate us as much, which is a big plus. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to my education placement, since we go into our schools on Tuesdays and then we spend Thursday mornings in tutorials with the wonderful Andrew Butterworth discussing what happened that week and getting ready for what's to come.
If it wasn't already clear, we only meet with our classes once a week, which means that class is 2 hours and then it's time to hit the library! The library at Nelson house is small and cozy, which is perfect since any of the books that we didn't get personal copies of aren't allowed to leave the building. Generally, I've been spending 1-2 hours in the library on class days to get my reading done.
Classes, however, do not make a home, which is why I've been trying hard to explore the city while I'm here. I decided to join two groups within the community while I'm here. The first is called the GASP choir at Bath University. It's very relaxed, which makes it a lot of fun to be in. The name stands for the main genres of music they sing - Gospel, Acapella, Soul and Pop - but they certainly branch out beyond those. The members are all students, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming, so I'm looking forward to socializing with them in the coming weeks and months. The second activity I chose is the local knitting circle, affectionately known as "Stitch and Bitch," so definitely look for a few knitting-centered blog posts in the coming weeks as well.
It's getting late, so look out for part two of this post soon!
That's right, home. I've actually taken to calling Bath "home" for the semester, the same word I used for Rochester for the last 2 and a half years, and the same word I used for Kibbutz Tzuba for a summer in my teens. I know that this is only temporary, but there's something very special about calling it "home." Even 3.5 years later, there is a part of me that feels like Kibbutz Tzuba is exactly where I should be, a part of me that knows I would still feel comfortable there. Even though I love being in Bath, I'm feeling a little homesick for Rochester.
"Home" has meant something different in each case. Some things, however have been constant. One of those has been my academics. Right now, I'm taking three courses. My Monday mornings start with "Education in England," which is definitely my favorite class I'm taking. We spend our time reading and talking about the various nuances of the English education system, which inevitably brings us back to the US education system. Our discussion this week centered on the National Curriculum and the new Core Curriculum. Because the National Curriculum was implemented 20 years ago, England has already been through many of the debates currently going on in the USA. Very interesting, at least to someone like me who's a big fan of policy talks.
After my education class, I go straight to "Mythologising Shakespeare," where my tutor has memorized most of Shakespeare's works. We know this because he will literally spout off quotes in the middle of class. My third and final academic class for the week is on Wednesdays around midday, when I have "Tudor and Stuart England." This tutor is also quite knowledgeable, but he doesn't intimidate us as much, which is a big plus. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to my education placement, since we go into our schools on Tuesdays and then we spend Thursday mornings in tutorials with the wonderful Andrew Butterworth discussing what happened that week and getting ready for what's to come.
If it wasn't already clear, we only meet with our classes once a week, which means that class is 2 hours and then it's time to hit the library! The library at Nelson house is small and cozy, which is perfect since any of the books that we didn't get personal copies of aren't allowed to leave the building. Generally, I've been spending 1-2 hours in the library on class days to get my reading done.
Classes, however, do not make a home, which is why I've been trying hard to explore the city while I'm here. I decided to join two groups within the community while I'm here. The first is called the GASP choir at Bath University. It's very relaxed, which makes it a lot of fun to be in. The name stands for the main genres of music they sing - Gospel, Acapella, Soul and Pop - but they certainly branch out beyond those. The members are all students, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming, so I'm looking forward to socializing with them in the coming weeks and months. The second activity I chose is the local knitting circle, affectionately known as "Stitch and Bitch," so definitely look for a few knitting-centered blog posts in the coming weeks as well.
It's getting late, so look out for part two of this post soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)