There’s something happening outside of my window this morning. As usual, there’s a brisk chill, light clouds streak across the horizon threatening to encompass the sky and bring with them the usual daily rain. But for now, there seems to be warmth. It is an illusion of course. It’s near freezing, despite being almost April. But the sun illuminates the stark, leaf-less trees and reminds me what natural light is like. It’s fleeting, to be sure. In a few hours, it will be dark again, from the rain and clouds. So I sit in my living room with a hot cup of coffee, bask in the warmth of the sun streaming through my window and soak it in before it leaves. This gift of light makes me irrationally happy. Continue reading
Category Archives: Europe
St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin: A Bird’s Eye View
I didn’t know how big of a deal St. Patrick’s day was in the United States before moving to Dublin. Perhaps I was generally aware, or it’s not as celebrated on the west coast, or I was spending last year’s prepping to fly to Nepal to begin my summer in Asia and was more concerned about not forgetting something to notice the day. In any case, I vaguely knew that people in the US regard this holiday with quite a bit of enthusiasm and dedication. Or what’s more, that spending the day in Dublin is on many bucket lists. So, I was curious what it would be like here. I had heard stories of absurd debauchery and was mildly concerned about dealing with a city full of drunken tourists-I had also heard most Irish people stay locked in or flee the city. Regardless, it would be interesting. Continue reading
Rome: Just for Tourists?
The three of us sat in the back of a defunct army jeep abandoned near one of our favorite bars. My good friend, and fellow volunteer had met, as we would later call him “the Italian” a few nights prior. As we sipped Serengeti beer in the warmth of an East African evening, we asked him, in broken spanish mixed with english about his life. Later, as a whirlwind romance would develop between them they would spend evenings on his porch speaking in the same, strange mix of languages that allowed them to communicate. She was young, and enamored. He said he was from Rome. We gushed our love for Italy, though neither of us had visited, but dearly wanted to. He scoffed, and told us, “go to Italy, do not go to Rome-it is for tourists. You won’t like it.” But, what about all the history? The Colosseum, the Vatican? Surely, the food must be fabulous! We tried to pry one positive feeling about Rome, a city we had both very much wanted to see. He shrugged and changed the topic, his distaste for his home city clear in his demeanor.
Spring Break for “Adults”: Gran Canaria, Spain
The best part of moving to Europe to attend grad school, surprisingly, has not been travel. Or school. Or even, living in Europe.
Instead, what has made this all worth while, and granting me some of my fondest life memories has been the result of meeting three women.
These women, who I now count as some of my closest friends, has been an unbelievable gift. I generally have a hard time making and keeping girlfriends. The ones I do have meant the world to me, and while I very much believe in quality over quantity I had generally given up on the prospect of having a strong group of girlfriends in my life. And given that I’ve moved around the world so much in the past half decade, I accept that my friends will be spread around the world. A blessing, certainly, but also a bit lonely at times. Continue reading
Colliding With The Earth 