fresh new eyes

PHEW.

That pretty much sums up my life for the past few weeks. travel travel travel. That's what I've been doing and it has been such an exciting burden. The weekend right after Italy, I went to Madrid, Spain with a couple of the Americans. The city was packed with American franchises - Dunkin' Donuts (or should I say Dunkin' Coffee), Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, etc. It was a sight for sore eyes. Who would've thought that I would miss American coffee and greasy chicken? We didn't just eat American things, of course. We also had the chance to eat traditional paella, tapas, and Sangria. All in all, a great trip.

This past weekend, I went to London, England and met Yuna there. It was a very short trip (we basically only had one day), but we did most of everything we wanted to do. Harrod's, Buckingham Palace, double-decker buses, SoHo, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower Bridge, and the Tate Modern Museum. Hearing English was music to my ears. It was so familiar and comforting. The funny thing, though, is that when Yuna and I were getting a little lost, we kept forgetting that we had the option to ask somebody and expect to receive an answer in our native tongue. We have been so used to relying on ourselves to look up streets on the map because it is such a struggle with foreign languages. We actually asked less people for directions in London than any other city we were in. We still managed to find everything we wanted to see and do that day. And another weird thing is when I overheard speaking French, that sounded more familiar to me than English. I think I am getting really comfortable with listening to conversational French. Now, if only I could speak as well.. But that's another story.

Impressions of London:
-Prices are daunting
-Many American franchises (YAY! Starbucks holiday cups are out)
-The roads were confusing (opposite!)
-The public Tube transportation was unreliable and inefficient
-The bus was better
-Architecture is amazing
-Innovative window displays
-Many advertisements for theatre
-The accent is great. So classy
-It was so festive! Holiday lights and music all around...
-The weather was cold & gloomy. Not a ray of sun

London was love at first sight, but I think after I experienced a day of the awful weather and the messy transportation system, it made me rethink my impressions of the city. But overall, London is one of my favorite cities. There is a lot to do and you can easily find your way around without burning a hole in your wallet. My cousin lived there for a year so she sent me a whole list of things to do and see, so that was really helpful. The Tate Modern Museum was the perfect way to end the trip. It is a free museum - 7 floors (3 of which are used for shops and restaurants) of art. Bliss. Joan Miró is my favorite artist of the moment. His style is very unique, organic, and playful. I kept being drawn to his works of art without realizing it was him. Other artists that were in the galleries included Picasso, Francis Bacon, Francis Picablia, and Mark Rothko.

After traveling weekend after weekend after weekend, I haven't been in Lyon on a Sunday since about a month. Sundays are usually the days when everyone gets their lives together - chores, blog entries, updating photo albums, and hanging out at the apartment. Although I didn't get any sleep on Saturday night, I came back to Lyon in the morning and came home to find out that some friends were going out to the flea market. I tagged along and loved it. It was all very overwhelming and there were a lot of great things, but not good enough for me to buy. But near the end of our time there, I found the cutest plate and teacup/saucer set. "The cow watches as the trains go by..." I've been using it everyday since. :) Sunday night was another usual dinner night for my roommates, a few friends, and I. We somehow always end up cooking a feast even though we always say that only one person should cook at a time. Well, we all love cooking, so we can't help it. After dinner, we were just sitting in the kitchen (aka the common room) and talking. We were joking around about an advertising project my roommate had to do and it got hysterically out of control. I kept laughing until my stomach hurt. Simple moments like that remind me of how much I love the people in my apartment. 20 very different Americans chosen to live in one apartment for four months. We always label this experience the Real World: Lyon Edition. It's a very fun and interesting experience. By living with friends, I am getting to know them at a much deeper level. I am really happy with how well my friendships are developing.

Yesterday night, the unthinkable happened. I got swept away in the wave of homesickness that's been going around the apartment. I am usually occupying myself with other things so I don't have to think about home. And that way, I can just focus on the now and make the most of what is in front of me. But yesterday, I just felt a huge weight on my heart because I was thinking about the upcoming holidays and my family and friends back in the states. I called my mom and we had a really good conversation (despite the awful internet that kept disconnecting my Skype). She told me she already bought the turkey and they are making a small dinner this year. I wanted to be transported home so I could help make all the side dishes and the pies. Thanksgiving is a really special holiday for my family and not being there to share it with them saddens me. But we already made plans to reenact Thanksgiving dinner during winter break so that is something to look forward to. And also, we have a few Thanksgiving plans here in Lyon, so I have nothing to worry about. Well, after the phone call with my mom, I was a little homesick but after talking to my roommate, Claire, I got pulled out of it again. She was telling me about the great conversation she had with two other friends, Mike and Chris. They were talking about the semester and how unique of an experience we have; we can travel to the same countries and places and with friends and family, but never again will we have the chance to live together and experience this together. Like... THIS IS IT. What we have in front of us is something we will never get again. That just really hit me. After realizing how few days we have left in France, it is making me want to run around Lyon with everybody, creating memories that will be cherished forever. It stirred up a new motivation in me and it is making me look at everything with fresh new eyes. I still have a month left, but I can completely agree with when people say that studying abroad is an experience of a lifetime. It is an indescribable opportunity that helps you grow as a person that would have been tough to discover otherwise. It definitely opens doors and opportunities in ways more than one.



“Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves” - Euripides