Making Moves and Planning Trips

FINALLY. I booked my tickets to travel around Europe!

On September 21 until September 23, my friend Kirsten and I are traveling to Edinburgh, Scotland! If you’re not sure where it is, click here for a map. I’ve never been too gung-ho about going to Scotland, but it’s going to be a beautiful trip. We’re staying in a hostel in a perfect location and ridiculously close to Edinburgh Castle. We were told to go to a Sky Bar while we’re there, so that’s definitely on our list of adventures. The train ride is between 5-6 hours, and I’m actually excited for it; a long travel up to Northern England and Scotland is going to be stunning. Originally on the weekend we’re going to Scotland, a few of us were originally going to go to Paris, but if I leave later, I’ll be able to crash where my friend Nicole is living! You always have to opt for the cheapest (but at the same time, reliable and safe) option while traveling, since it all adds up and can get very expensive.

In mid-October after our two finals, we have a 5-day long break. My friends and I are traveling to Rome for 2 1/2 days, and Venice for 2 days! I’ve been to Florence before, as I said in my last post, but Rome and Venice are two completely different places. I actually thought Rome and Venice were a lot closer, but they’re actually on completely different sides of the country! Florence is land-locked and located in the hilly Tuscany, while Rome and Venice are both on or close to water with very different atmospheres (from what I hear). We took our nerd-status to the extreme and checked out an Italian travel guide for the best places to go, eat, shop, explore, etc. It’s going to be a great trip! We’re also taking a train from Rome to Venice, which will also be a great part of the trip. Isn’t it the best when the actual traveling part is just as exciting as the rest of the trip? Also, other people in the BU program have awesome trips planned as well; some are going to Greece, Spain, and even Africa!

Looking ahead, I’m definitely traveling to Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Prague. My friend actually found a great weekend trip to Amsterdam and Bruges, two beautiful, quaint (sorry, that was the best word I could think of) cities. Because you don’t need too much time in either of the cities, it’ll be a great, but speedy, weekend trip. I have friends in Paris, Dublin, and Prague, so hopefully housing will be taken care of! And Barcelona… well, let’s be honest. What college student wouldn’t want to go there?

 

In other news…

Today was our first day of our Elective A class. As I believe I mentioned in another post, I’m taking “Writing in Today’s Britain: Meet The Writer.” So far, we’ve read Stephen Brown’s play, “Future Me.” It’s a crazy, bizarre play, but definitely compelling. One awesome thing about the class is that we do get to actually meet the authors, and part of our class is to interview the author when they come in. Tomorrow, my job will be to interview Stephen Brown! I found his play somewhat disturbing, but really intriguing, so hopefully it’s a decent interview. We’re reading plays, a memoir, two novels, and poems. It should be a really great class! 

This week is our first full week of classes, so we’re all hoping it gets us more into the swing of things with schedules and what not; so this week will kind of be a slow week. This weekend, I’m going to Oxford and Blenheim Palace, the palace where Winston Churchill was born in the 1870’s. Hopefully I’ll get to do some more exploring of London on Friday and Sunday. I could so get used to this whole three-day weekend thing…

14 Days

Until I leave for London!!

Two weeks, 14 days, 336 hours. It all seems a little far away, but I know the time will come before I know it. I couldn’t be more excited to start this new adventure. Although this summer has been full of great experiences and memories, I’m definitely ready for a new chapter and for change!

The last time I was in London was in 2005, and I was only there for a few days as a “pit stop” on my way to Greece with my family; that definitely wasn’t enough time to learn about the city. Now, I’ll be spending 3 1/2 months there… I’d say that’s an upgrade.

Fortunately, I’ve had experience living abroad before, which helps with my nervousness. In 2008, I spent all of July living in Nice, France in the Côte D’Azur through the Academic Study Associations (ASA) program. It was such an amazing opportunity, and I’m so happy to be able to spend another part of my life abroad.

I’ve always loved traveling, and it’s been a major part of my life since I was young. My parents took me to Paros, Greece where my mom and her family are from for the first time when I was three. My longest flight was a 16-hour flight to Hong Kong in March 2010, and my shoretst have been the 40-minute Boston to New York (or vice versa) flights over the past few years. I’ve been all over the country and to Central America, Europe, and Asia.

This is Piso Livadi in Paros, Greece, where my mom’s family is from. My brother took this picture back in July 2010.

There’s just something about being out of the country, or even in a new part of the country, that makes me appreciate the world more. Maybe it’s trying all of the new food (and as I blog more, you’ll easily see how much I LOVE food!), or it might be the languages and accents I hear walking around, or even how fashion changes from city to city. Whatever it is, I love being a part of a new place in the world, and learning about the culture. Traveling is something that I’ll definitely take advantage of while abroad, and for the rest of my life. Check out my About Me section to see where I hope to travel to.

Well, that’s about it for my first actual post! Check in again soon!