October 2013 – Page 3 – GW Blogs from Abroad

¡A PUPPY!

AdminOctober 8, 2013December 14, 2018

The best parts of studying abroad are the firsts- first visit to a new city, first conversation after meeting someone new, first time trying a new food. The "firsts" and the "newness" of everything is exciting, especially the firsts that you don't see coming. My favorite, and perhaps most unexpected, "first" since arriving here in Spain has been the addition of a PUPPY to the apartment where I live (I say PUPPY because it's super exciting and deserves to be in all caps).

One of my roommates decided that she was ready to become the proud owner of a dog and went out and bought one. Luckily, myself and the two other girls I live with are dog people. Or, at least, I was pretty sure I was a dog person, having only ever owned cats in my life. Hence, the big "first" of living with a dog.

1236253_10200940550210759_287659839_n — Curro, the cutest dog in Pamplona

The dog's name is Curro, which can either mean "work" or "cocky." It's kind of a cheeky name, but it suits the little guy. He's extremely playful and adorable, but also a lot of work. For example, he's not exactly potty-trained yet, and his favorite activity is taking paper out of the trashcan and ripping it to shreds in the living room. But just when you're about to get angry, he looks at you and tilts his head to one side as if to say, "What? I'm a puppy, I'm too young to know better!" So I usually end up chastising him and quickly going back to thinking he's the cutest thing ever. He knows it, and prances off to find something to chew on or a new hidden corner to do his "business" in.

Curro is, without a doubt, the most popular dog in Pamplona. When my roommates and I go to have a coffee at the cafe across the street, he always comes and all the students returning from classes at the university stop to say hello. Curro sits patiently in everyone's laps and allows himself to be petted and fawned over. It's a hard life, obviously. He'll probably end up being the most spoiled dog in all of Spain, between living with four girls and constantly receiving attention from everyone. But he's just so darn cute!

In addition to being cute, he is extremely intelligent. We have decided that he will learn all of his tricks in English and Spanish, in an effort to stimulate him intellectually. I have been given the task of teaching him English, and he is a very adept student. I'm sure he'll be bilingual in no time.

Curro (though technically not my dog, but we can pretend since we live in the same apartment) is my favorite "first" that I have experienced so far in Spain. I am now positive that I am a dog person, but even more than that, I'm a Curro person.

An Unpolitical American’s Guide to Scottish Politics

AdminOctober 8, 2013December 14, 2018

By nmbutler3

With all the political uproar about the government shutdown occupying the news both back home in the States and even here in the UK, I figured it’d be a good time to finally familiarize myself with the current state of political affairs here Scotland, especially since Edinburgh is the capital. I also figured it was about time I find out what all the “Independent Socialist Scotland” and unionist posters that coat telephone booths, news boxes and alley walls throughout the city meant. So, here is what I’ve found out in my week of on-the-ground research:

Basic Set-up of UK v. Scottish Political Structure:

1. Scotland, although its own country, is part of the UK and Great Britain.

1a. Great Britain includes England, Scotland, Whales and Northern Ireland.

1b. British does NOT equate to English, but rather anyone from Great Britain. In fact, a lot of people, especially younger generations, identify as British over a specific country ethnicity, like Scottish or Welsh, because there is so much overlap and movement of people across borders within the UK.

2. Although much of Scottish policy comes from the British parliament in London, Scotland also has its own devolved parliament that operates here in Edinburgh in an iconic building.

2a. The Parliamentary building does not contain a single right angle, interior and exterior structure included.

3. Despite a semi-independent government, Scotland still receives a significant portion of its funding from the British government.

Current Affairs & The Referendum:

1. The message behind the posters, is the coming referendum for independence that Scotland is in the process of deciding upon. This is easily the biggest issue on the political plate here and a topic of heated debate almost anywhere you go.

1a. The referendum would declare Scotland an independent state from the United Kingdom and Great Britain, similar to Ireland.

1b. Talks of the referendum first seriously began in 2007, and the actual vote for independence will take place on September 18, 2014.

1c. The Referendum Bill is possible because “Royal Assent” will be given, meaning essentially that it is the decision of the Scottish Parliament, rather than the British Parliament.

2. In November, the official White Paper, as well as the unionist proposals will be published.

3. The vote is split, but it’s very difficult to determine just how evenly it is split.

3a. The young vote will be key for both sides, similar to the importance of the young vote in the 2008 presidential election.

3b. Because of this, residents need only be 16 to vote.

3c. Not all young Scots want independence. Take my flatmate for example. She is very much against it, both economically and nationalistically, as she considers herself British more than Scottish.

4. You can vote as on the referendum as long as you are a current resident of Scotland, which includes 366, 755 English-born citizens, as well as 32,049 Northern Irish and 15,120 Welsh-born citizens.

4a. If you were born in Scotland, but currently live elsewhere in the UK, you cannot vote. That includes nearly 800,000 Scottish-born individuals.

5. The bill only needs more than 50% of the vote to pass. There is no turnout requirement.

I still haven’t figured out all the details, so I can’t make much of an opinion on the matter, but it is definitely one of the more difficult aspects of everyday Scottish life to relate to. The referendum is a daily conversation for a lot of people here, even if they are not very political, but it is difficult to relate anything similar actually happening in the US; just imagine a state voting to remove itself from the country. Sure, there are petitions and jokes that Texas and other states will succeed, but to take those notions as a serious option is somehow unfathomable.

Rocking the Daisies

AdminOctober 7, 2013December 14, 2018

By tinavisc

This past weekend was spent at Rocking the Daisies, an annual music festival held about 1.5 hours outside of Cape Town. Youngsters, Oldsters, and everyone between gather for 4 days of rockin', rollin', and campin' on the Cloof wine estate in beautiful Darling, South Africa. Besides the gale-force winds, the weekend couldn't have been more perfect. What stuck out to me was the diversity of the crowd, much like that of Cape Town. Different races and religions joined together garbed in a rainbow of neon socks and face paint to celebrate music and that joie-de-vivre. As an American in the crowd of the Daisies festival, I stood out more than I expected, and certainly more than I do around my university's campus. Upon hearing my American accent, many South Africans around me and my fellow Americans were suddenly inundated with inquiries as to our nationality. I suppose many foreigners stick to the major cities when traveling around South Africa, so our presence was as much a surprise to them as their interest was a surprise to us. All in all, the festival was similar to those in the States.

We battled the wind to keep our tents together and upright, we were denied showers for four days, we cooked bacon and eggs on a burner the size of a candle, we lost shoes and cash, but we were reminded of our humanity in this world -something so valuable to remember so far from home.

A “Nice” way to start fall break

AdminOctober 7, 2013December 14, 2018

By stlake

I know this isn’t an original title. I’m sure all of you, even those of you who didn’t know I went to Nice, France this past weekend, figured it out. Hopefully I get more creative as I write. The Nice Airport isn’t exactly a place of inspiration, especially if your flight is delayed two hours…

I can honestly say Nice is the most beautiful place I have been in my life. The Old Town had buildings of every color, little winding streets, cobblestone roads and a fresh farmers market everyday. It’s right on the water with a port with yachts you dream of owning someday. One of my best friends, Madeline met me there from the GW Paris program. We were moved from our original hostel days before travel, but the one we ultimately stayed in was actually better. Except for our toilet paper dispenser…let me explain. It was the normal metal dispenser, just like you see in your basic public restroom. But, the front of it wasn’t locked. So as I was sitting there, it flung open and hit me in the face. I now have a nice little cut and bruise on the bridge of my nose. Between the piece of urchin in my foot (yup, it’s still there-reference the last post) and this bruise, you guys must be concerned about me. I’ve never been one for normal injuries but even these are surprising me. I promise to be more careful.

But besides the violent toilet paper dispenser, the Villa Saint Expuery was clean, had Wi-Fi and a shower with good water pressure. These amenities are all you can ask for in hostel as a young student studying abroad and traveling on a budget. What is more important is the location; and it was a quick walk from the Old Town, the port and the beach. I would definitely recommend it.

My favorite site in Nice was the Parc de Chateau. It was a breathtaking, woodsy walk up a mountain. There were gorgeous views of all of Nice and all the way at the top, there was a man-made waterfall. I'm thinking of making a Tumblr of pictures soon, so stay tuned!

The #YOLO moment of the trip was when I tried mussels and clams for the first time. For those of you who don’t know, I have a phobia of eating anything from the ocean. I don’t know if it’s the smell, the saltiness or just the fact that one time when I was 7, I threw up after eating salmon. Who knows, but it’s been about 15 years since I had anything fishy. And, I’m pretty sure that was a fish stick, so it doesn’t really count. But Madeline was craving them all day and ordered an overwhelming amount for dinner. I hesitantly tried them and I have to admit, they were not bad at all. They tasted like extra salty meat. So far abroad, I have tried and liked calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams. I still can’t stand tuna but hey, baby steps.

The only downside to Nice is that everything is extremely expensive. Alicante definitely has me spoiled; I don’t pay for any meals and Mama Dominga’s cooking is great and I never go hungry (literally, she makes me eat every 2 hours. She is definitely close to her ultimate goal to make me a gordita [see post #1 for explanation]). Also in terms of going out, the normal drink in Alicante is 3 euro. In Nice, 7 euro was the average price which led me to spend 15-20 euro on dinner each night. Luckily, Madeline and I discovered the McDonalds to have the chicest breakfasts of bacon and egg McMuffins and coffee.

We also traveled in Monaco for a day trip a la Selena Gomez in Monte Carlo. Most of you might be more familiar with Monaco in terms of James Bond, but I’ve always wanted to be a Disney Channel Star pre young adult breakdown (#prayforMiley) so, I’m gonna go with this analogy. It was just as beautiful as people say and the wealth was out of control; the nicest cars on the roads and the most beautiful gems in the store windows. Madeline and I even brought some jewelry; wrap bracelets made by this local woman who was extremely sweet. I even got her business card and she said I can order them for friends in the states! So now I can say I own jewelry from Monaco. No it’s not a diamond or any other stone, but let me live the dream for a little ok?

Next stop on my Fall Break Extravaganza; Rome, Italy to channel the sanest of Disney Channel child stars, Hilary Duff in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Until next time loyal readers xo

Talking Politics

AdminOctober 6, 2013December 14, 2018

By kathleenmccarthy1

As much as I love GW, I often find myself, as many of my fellow Washingtonians do, getting just a little tired of the way that politics can constantly invade other aspects of our everyday lives. This is truer than ever in wake of the government shutdown. As expected, coming to Ireland has provided a break from the type of intense political divides that we can often see in the US. However, what has surprised me most about Ireland is not just that it has its own deeply divisive political matters, but that people with differing views are actually able to coexist with each knowing full well that the people around them don’t agree with them even remotely.

When I arrived in Ireland, the nation was on the eve of a referendum vote to abolish the Seanad, which is one of the houses of the Irish Parliament. The Seanad has weaker powers than the Dail, the other house in Ireland’s parliament and can’t actually veto any legislation, just delay it. Abolishing the Seanad would reduce the number of politicians and subsequently free up funds to replenish Ireland’s struggling economy. During the 2011 election for Taioseach, or Irish Prime Minister, the Fine Gael party promised that if they were to take office, they would pursue a referendum to abolish the Seanad. When the Fine Gael candidate, Enda Kenny, won the election, his administration continued with the agenda to hold the referendum to have the Seanad abolished, which was scheduled for October 4^th. Throughout Ireland, you could see posters advocating both the abolition of the Seanad (produced by the Fine Gael party for the most part) as well as some advocating for the continuation of the Seanad (largely produced by the Fianna Fail party). When I participated in a homestay for a weekend, the family that I stayed with shared with me that they were in favor of getting rid of the Seanad because, they found it to be a waste of money when it had, what many considered, little impact on governance. My Irish roommate also mentioned that she would be voting in favor of abolishing the Seanad and said that it was very likely that most Irish people would vote that way as well.

I also had some lecturers weigh in on the referendum as the vote loomed closer. For example, my political science lecturer is actually an adjunct lecturer who works full time as a lobbyist. He is currently working on the campaign to keep the Seanad. As we were leaving class the day before the referendum, he actually stopped all of us before we could leave the room to hand us some literature on this issue and asked us to vote in favor of keeping it. My history professor also asked our class who would be voting in the upcoming referendum. Since my history class is filled predominantly with visiting students from other countries, only about five people in the class raised their hands. He then asked them who would be voting to keep it and who would be voting to abolish it, with both groups answering by a show of hands. After asking this question, he just went back to lecturing without using the referendum as any sort of jumping off point.

There are a number of things that I find striking about the referendum. The first is the fact that in just a little over two years, a bill to abolish one of the parliamentary houses and drastically change the constitution has been drafted, published, approved by the government and brought to an official vote without any interference. I’m also amazed that such large-scale government changes can be enacted so fast. Were Fine Gael to be successful in this referendum, Ireland would go from having a two-house parliament to a one-house parliament, just like that. Another thing that strikes me about the whole situation is that it isn’t taboo to talk about it at all. A professor distributing materials on a political campaign he is personally involved with and could benefit from would be considered highly inappropriate in the US, but here no one had a problem with it at all. Everyone in the class just politely accepted and said “Thank you.” If a professor asked his students to share how they would be voting in an upcoming election openly in class, it would be at least somewhat controversial and even be called unethical by some. I was also struck by the fact that there were people literally sitting right next to each other who openly admitted that they would be voting differently and no comments were made whatsoever. No snide remarks, nothing offensive, no dirty looks. No one seemed to have any problem with the people around them having an opinion that completely opposes theirs.

In the end, the Irish government ended up retaining the Seanad after an incredibly close vote with 51.7% of voters in favor of keeping it and 48.3% wishing to abolish it. Even though I won’t be able to say that I lived in Ireland when the Seanad was abolished, being here for this important election has not just helped me in learning how the Irish government is structured, but also about Irish political culture and how people here approach politics.

Settling In

AdminOctober 6, 2013December 14, 2018

By nlgyon

For adventurers like me, the first few days in a new place are exciting, and the newer the place, the longer it stays exciting. I think recently thoughI've reached a turning point where the excitement that accompanies the unknown is starting to wear off, and what shows through this fading layer of excitement are the inevitable lows that make up a real, whole experience. I'm sliding into a routine, which is good for productivity, but makes for a pretty forgettable, boring experience. I've started to use English more readily just because sometimes it's easier for all parties involved in the interaction, which in the end just makes me feel like I'm wasting my time, and that I'm failing to meet my biggest goal. Finally, I'm starting to really miss some things about home (good milk, unlimited fast internet, proximity to grocery stores and restaurants, and more), and even more importantly I'm really starting to miss some people. Life abroad isn't a vacation--you still have good days and bad days.

A lot of times you'll talk to someone that has studied abroad and of course their trip was so awesome, they loved it, etc. People give these types of answers partially out of convenience, because it's impossible to accurately sum up 16 weeks in a small conversation, but also because no one really wants to hear anything negative. It puts them in an uncomfortable position; the listener for some reason feels obliged to comfort someone when they hear they had a negative experience, and feels bad that they had to experience it.

Despite sliding into some of these not-so-amazing parts of studying abroad, I know that they are good for me in the long run because they're not permanent downsides of life--they'll just take some gumption or a change in perspective to overcome. Breaking my routine will help me learn to be more spontaneous. Becoming more persistent in my Arabic usage will yield much better language skills. Letting go of creature comforts will help me be less materialistic and focus on the important things, like friends and family. I don't think I'll stop missing them, but in the end missing them will be a positive experience because of the appreciation I'll have gained for them. I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that expresses a very important but very overlooked idea:

"I actually attack the concept of happiness. The idea that - I don’t mind people being happy - but the idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness. It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down 3 things that made you happy today before you go to sleep”, and “cheer up” and “happiness is our birthright” and so on. We’re kind of teaching our kids that happiness is the default position - it’s rubbish. Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don’t teach us much. Everyone says we grow through pain and then as soon as they experience pain they say “Quick! Move on! Cheer up!” I’d like just for a year to have a moratorium on the word “happiness” and to replace it with the word “wholeness”. Ask yourself “is this contributing to my wholeness?” and if you’re having a bad day, it is."

-Hugh Mackay

Differences between Exchanges and Domestics

AdminOctober 6, 2013December 14, 2018

By arosema93

One thing that has stood out to me during my exchange experience is the difference between domestic students (Aussies) and international students (like me). While they all seem to like each other and get along there is definitely a divide between the two groups, at least at the college I live in. My college is comprised of 40% international students, so it is already a unique community in that way. However, it means that most of the domestic students here have friends or a best friend who has left after being here only a semester or a year. As a result, many tend to drift towards friendships that will be around for a longer term. While unfortunate, it does make sense. Luckily as an exchange student here for a year I have had much more success in breaking down the barrier and making friends with all groups of people. Another reason behind it is that the exchange students simply live by a bit of a different lifestyle. Because they are not from here, they are much keener to travel and explore around Australia. Also, exchange students classes only count for transfer credit and not for grades, leading them to typically not care as much about schooling or spend as much time on it. Whereas, being the best uni in Australia, all the domestic students take their studies quite seriously as they worked very hard to get here. This means that the exchange students all have much more time to hang out together and form a closer knit group. However, because the Aussies are here for their full degree, while they don’t care as much about seeing everything, they care more about the community and are much more involved. This leads to a difference where domestic students spend their free time helping out around college, playing sports, or working a job, while international students spend their free time traveling and having fun. Also, exchanges tend to be much more friendly and outgoing. For most of them, a major reason to go on exchange is meeting tons of new and different people from different cultures. Not many antisocial people seem to study abroad, and they also have the ability to bond over differences in culture while Australians can bond over mutual friends and their hometowns and stuff. All these reasons amount to a sort of divide between the two groups, but there are definitely many exceptions to this as well. Also, I can only speak for my own college, not others. Despite this, I have managed to meet and make friends with many Australians still, as well as many internationals and I believe it is safe to say that they are all amazing and have made my exchange experience great so far!

An Accidental Bonus

AdminOctober 4, 2013December 14, 2018

By mtumasz

Kia Ora!

So my friends and I went to a quaint little beach town last weekend in New Zealand. In this place called Tauranga, we had made our plans to do some hiking, some chilling by the beach, and visiting some waterfalls. While we were there, we got an added bonus. The weekend we were there, there was a town festival going on!

One day, we stumbled upon a farmers market that was filled with yummy local foods. Plus, there were tons of free samples, which was our favorite part. Farmers markets in the states are fun, but this one had different local foods that you wouldn't really find at a typical market in America. Quiches, unique meat pies, and locally-grown dried fruit, just to name a few. It was a great way to kill a couple hours and take in the local products.

That night, some locals told us of a fireworks show that was going on. So we walked down to the beach and watched fireworks over the beach.

Also, the local art gallery was offering free admission that weekend in honor of the festival. So my friends and I popped in there and were able to see some really cool paintings and sculptures from a couple New Zealand artists. Definitely different from American artwork, but still cool, nonetheless.

We had no expectations for this festival, but it turned out to be awesome. Everything was free; live entertainment, food samples, and fireworks, it was a great weekend.

So, key point from this post, definitely check out local activities if you happen to be around. It could be hit or miss, but it's a great way to experience local culture and learning about the surrounding area. Check the local paper to see what's going on. Also check your university to see if there are any free shows or events going on then.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Merideth

72 Hours of Solitude

AdminOctober 1, 2013December 14, 2018

By stlake

This weekend was pretty quiet here in Alicante. The frat boys of Denison were off dominating Oktoberfest and Chloe, Al and Audrey took the opportunity to travel as well. So I used the weekend to mostly run errands and write postcards. Family, you’ll be getting them soon. Lovers and friends, you guys will be the next batch, not to worry. But, the weekend wasn’t really spent in solitude. By now, y’all know I love a good cultural reference/play on words. I really just wanted to give my boy Gabriel Garcia Marquez a shout-out because I brought the book “100 Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad)” today and I’m going try reading it in Spanish, wish me luck! So here are the two highlights of the weekend aka the hours not spent in solitude:

Saturday night, the remainder of the crew, Kelly, Evan, Becky and I went to get some tapas. While the food wasn’t great and me and Kelly’s mojitos tasted like soap, there was live music! They played some good ol’ Spanish guitar and salsa, which was very cool. But the cherry on top was when the band started to play “Play that Funky Music”. Just hearing the man sing, “Play that funky music white boyyy” in a Spanish accent and watching all the Spaniards bust a move like it was 1985 was amazing. That song is definitely a staple for a Lake Family dance party and always reminds me of my dad and brother. #itsthelittlethings
Sunday, Kelly, Evan and I headed to Tabarca, an island about an hour off the coast of Alicante. We were excited for a day of relaxation and snorkeling. The ferry seemed to be crawling rather than cruising across the Mediterranean but we got there as the clouds began to cover the bright sun. But the lack of sun did not take away from the beauty of the island at all. The coast was rocky, with underwater caves and the buildings were small, and quaint. As soon as we got there, we walked all the way down into the pueblo (town), in search of snorkel gear. We found the mask and the snorkel, but could not find the flippers. But, not to fear because we found water shoes…or so I thought. About 1 minute into my first venture snorkeling, I stepped on a sea urchin. The needles went through the water shoe and into my heel. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to pull the needles out of my foot. I don’t have a very high pain tolerance but I tried to be a big girl; I got most of the needles out except for one. And in a fit of rage, I threw the water shoes into the ocean…6 euros down the drain. I apologize to the environment for polluting the beautiful ocean blue, but I was bleeding and angry. While at home, I would have let an injury like this stop me, I decided to go back out into the water. And, I was so happy I did because it was like Finding Nemo down there; fish of every color, swimming past rock and coral. The goggles were pretty much junk too, seeing as they filled with salt water that burnt my eyes every 5 minutes, but don’t worry, I didn’t through those into the ocean. We ended the day with a very fishy paella and watching the sunset. It was great day and Tabarca is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life!

I’m sure you are all waiting with bated breath to hear what happened to the last sea urchin needle. Well, after we finished snorkeling, we met up with other CIEE Alicante students who tried to help my bloody foot. First, they burned my skin in order to sanitize it and then tried to scrape out the needle with a credit card. It sounds a lot worse than it was, as many of you know, I can be a bit dramatic. Thanks for the help Ryan and Ali!

But, later than night, after a failed attempt to pull it out with tweezers, the battle of the sea urchin needle continued. And while I was trying to be a big girl, I caved back into my old ways and whined to my mom on the phone that night. She suggested I tape a potato to my foot and leave it overnight because the enzymes in the potato can break down whatever is still in my skin. But, I didn’t want to have to tell Mama Dominga because she can be a bit over dramatic when it comes to my health. I probably would have ended up in the emergency room with her by my side in tears. So late that night, I crept into the kitchen on the hunt for a potato but to no avail. So the little needle is still stuck in my heel-I’ve decided to keep it there as a memory of the good times in Tabarca.

Also, apologies Ev for not using the genius title “A Taste of Tabarca”. I just needed a more encompassing title for the weekend, ja feel? Hopefully no hard feelings, it was still a stroke of genius.

Up next: My fall break extravaganza! Going to the South of France with my friend Madeline from GW and then off to Rome and Florence to visit my friends Carolyn and KC from high school! I will try to make a few posts that week about my travels so stay tuned!

Peace, love and Beyoncé. (I know this week’s post wasn’t about Queen B, but let’s face it, everyday is about Queen B.)

New states of mind

AdminOctober 1, 2013December 14, 2018

By nlgyon

In the absence of any great adventures, I'd like to describe a useful “skill” I'm acquiring that I think will continue to make my life easier when I return. As a student, you're forced to have decent time management skills. Ensuring that I finish my homework, internalize class material, go to work, maintain my social life and organizational responsibilities, and remember to feed myself takes a bit of foresight. But I slumped into a routine of having a plan in my head of exactly how my day will go. And it usually went that way; when it didn't, I was bothered.

But since I've been in Amman I've learned to let that go a little bit. There are so many more variables here I don't have control over. For example, there are some times on some days you can't count on getting a cab to certain parts of the city. Living outside of a well-organized grid with everything labeled on Google Maps turns finding simple goods and services into adventures, filled with attempts to communicate my needs to locals, and struggling to understand their directions. Without Whole Foods and a billion other restaurants right around the corner to cater to any cuisine my palette desires at mealtime, meals have become less like social events, and generally don't take up much time. It's such an effort to take a taxi to the store for weekly groceries and load up as much as my arms can carry, or walk a mile to the nearest restaurant, I'm happy just to still have something edible in the refrigerator. Even in the realm of leisure, I realize I slid into a routine. Here I have been busy exploring everything this country has to offer. These are just a few examples.

I think practicing this on-the-fly style of time management will be healthy for me when I get back. It has forced me to keep my eyes open and my mind on what opportunities are open to me considering my circumstances.