One month before I left for Edinburgh, I bought a journal so that I could record my adventures abroad. I loved the idea of reflecting on my personal stories later on, but I also feared that my time in Edinburgh wouldn’t live up to my imagination. What if something bad… read more
Europe
Romancing My Solitude, the Parisian Way
I must admit: My last blog post was written in the thick of my Parisian honeymoon phase. Three months in, I now have a more grounded perspective on living abroad and the challenges associated with it. One challenge that I’ve been facing lately is feeling lonely. My boyfriend and I… read more
Wishing for a Fig in Winter
Still life has been my favorite genre of art since childhood. I’d like to think it was the first time I deeply resonated with the power of metaphor in art. However, at the time, I hadn’t entirely pieced together why I was so fascinated by an unassuming, gilded-framed depiction of… read more
Rekindling the Old and Igniting the New: Reflecting on Connections
Connections between people and places bring the world together. Especially in a place like Brussels, creating and maintaining connections is incredibly important. The way the city itself is connected, as well as how it’s connected to the rest of the world, has inspired me to reflect on the connections I’ve… read more
On Perspective and Gratitude: Carrying This Practice Into Study Abroad
There are many aspects of studying and living abroad in Paris that I feel are directly shifting pieces of me. There are bits, like how I carry myself walking down the street and how much I sense my heightened independence, which I can directly note as having transformed in these… read more
The Walk: My London Ritual
It is currently October, and I have yet to go to a single class here in London. After a long summer at home, watching my friends pack their bags and head back to Austin, I was finally on the plane headed to Heathrow, hoping everything would be OK while I… read more
From One -burg to Another
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I appreciate a good metaphor. I find it easier and more enticing to tell a story when you have a key idea — like a life lesson — to center it around. To that end, I’ve been racking my… read more
Hogwarts Looks a Bit Different Here…
I could lie and tell you that I chose to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, because of some sophisticated, mature reason. But the truth is that when I first looked at pictures of the Scottish capital online, I thought it looked like Hogwarts – and as a huge Harry Potter… read more
Reflections in Scotland
One of my favorite things to do is to put the current moment into context with past memories. Two years ago, I was most likely crying on my floor under the weight of the pandemic, starting college and change. One year ago, I moved for the first time and was… read more
My Semester in Paris, the Birthplace of Cabaret
Four weeks ago today, I dragged three overstuffed bags up four flights of stairs and dropped into a new life. After catching my breath, I took it all in: This cute apartment in historic Montmartre, the birthplace of cabaret, would be my new home for the foreseeable future. Delighted and… read more