Reflections on another experience abroad

I have just read my recent blog posts here, and I must say that I feel a bit ashamed. For crying out loud, I am living in Europe. Have I really become that blah about it? I definitely have been making the most of my time here, but I am glad to be going back to the States in a week.

This year abroad was a lot harder than last time. I didn't ever have any money, and I am not going to miss being nearly poor all the time. Granted, I am going to be in grad school, and I won't be rich, but I will not have to worry about money as much as I do here, because of the funding I am getting. I usually spend the last week before getting my paycheck eating noodles and bread, because they are the cheapest things to buy here, and I will not miss that at all.

Going abroad is about having new experiences and meeting new people, and I certainly had my share of both of these things this year. I have seen so many new places and met some really great people. I was really lucky to have a great support system here. With Claire leaving today, we all begin going our separate ways, and it's a bit sad. I will miss hanging out with the friends I have made here, going to cafés, the market, Carrefour, etc. I'd like to say that we will all meet again, but who knows? I know for sure that I will see Claire and Samantha again, because Claire lives 2 hours from me, and Samantha is hopefully coming to visit Chicago, but I don't know when I am seeing the rest of them. On the other hand, I have gotten to see some friends from Avignon, who live even further away from where I do, so I think anything is possible if you make it happen. Only time will tell.

I am done teaching, and I must say that I am not terribly upset about it. To be honest, these kids are not the most respectful people ever, and I spent many hours mad at their total lack of interest in English and about how horribly behaved they are. In fact, it's really not so much the fact that they despise English - it's their lack of respect. In each class, there's always a handful of kids who want to try and learn English, but the rest of them always ruin it by making a ruckus the whole time. Sort of annoying.

One good thing, however, does come out of that, and that is that I will never be able to teach high school students. They are just so horribly disrespectful and I really cannot tolerate it. I am sure that Uni will be different, though. Nonetheless, I will miss spending time with the teachers, making fun of the students' horrible English, and all of us making fun of each other (we all come from different countries so we always joke around about it).

I will also miss traveling. I probably won't have the money to do it, although I really would like to go see Florence in California. The only places I will be traveling to are Iowa City and Chicago...

I think that after I leave France, I will stop writing this blog. I am not sure if I will get another one, but I feel like my life is not interesting enough to merit writing a blog about in the States. Anyway, we will see.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! J'en ai marre!

List of things that have made me say "what the hell is the deal?" recently:

1) The shitty exchange rate
2) A bomb threat at NIU?! Wasn't a shooting already enough?
3) Having to pay for toilets in a bus station in Prague, and being yelled at in German by an asshole bus driver when asking if I can use the bus toilet. Being yelled at in German is scary, even if you understand what you are being told, for those who are interested.
4) Not one single place in Salzburg accepting credit cards?! Huh? Are we in the flipping Middle Ages?
5) German/Austrian keyboards with the letters all screwed up
6) Why am I so damned homesick?
7) Why can't I stop eating chocolate?

I have been abroad for almost 8 months, and am beginning to be at the breaking point. I just want to go home, see my fam and friends, and sleep for about a week in MY bed with MY pillows (all 6 of them). I want to move on with my life, I am tired of having to worry about money all of the time, budgeting for things, and still having to borrow money from my parents. I am so flipping embarassed and annoyed to have to ask for money from them at the age of 24. Hopefully, I can afford to pay them back soon.

I am going to change my ticket home. I need to go, I have had it here. It's time to leave. I was meant to go to Berlin but now I don't even want to. Berlin is not going anywhere anyway, I will do it another time.

I want to come back and live here again one day, but never again with such a low paying job. If I live here one day, I only want it to be if I have my German passport and can legally work a REAL job.

This entry just took me 15 mins to type up because of the damned keyboard. Damnit.

never take a bus ride that lasts 4 hours!

Hey guys, I am finally in Vienna. Last night, I took a bus from Prague to Vienna, and man, what a bad choice. It was totally safe and everything, but it was so bumpy! I was real hungry, and didnt buy any food before leaving, since i had run out of Czech money, and the lack of food and bumpiness on the bus proved to be a bad combination. While crossing the border into Austria, a border patrol officer came on the bus and said, "Bitte, Passporte Kontrole"... yes, thats right, he checked all of our passports before letting us go into Austria! I thought that Czech Republic was part of the Schengen Space now (at least, thats what all the signs at the airport in Prague said), so I dont quite get why they did this. Perhaps they still have the right since the CR has only been in the Schengen Space for a month or two? It was scary at first, they asked two people to get off the bus, and I got scared that I would be next since I do not have an EU passport. The officer got to me, saw I was US, said "Danke" and that was all.

Before leaving Prague, I had to use the bathroom, which you have to pay for at the station. Lame! I did not have any CZ money left, so i wanted to wait to use the one on the bus. The dumb driver would not let me, and I felt like crying. I must have looked like crying, too, because a nice Austrian lady gave me the 5 Crowns (20 cents) to use the toilet. Once I got in my stall because the driver was a jerk and because I was frustated with no one speaking English in Prague. Luckily, people in Austria speak English and when they dont, my German is amazingly good enough to make myself understood.

Gotta go meet up with my friend Vera from study abroad now! Bye! More soon!

WOW!

About an hour ago, my phone rang. It was my dad. I thought he was just calling to say hi, since I hadn't spoken to him in about a week, but instead he told me the news that I have been waiting to hear for over 2 months: I have been chosen to be a TA at University of Iowa!! I talked to him some more about details then since I have to pay for incoming calls while outside of France, we began chatting on the computer instead. Then my mom called and told me that I have full appointment with a generous funding package, cheap insurance, and reduced tuition (IE, I do not have to pay out of state fees anymore).

I am so shocked and so excited. I am also surprised that I am going to be a TA at a top ten school. I have always been just above average in school, and now I am going to a top ten school. Such a shock!

Thanks to all of you who have supported me while I was waiting over the past few months, especially everyone in Chalon, who had to hear about it for about 4 hours everyday. Also thanks to everyone at home who has been supportive (my parents, Flo, Ashley)...I am so blessed to have this opportunity and would have never gotten here with such a great support system.

Ironically, today is the 1 year anniversary of my grandpa's death. It's so funny how much things have changed during that time...

greetings from Prague

hey everyone! I am writing you from Prague! I got here last night so haven't seen much yet, but I am going on a free tour of the town shortly.

Today begins the second week of vacation. I spent last week in Paris and Amsterdam with the wonderful Ashley. Good times! We went all over the place in Paris, and took a free tour in Amsterdam. It was really nice.

I am still waiting to hear back from University of Iowa. Should hear back in the next few days, hopefully. Cross your fingers for me!

Hope everyone is doing well!!