Open Ended Ending

Well I think this is going to be my last post for a long time. Unless I have some sort of revelation and feel the need to share. Or, who knows I may get bored and feel the need to express myself in an even more narcisstic and gratifying way than a facebook status update or tweet can satisfy. Anyway, this will hopefully be a sort of "wrap up" to my blog.

I guess I was really hoping to have an epiphany during my time abroad and come away with an understanding of the world and how it works and where I fit in. I wanted to discover the meaning of life. I wanted to know why the British are known for sub par food and dental hygiene, why the Italians are so passionate, the French snobs, the Germans serious, the Dutch stoned, the Irish alcoholic, the Polish hard workers and why the Belgians are only know for chocolate and waffles. But honestly, I didn't find answers to any of these questions, it seemed like cultural stereotypes were often reinforced as much as they were exposed. I think I expected too much. Four months isn't enough time to understand England, and a month is certainly not enough to grasp Europe. One thing I have learned from being abroad is that America is bigger than I thought, I can't even pretend to perfectly understand my own country.

I guess the one thing that I have come away with from the whole experience is that America and Americans are really blessed. I just feel blessed to live in America. I'm sitting here writing and re-writing thoughts but none of it makes sense, I don't know what to say about America except that I love it and I hate it. To my fellow Americans I can just say count your blessings, to my international friends all I can say is I'm sorry we haven't used our blessings perfectly but give us time,we're still young.

I can't really decipher my time abroad yet. Maybe I never will. Maybe it will just be like one big experience capped and pickled in a jar and I'll just have to sit and wait till spring. I don't know, if I ever get a good idea, I'll let ya know. So if ya don't know, now ya know (sort of)...

Better Late Than Never

First of all I apologise profusely for my lateness. I am a poor photo uploader and I have been very busy this last week studying for my exams which determine at least half of my overall grade in each class. Anyway I wish I had been able to update this a bit sooner but as the English say, "I couldn't be bothered..."

I have finally uploaded some pictures from my time in Europe over Christmas break. There are some from Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam and Krakow. I'll try to throw in a few more at the bottom of this post as well just for kicks. (note how healthily I ate in Europe...)

As far as things stand right now, I have taken three of my four exams and my last one is on Friday. After that I am taking the train down to London and then Saturday morning I hop on the big plane back stateside! I have to say that while I know I will miss England I am pretty pretty pretty excited to return home. There's a lot to be said for 220 volts of electricity, the BBC, milky tea, baked beans, the queen, steering on the right, shifting with your left, Cadbury chocolate, disregard of oral hygiene, double deck buses, kebabs and curry, Andy Murray, Colin Firth, Plimsoles, Nottinghamshire, the two pound coin, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Worthington Creamflow, The Streets, Chavs, black leggings, a massive Cafe Nero, duvets, Fifa, Newkie Browns (not to be confused with Gordon Brown), custard, the tube, steak and ale pie, and Marmite (not really though, that s*** is nasty, it tastes like fermented gerbil excrement). With all that England has going for it, nevertheless...

I'm looking forward to a nice big American sized hamburger or steak and some free refills, watching basketball (disregarding the WNBA of course), calling the toilet the bathroom, ESPN, the conversion rate of one dollar to one dollar, watching Rick Steves, driving my car(assuming my brother hasn't Tiger Woodsed it into a fire hydrant), holding my fork in my right hand, lifting weights in lbs not kgs, not weighing myself in stone, saying "what's up", a 7-11 slurpee, Fahrenheit, Seinfeld, Larry David, following the greatness that is the career of Tim Duncan, watching Charles Barkley on TNT, Budweiser (just kidding, the English have the edge in alcohol), oh...and my family (as long as they're buying dinner).

Well, that's all I've got for now, I still have some studying to do so if ya don't know, now ya know...

Europe Pictures

Krakow's about done now

Last full day in Krakow today. It was fun. Did a walking tour that lasted almost five hours. Our guide was funny and his English was decent but his pronunciation was hilarious. He kept saying foreigners as "fore-egg-ners" and he described a statue as looking like a "vug-eye-na". I chuckled inside. It was fun, but it was freezing out there so now I'm sitting inside defrosting.

Yesterday Jordan, Kate and I went to Auschwitz. It was a very moving experience. I'm not going to try and say more about it. The premiditation and planning required to murder over a million people was very evident and scary. People that deny the holocaust happened are unbelievable scrubs. I can't describe it in words so I'll just say that I think it would be good for everyone to see it in order to be reminded of the horrible atrocities humanity is capable of. Forgive but never forget.

I am very happy to have been to Poland and seen Krakow. I have enjoyed my time here very much. However I am anxious to return to England and full English breakfasts, orderly qeues, ales, pound sterling, the English language, and trains that run on time. I can't be bothered with Continental breakfasts anymore! So it's back to Londontown and then the horror of final examinations. So if ya don't know, now ya know...

Man, I can't believe I'm in Poland.

Good Morning Krakow! I have been in Krakow, Poland since Saturday with Jordan and Katie. I'm kind of surprised that we all actually made it. We had been talking about it for so long and now we are actually here!

I have already decided that I really like Krakow. I would probably go so far as to say that I love it, but that would not be something that a tough, wisened, eastern European would say. So I won't say it. Krakow has lots to see; such as Wawel Castle which is one of the major Chakra sites in the world so I will be going there to practice some yoga. There is a huge square, a museum with a Da Vinci painting, which incidentally, is why Katie originally wanted to come to Poland and which ironically, is on exhibition in Budapest right now! Also there are lots of WWII sites and Oskar Schindler's factory, and the major site of Auschwitz-Birkeneau. We are going there tomorrow so that will be a very moving experience.

We fly from Krakow to London on Thursday and then go back to Notts on Sunday so my thirty days of travel are almost up unfortunately. But I'm really glad I made it to Poland because it's a really nice city and really cheap. The Polish zloty is worth about 35 American cents which works out well. Anyway, I'll try to get another post up as soon as I can. So if ya don't know, now ya know...