Dacy
Here are just a few pictures of my short time in Reading and the surrounding area. Much like the rest of England it was lush and serene. Perfect for a late afternoon stroll and a drink. It's too bad I forgot my camera the day we went on a pretty decent walk. It happens. Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,
Dacy
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Finally, the bittersweet last post from my European travels. Copenhagen, you were the perfect end to a perfect trip. I have a more in depth post of Copenhagen with some photos from my phone, so I won't dilly dally here. There is so much to do in Copenhagen that I wish I could have stayed longer. But the time I did spend there was glorious. Good times, great light, gorgeous colors.
From here, there isn't much left of my study abroad trip, but I've been storing away the photos I've taken since being back. I'll continue posting because, at heart, I'm always a broad abroad. Your Broad (Always at Heart) Abroad, Dacy I somehow forgot to post this flyer for a Study Abroad information presentation. Well, here it is now, and there's still time to make it on Thursday. Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,
Dacy Budapest was incredible. Arriving by train really made me yearn to take an entire Europe trip by train. It was such a beautiful way to see a lot of the country. I hear that taking the train through the Swiss Alps is a gorgeous ride. It's definitely on my travel list. But back to Budapest. The 7 hour train ride from Prague to Budapest was well worth the time and money. No airport security hassle, no hassle at all really! We bought the tickets the day before we left and it was smooth chugging on the train tracks. Glorious countryside, quaint villages, and an amazing sunset in the rain. All ending in a lovely train station in Budapest. I could not have asked for a better train trip. We booked massages at Széchenyi Spa Baths, something I was specifically looking forward to because there is nothing I enjoy more than being in water! We took a mediocre walking tour (perhaps one of the most lackluster of the many I did during my Euro travels), but it didn't put a damper on the amazing scenery. We ate really good Hungarian food, but I cannot for the life of me remember the name. Sad business because it would have been nice to find a recipe online and try to re-create the meal. I suppose I still can, it'll just take more research. Budapest was one of the top places I wanted to visit during my study abroad and it was everything I imagined (save for the serious heat!). We met some really great people on our walking tour and had a great last night. I'm sad to say that after this post, there's only one city left from my travels. It will be sad to post the final update, but I've already got photos from my time back in the States to post. I hope I can continue posting and updating. If there's one thing I learned while being abroad, it's that there is beauty, adventure, and something worth photographing anywhere you go.
Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy Well, this broad is broke. No joke. I've been back for a good few months now and it's mostly been me catching up on responsibilities and getting back into the swing of working. I'm lucky to have a job to come back to and a steady paycheck. My job has always been so good to me.
While I wouldn't change anything about my study abroad, there are obvious parts of my experience where I could have been more frugal, whether it was groceries or eating out or even travel expenses. But even the splurges were balanced out by penny-pinching, like taking a 12 hour coach ride from Canterbury to Amsterdam or squeezing into a 12 person dorm room that felt more like a prison than a hostel in London. In retrospect anything can be done better, but poor decisions and mistakes are bound to happen. It is what it is and you get what you get. I could say that something like Glastonbury was an unnecessary expense, and before I went I did feel guilty about spending the money. Yet, the experience of going to one of the most well known British music festivals was well worth the money. Not just because of the amazing time I had, but because it was genuinely one of the most British things I did while in England. I saw a lot of UK bands, spent the entire weekend with a fun bunch of Brits, and even experienced the inevitable combo of rain and sun and mud. Like the perfect cup of English Breakfast tea, I was steeped in British culture. Study Abroad was also educationally important, as I was given the chance to experience a different method of teaching. I took a Literature and a Creative Writing class, both of which operated in a manner I was unaccustomed to, but quickly adapted to and enjoyed. There is a considerable amount of independence involved in the Literature classes. Rather than spend weeks discussing one book, as was my experience in undergrad American universities, the UK system went through about a novel a week plus essays to emphasize critical points. It was up to the students to pick and choose the topics of interest and to conduct more in depth research to bring their own input to class. All the travel, all the late nights with cheap wine, every pound I spent, I don't regret. I met some wonderfully unique and interesting people and made lifelong friends. It was all worth it and I would go broke all over again if the opportunity arose. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone without hesitation. Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad, Dacy |
DacyLimFrom Long Beach, CA to Canterbury, England and back. Archives
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