So Long, Dublin: An open letter to a city that will always be home

Dear Dublin, I’ve been back in the States for a week and a half. Back in my comfortable life where I spend most of my time at home, petting my dogs and generally doing nothing. Back to being a daughter living with her parents. It’s a strange feeling after living months of complete freedom and …

Where Did The Time Go: My Final Week in Dublin

My last week in Dublin began like any other with the cry of seagulls, the tolling of bells, and the brilliant sun streaming through my window. Nothing had changed except for the sinking feeling in my stomach, the feeling reminding me that time was running out, that I would be getting on a plane in …

And That’s A Wrap

It’s been two weeks now since the program ended, and I write this final post back at my house, surrounded by my family, my cats, and a roaring fire to fight the Illinois cold. The program ended in a blur after arriving to Baños for our final retreat. While there, we took some time to …

Returning

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about returning. I got back from Jordan about seven months ago, but I’m finding now that the return process isn’t something with a clear beginning and end. So while I’m currently on a different off-campus study program, in this post I would like to talk about the return process …

The End or Beginning?

I am moving into my last month of being here, and my program technically ends next week (although I will be here a bit longer). I can’t really fathom the fact that it has been a year since I came here. The best way I can describe it, being here has been like I was …

Bittersweet Beauty: Making Friends Abroad

This post has been collecting dust for two months now (WHAT?!) and the consequence of my procrastination is that instead of finishing it on a train or in a hostel on the continent, I’m next to my little sister on the couch at our home in Saugatuck where the evening breeze tosses the song of …

Ma’a Salama

I was walking down a slope and thinking to myself: How do the narrators disagree over what light said about a stone? Is it from a dimly lit stone that wars flare up? Darwish, Mahmoud. “In Jerusalem.” Translated by Fady Joudah, The Butterfly’s Burden, Copper Canyon Press, 2008. Ma’a salama is a way of saying goodbye …

Cats, Hummus, and One Month Left

I have just about a month left in Jordan, and return has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m looking forward to going home, seeing my family, and catching up with my friends. But I’m also already missing so many aspects of Jordan that I won’t get to experience in the states. Here’s a …

Looking Back

I returned home not long ago and I have been holding off on this post for a long time. I really contemplated what I should talk about and what to include. In all honesty, I am still not exactly sure. There are a lot of different emotions that I’ve experienced since returning home and still …

From Sand to Snow… Final Thoughts

I have returned to the US and am sitting in my childhood bedroom with my dog. Sitting in the same spot where these ideas of travelling began to form. A few years later, I have lived the dream. I surfed. I scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef. I held koalas and pat kangaroos. I …