Drops of Jupiter

This month granted me my everlasting study-abroad wish: slowed time. Like a fairy godmother, May extended its four weeks to capture many memories from Madrid, Vienna, Bratislava, and Paris (as well as Dublin today!). Of all the months, I am most reluctant to part ways with magical May, because I fear June will not be as slow-passing. “Shocked” does not fully encapsulate the conflicting emotions I feel about the fact that I go back to California in a matter of weeks. On study abroad websites, you read excerpts from people who continually use the word “experience” to describe their international journey. Being here for a year, this is not an “experience” for me; it is my life. Biking to class, taking a 30 minute train into Amsterdam, flying to another country on the weekends doesn’t feel like a mere “experience” for me. How is this not the way I have always lived? Going back will feel like the death of a life. Yet, somehow I also feel ready because I can live with the assurance that I accomplished everything I wanted to while abroad. I saw many pockets of the world, I made a variety of friends while also embracing the loneliness, and I absorbed every challenge as a learning opportunity. I want to live as many lives on earth as possible, and I can confidently say that I lived the Dutch life to the fullest! I like to call this life my “Atlantis”- a perfect city I build myself but that was bound to end eventually. I only hope little Utrecht does not get swallowed by the sea like the real Atlantis!

The beginning of May was spent in Spain, an adventure that I detailed during my April blog. Madrid’s warm sunshine enveloped us back in Utrecht, too, where the blue sky was becoming more common than gray! Truthfully, the entire week in Spain really exhausted me, and the first few days of May were spent catching up on sleep. I also began a little side-hobby of researching investments with one of my classmates, Sabrina. Who would have thought looking into AI companies and their projected growth rates on NASDAQ would be so invigorating!

The first full adventure of the month was in Vienna, a city that I like to call my “princess Barbie era.” I filled my suitcase to the BRIM with pink: dresses, shorts, shirts, and hair scarfs all were some shade pink, and I was thrilled to dress up! My friend, Steph, and I toured our princess city with glee, seeing tons of horse-drawn carriages (which always makes me sad for the horses), Mozart merchandise, multi-colored roses, and the iconic streetlights of couples and hearts (see picture below). The buildings were some of the grandest I have seen, especially the “Austrian National Library” which is said to be one of the most gorgeous libraries in the world. I was naive enough to think we could actually read their books inside, but we couldn’t be disappointed when we saw it. The real-life Beauty and the Beast library was smeared in detailed fresco ceilings, marble statues, and golden bookcases with shiny-spined novels. If only I could read one (it likely would have been in German, though). I don’t think any library will impress me after beholding this one. The rose garden nearby was similarly enchanting, and (for lack of a better simile) it reminded me of the park in Toby Maguire’s Spiderman. I snapped photos smelling the flowers, and an old lady saw us and did the same. We giggled with each other, and it will always be a core memory for me!

As gorgeous as Vienna was, it was also little, so we were eager to take a day-trip. We initially wanted to go to “Hallstatt” a town that inspired Disney’s Frozen film, but the train tickets were really expensive. Instead, we found a short (and cheap) bus to Bratislava, Slovakia and figured, “why don’t we see another country?” We went with a girl we met at our hostel who was from England but studying Russian in Estonia. Hostels are great for meeting people, and her Russian language skills were helpful in Slovakia. Our expectations were low for Bratislava, but it ended up being a mini storybook city with similar European architecture and cobblestone streets. We hopped on a literal choo-choo train for a guided tour, and paradoxically the views of the townhomes reminded me of Laguna, California (without the ocean). It is so interesting for me to see how many cities in Europe are strikingly similar yet uniquely their own at the same time. Bratislava’s “unique stamp” was its blue church, whose rounded edges and thick paint made it look like an enormous cake; the city also had many clocktowers with heart minute hands. What a wonderful (and completely random) trip!

The final excursion Miss May offered was back in France to the most romantic city in the world: Paris! The 8 hour bus did not phase me, and truthfully my confidence/ease with traveling is astronomically improved from when I first arrived in the Netherlands. I remember being so anxious about navigating the Dutch train system, and now I have slept over at an airport for ten hours, un-phased…noticing self-growth is such a rewarding thing. However, I was still nervous about traveling around Paris alone, as it is known for being a major pick-pocketing city. So, when I met a friend, Jess, in my hostel minutes after I arrived, I couldn’t help but thank God for her (I later found out that she was Christian, too!). Jess and I visited the Eiffel Tour every night at 11pm, watching her sparkle for an adoring audience (and I was unashamed gawking at it from the metro- it is so much grander in person!). We made sure to see the most iconic sites during our quick weekend trip, namely the Louvre (the Mona Lisa) and the Palace of Versailles. The Hall of Mirrors was the closest I may ever feel to being in Alice in Wonderland…seriously, I can’t believe anyone lived in a place so gorgeous. I was strangely disappointed when the Parisians were not as rude as everyone exclaimed they would be-it felt like I was missing out on a necessary cultural experience! Seeing the makeshift stadiums for the upcoming Olympics was really cool, I can’t wait to watch it at home and be able to recognize the spots.

Truthfully, I adored Paris so much. Not only was it a gorgeous city with iconic food and museums, but it was such a necessary break for me. I have been having a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that I am going home to California. I of course miss my family and friends, but the level of independence and adventure I have in Europe feels unmatched. I still pinch myself when I travel to another country-I never take it for granted. But, it feels commonplace now, as my roommates and friends are able to go to Portugal or Greece casually on the weekends too. I fear that I will not be able to talk about my adventures because I don’t want be “boastful” and there will be a limited pool of people who can relate to my experiences. I don’t say this to say that I am above others; far from it. I just long to be able to share about all my adventures unapologetically because it is such a dream for me. I have longed to study abroad since I was in fifth grade and heard about my uncle studying in Madrid for a full-year and to continue my mama’s legacy of international work…I hope that when I return home I will be able to share this with others. Gosh, I wish mama could see me exploring the world now. I’ve only ever wanted to make her proud. The Netherlands-this year, is my “Atlantis” and I will never let it become a lost memory. Here’s to one more month-cherishing every moment (currently preparing for my flight to Dublin as I type this!).