Drops of Jupiter

I have been home for exactly one month now, and I have dreaded writing this final blog. Although I’ve already said a tearful goodbye to my little Dutch home, this feels like sealing the chapters away for good. I’ll save my “List of Lessons Life Abroad Taught Me” for Chapter 13, and though the beginning of June feels like a lifetime ago, let’s start there.

June 1 began in the plush green land of Ireland, where we jet-setted on my very first RyanAir flight; the roundtrip ticket was only €40, and I thought my study abroad wouldn’t be complete without one trip on the infamous airline! My best friend abroad, Grainne, was moving into her new apartment in Dun Laoghaire, a little coastal town just 15 minutes away from Dublin. Her town was a little storybook, as she lived above a shoe shop and docked sailboats were only a walk away, the glittery lights of Dublin sparkling across the bay. Grainne and I had grown really close throughout the year, and I felt honored to be the one to help her move into her dream apartment in Ireland. Like me, the rest of her family lived across the Atlantic in the US, and she didn’t know the next time she’d be able to see them. When you’re abroad for so long, you depend on your friends to fill the role of your family. I loved doing that for her and being a part of a big step in her life…her first off-campus apartment!

The next day, she paraded me around Dublin (Grainne is an international student at University College Dublin but did a year in the Netherlands). The city was initially unimpressive, but I think my food-poisoned stomach from fried Korean chicken the night before spoiled my perspective. Seriously, I hadn’t felt that sick all year! The next two days were spent in County Clare, where we trained to see Ireland’s most notorious landmark: The Cliffs of Moher. Grainne’s older relatives hosted us in their gorgeous home filled with hung paintings, grazing cows, and fog that was a stone’s throw away from the famous cliffs. I was grateful to have the authentic Irish experience, eating a home-cooked meal and touring the small town’s local pub (where my dad suggested I try a Guinness-ew!). The Cliffs of Moher were as if Avatar and the Lord of the Rings had a cross-over. They were the most magnificent piece of landscape I have ever beheld. It was as if the gravity of the wind distorted as one got nearer to the coastline, and the birds dove happily against the thick wind that rose to be misty fog. If I were a bird, I would wish to live there, their flights being like the hang-gliders I see in San Diego. The harsh Atlantic waters swirled into navy waves that would be the ideal environment for a mermaid, and looking out on this scene made me feel like a great explorer.

Once I returned back to Utrecht, I only had one day to recover before I was off to my final trip: Athens, Greece. My roommate, Sophie, and I were going to see my favorite band “Coldplay” perform at the Olympics Stadium, a trip we planned out months in advance. On our first day we ferried over to Aegina Island, listening to the Mama Mia soundtrack the entire sail over (I even wore overalls and a hair-scarf to match Amanda Seyfield’s “Sophie”). I was getting deja vu to my summer in Croatia, the gatorade blue water and small island stores seemed identical. I wasn’t expecting to see kittens running around or the classic Greek dishes to only be €4! It was blisteringly hot (38°C=100°F) so swimming in the crystal sea was a necessity. The temperature made the following day go down in Katia’s Hall of Fame as my most physically-exerting day EVER (and I’ve run a half-marathon before, so that’s saying something). Sophie and I began our Odyssey by climbing the ancient Acropolis (emphasis on the word “climb” because it felt like a straight uphill for 20 min), where the ancient ruins looked over the expanse of the city. It was surreal to see pillars that are 3,300 years old and imagining what life could have been like when it was originally built. Despite our trek, the heat tapered my appetite, and I practically force-fed myself a caesar salad and guzzled water. Given that we did not have assigned seats for the concert, we wanted to get there 3 hours early to secure good standing spots. My body was not pleased with this decision. The time passed quickly, but people around us starting fainting and getting rushed over to the understaffed paramedics. Even once we made it inside the stadium, we still had to wait another 4 hours before Coldplay performed. The concert was well worth the wait, though, and we were wonderfully close to the stage. Chris Martin (their lead singer) was authentically kind, and he even spoke to the audience in Greek and signed one of the songs in sign language. Coldplay lyrics for me are melodic poetry, and during their famous hit “Sky Full of Stars” the stadium illuminated in white lights from thousands of jumping fans’ wristbands. Though my limbs felt brittle and I grew claustrophobic taking the metro back with hundreds of others, I won’t remember that. Instead, I’ll remember how electric my soul felt as the crowd was drowned in “Yellow.”

Athens marked the last of my European excursions, as I wanted to spend the last 2 weeks appreciating my home: Utrecht. I compiled a “bucket list for the Netherlands” aka last minute places I still wanted to see: Den Haag (city along the North Sea), the Dom Tower in Utrecht (which overlooks the entire city), kayaking in the canals, and visiting the local star observatory. I also had the chance to meet my German friend, Amelie, who I have been in contact with for 5 years but never actually met in person! We both were in the same organization for our high school foreign exchange and kept in contact via WhatsApp. I showed her around Amsterdam and Utrecht for the weekend, very proud to be a “local,” especially to a European!

My last days in Utrecht were truthfully not as despondent as I thought they’d be. I had this great clarity that I had accomplished everything I wanted to while abroad and that there was nothing left for me to do or see in Europe. I am so proud of myself for maximizing my year and utilizing this gift to see so many new places and foster inspirational friendships. This doesn’t mean it was easy saying goodbye, though. As my flight to the US left my beloved Schiphol airport (which may be the airport I will frequent the most) I was crying so hard that a sweet Southern couple asked if I was okay.

As my little brother and I drove down to San Diego, we found a list of “insightful” questions to cure our boredom for the 10 hour drive ahead. Jimmy asked, “If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now where would you go?” He was surprised by my answer, though I’m not sure why: “Utrecht” I said, “I would love to see my little Dutch city again, even if it was just for a little while.”

Stay tuned for the 13th & final blog: “List of Lessons Life Abroad Taught Me”!!

Until then,

Katia