from Aileen Wuornos to Rihanna

departed

1 week ago i left germany to come back to america.
why does it seem like so much longer?


we flew lufthansa. i didn't steal another blanket,
even though i really wanted to. i've changed!
some people got drunk before and on the flight,
but that's nothing new as far as the program :)


i sat next to brittany grassar again due to our names
and possibly my mid- and end-year reports.
i had a great time chatting with her about the year
and reminiscing about tick bites and kidney stones.
she lives close so i'll see her again no doubt!
back at home and coping with feelings of repression...
more to come!

reflection1

end year semmies.

going abroad taught me that most people don't change.
they experience a completely different culture, live in new settings with strangers, attend school and work in a foreign language,
and despite all of this learn essentually nil, nix, nada, null... well outside of how to be on a computer all day, that is.

it was pretty disgusting to watch most of the 71 remaining (4 dropped out) participants of my program
describe their entire year experience on the last day of our 5-day seminar using only 1 word;
'Exhausting', 'OK' and 'Can'twaitforTacoBell' were some of the worst.
All of this was in English, by the way.

It seemed like most were totally ungrateful for the scholarship
and could bond over nothing else besides complaining about its organization.
long, awkward pauses permeated most group conversations.
it was like a high school reunion for people i couldn't care less about -
the types that have the privelege to visit the US Embassy
and litter their empty Dr. Pepper cans all over the well-trimmed courtyard grass.
the types that find 'that's what she said' jokes hilarious.
the types who show up drunk the first and last day.
the boreling, tree types.

i just don't understand the point of accepting a prestigious scholarship to stay abroad for free
and spend the whole year full of misery, complaints and mcdonalds.
but that's just me, i suppose.

TOTAL DISCONNECT.

i've changed though. just look!

europeanization