As I'm writing this, I'm currently on an express bus from Syntagma Square to the Athens airport. In a few hours, I will be flying to Rome. Alone.
Since being abroad in Athens, Greece, I've been doing a lot of reflecting about my life. Specifically, I've recently been marveling about how so many things have changed from just one year ago. One year ago, I still didn't know what I was doing with my college majors. I knew that I was going to finish my Classics major, but I kept flip flopping back and forth about what my second major would be. Besides the fact that I wanted to double major, having two areas of study is required by the Paterno Fellows Program, a liberal arts scholarship program to which I belong. One day it was psychology. The next it was anthropology. Then it was just giving up entirely. Finally, I decided to take the leap to pursue Global & International Studies with a specialization of Health & the Environment. I had wanted an environmental-associated major since I came into college, so I finally, truly went for it. After meeting with the director of the major as well as the program's advisor, I found out precisely what I needed for the major. Purely coincidentally, many of the classes that I had taken for fun (environmental philosophy, environmental engineering, political geography, etc) counted towards the requirements. Ultimately, I only had to take the 3 core GLIS classes (101, 102, and 400) to obtain the degree. Granted, I had to officially argue why some of my classes should count towards the major that weren't originally on the list, but doing that gave me even more experience in arguing my cases. For what seemed like the first time in college, everything was finally working out. I knew exactly what I needed for both my majors to graduate, and it was fantastic. Flash forward to yesterday afternoon when I was scheduling classes for the fall semester. Upon picking my classes, I discovered that I could actually, theoretically, graduate a semester early. One year ago, I was honestly convinced that I would never graduate. I felt that I had too many more requirements to fulfill and that I had no direction - nor a chance of finding a direction. It's absolutely crazy to think that I'm essentially done with my regular undergraduate credits (that honors thesis is a real wake up call from this euphoria, though) and that I'll have some flexibility of schedule for once in my life this coming academic year. But academics isn't the only thing that's changed in the past 12 months. As of Tuesday this week, I've applied to 12 summer internships. Last year at this time, I didn't even have a resume. I had no idea what I was doing with my summer, and had no specific internship goals. I soon discovered the internship opportunity that led to me being the sole editor of a local book project, but I had no intention of this initially. I scrambled to create a makeshift resume, which has changed completely from today's, and had no idea what I was doing. Now, my resume is highly tweaked and formatted, and I also know how to write a damn good cover letter in a short amount of time (had never written a cover letter before last semester). I actually have hopes for a job in a specific field this summer: editorial. I've applied to several different publishing houses, magazines, and nonprofits that range from political writing to feminist advocacy. Most of these positions are based either in New York City or Washington D.C. Also at this time last year, I had recently been dumped by my first boyfriend. I was not in a good place in my life back then. My ex had been very manipulative, mean, and emotionally abusive to me. I realized to an extent that being in a relationship with someone shouldn't be like that, but everything was still so new and exciting to me that I willingly brushed off all the (many) negative things he said and did to me. He was so flaky with his promises, and was very hot and cold. Looking back on the relationship, nothing was ever stable nor was any part of it ever really that good. I didn't realize any of this until months after I was out of the situation. But I was blinded by emotions and hormones and all those other annoying things that can completely cloud your judgement when you feel love for someone. I don't know why I thought he was so utterly amazing, but I did (tragically). Today, I'm happily single and not looking for anyone to seriously be in my life any time soon. I think sophomore-year Hannah was craving a new phase of experiences in her life, but let that desire for a significant other inhibit her in other ways. Was I ready for a relationship? I felt like it at the time, at least sometimes, but maybe I wasn't. I feel like a completely different person nowadays from that particular Hannah. I feel more sure of myself generally. I'm more confident and am not afraid to stick up for myself (even though you shouldn't have to do that with your real friends and SOs). I know that relationships are hard, but that they shouldn't completely wear you down, make you cry frequently, and and stop you from being your true self. I feel great on my own. I honestly don't feel like there's anything missing from my life, which is how it should be. Significant others should enhance you, not complete you. It's like that fantastic quote Shailene Woodley said once: "I always think of life as a pie. My pie is f*cking fine. I've got the best pie! It's so delicious. If you want to add some ice cream and sh*t on top, you are welcome to the party, but you don't get to take a slice of my pie." Furthermore, at this point last year, I had no idea that I would be traveling solo in Rome, let alone even be studying abroad in Athens. My decision to go abroad was made rather late in the game. Again, being the negative, cynical person I often am, I was convinced that I'd never be able to study abroad. I finally found out that The Athens Program fit the requirements for my Classics major and History minor perfectly, and that I could very likely go. So I applied, and eventually got my acceptance letter not quite 2 months later. Getting in was one thing, but actually accepting my offer was something completely different. I was actually so scared, to be honest. The night that my confirmation of attendance was due, there was a party going on in my summer sublet. So I grabbed a cup of jungle juice, chugged, and then hit the "confirm" button (sorry, parentals). Accepting my offer was one of the best decisions of my life. While I was super nervous, and the fact that I was studying abroad for an entire semester never did fully set in, I'm really glad I took this chance. Who knows when, and if, I'll ever be able to be in Europe again, let alone for this long? You've gotta be brave and step out of your comfort zone, man. I'm sure that initial step influenced my decision to travel solo to Rome. I managed to get myself to Athens for an extended period of time, so I could probably travel for three days on my own. I'll also finally be able to pull out my rusty Italian skills! It's been an interesting year full of ups and downs (and several haircuts and a few new piercings). Until recently, I didn't even realize just how much I've done in these last 12 months. Life certainly is strange. Now, off to Rome! - Hannah
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Hey, guys!
The next stop on my spring break tour was Copenhagen, Denmark. After arriving late on Monday, we took a taxi to our hostel (the Copenhagen Downtown Hostel) that looked more like a popping downtown club than a place of lodging. As we made our way to the reception desk, music was pumping through the stereos, drinks were slinging, and people from all sorts of places around the world were happily mingling together. Upon going upstairs, I promptly laid down on my bed and passed out as my two comrades tried to find somewhere to eat late at night (I was still sick at the time, so no dinner for me). When they left, I got a punitively cold shower, making audible protests the entire time that people outside likely heard, and then went back to bed. The next morning, we got up early to begin our trek to Christiania, the hippy commune located in central Copenhagen that apparently has no laws and flies its own flag (more on this in a bit). Cannabis is also legal here (granted, "legal" in an anarchist community has little standing). I was finally feeling somewhat able to eat at this point, so we stopped at a bakery for breakfast. I ordered a cinnamon bun (anything cinnamon in Copenhagen is a must) and a chai tea latte. Both were insanely delicious and I wolfed then down. Not eating for days at a time sucks. After enjoying our breakfasts and free wifi break, we made our way to Christiania. This place is very easy to recognize upon arrival; there is a huge, wooden archway that says "Christiania" on the outside (and "You are now entering the EU" on the inside upon leaving. HA!) and has graffiti-covered walls encircling the territory (I didn't see a trace of graffiti anywhere else in the city). Upon entering, the smell of marijuana wafts through the air and little shops selling paraphernalia, tapestries, sunglasses, etc. abound. Since I had lost my sunglasses in Athens several weeks before (long story), I bought a pair of plain black ones. Now I can say I bought my current sunglasses in a legit hippy/anarchist society. We walked around the rundown shanty town's grounds for awhile and then I suddenly realized something: I didn't have my phone. In a panic, I stripped down my coat and scarf, frantically checked all my pockets, quadruple checked my bag, but it wasn't there. I finally remembered that I had taken it out at the sunglasses stand to check the conversion of krone to euro and must have left it there. So we fast walked back to the hippy commune where I essentially attacked the man working at this stand asking if he'd seen an iPhone in a blue case. Thankfully, he had it ("I was waiting around for someone to come running or call!"). God, that was a miserable 10-minute panic attack. But everything turned out fine. Rule of thumb: if you're gonna lose your phone, lose it in a place where hippies who won't steal your stuff live. After that near breakdown experience, we headed to Paper Island, a large, indoor street food market by the water. We were all freezing once we got there (Copenhagen is COLD, dude. I don't know why we chose all freezing-cold places for spring break), so we sat by a heater for a good 15 minutes before getting food. We walked by all the many stalls offering diverse food combinations from around the world, and I eventually settled on duck and chips. It was ridiculously tasty. Pulled duck and red cabbage covered a huge mound of vinegar french fries. I couldn't finish the whole thing, but I did a pretty good job. While there, we also ran into some of one girl's friends who are studying abroad in Copenhagen, It was a really weird, but fun coincidence for everyone. Next we walked to Nyhavn, the neighborhood right by a canal known for its colorful houses and its picturesque views. After a 3-way photo shoot, we headed into a waffle shop where one of us got a waffle with mint ice cream on top. Sadly, my stomach wasn't feeling up for that, so I just watched her eat it. We then visited the cleanest, nicest public restroom I've ever seen. It had dark, carved, wooden doors, for Pete's sake. Maybe this is a contributing factor to why people in Denmark are some of the happiest people on Earth (this is statistically true!). The trampolines by the water were our next stop. There are 5 trampolines built directly into the sidewalk near Nyhavn, and it's seriously the greatest thing. We spent nearly 45 minutes jumping, taking photos of us jumping, and videoing ourselves jumping. It was fantastic. I think we need them back home in the States (maybe it will increase workplace happiness!). We then went in search of souvenirs. Back in London a few summers ago, I bought a magnet that had all the places I had seen on it and decided I would get magnets for every city I visited in the future. While I haven't done this in Greece yet, I have done it for every destination I've been to on spring break. So I got my Copenhagen magnet (it has a bike on it, of course) and was a happy camper. Since we were already halfway there by chance, we ended up walking out to the Little Mermaid statue. This life-sized statue is located way out by the water far, far away from our hostel. I got a few pictures and even posed like the statue on a nearby rock, but it wasn't a life changing experience by any means. I think the freezing, wet weather put a damper on our moods and willingness to sightsee. So we shortly headed back to our hostel. A few hours later, I went to dinner with one of the girls traveling with me and one of her friends that's currently studying in Copenhagen. We ate at this nice little cafe that had shelves upon shelves of books lining the walls. I ordered tomato soup and an apple cider. After several hours of eating and talking about our lives, we went back to the hostel where I decided to go write a blog in the crazy reception/bar/party area. Once I was finished, I showered and then curled up in my bed with an episode of Sherlock (Denmark Netflix had Season 4 of Sherlock and I nearly had a joy-induced heart attack). The next morning, we checked out of our hostel at 10:00 am, as required. Since our flight didn't leave until 3:00 pm, we wanted to go visit the Round Tower and to do a little last minute sightseeing. We asked the hostel to store our bags in the free lockers provided, but unfortunately the electricity downstairs was broken, meaning the electric locks wouldn't work. So we had to trek all the way to Central Station with our stuff and then pay the equivalent of $9 for each locker. It was really annoying, to say the least, to pay that much to store our things for not even an hour and a half. The hostel really let us down and made no attempt to offer a discounted price for storage at the station. Oh well. Then figuring out which train to board to get to the Round Tower as well as buying train tickets was a whole other debacle, but we made it (eventually). Before climbing the winding incline of the Round Tower, we grabbed a super quick breakfast (chocolate croissant and a soy latte). The Round Tower was exactly what it sounds like: a single rounded tower. Although the ascent took a lot out of us, the view from up there was pretty nice. Thankfully there were no clouds or fog that day (of course the weather always clears and gets warm the day we leave. It never failed, regardless of which destination). Then we rushed back to the train, headed to Central Station, grabbed our stuff, illegally jumped a train back to the same stop we had been at for the Round Tower, and headed towards St. Peder's Bagery, a really famous and tasty bakery in Copenhagen known for its massive cinnamon buns. While enjoying our cinnamon goodies (at half price because there are half price cinnamon rolls on Wednesdays!), we also met up with a few of another girl's friends there. I ended up buying a cinnamon bun and a little spinach pizza for the airport. Both were magnificent, but the cinnamon bun was to. die. for. After our brief reunion and bite to eat, we boarded the train to the airport. Next stop: Amsterdam! Hello, all!
It's been almost 2 weeks since I posted (sorry!). I was busy with mandatory class trips, midterms, and papers last week, and then got really sick with a stomach flu-type illness. But I'm back and will be reporting my upcoming spring break adventures! A few friends and I just concluded a 3-day trip to Prague, Czech Republic for the first weekend of spring break. To say the city was absolutely beyond amazing would be downplaying its true worth. I had such a fantastic time - even while in the midst of a painful stomach bug. The two plane rides (Athens —> Belgrade, Belgrade —> Prague) were not fun, though, seeing as I spent most of them either in the bathroom or wincing in pain in my seat (aisle, thank god). We got into Prague late Friday night, so we just headed to Czech Inn, our hostel (har har so punny), and called it a day. In the morning, we went on a 3-hour walking tour around the city that was advertised at the hostel. The tour guide was incredibly well informed about Prague’s unique history and was also very funny/charming. At one point during the tour, I thought about asking him out to dinner, but I chickened out when he didn’t seem overwhelmingly receptive to my questions after the walk finished. During the tour, we saw the infamous Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square and watched the show that is performed by the clock every hour. There are several key elements to the clock’s display: the skeleton who rings the bell of death calling for people to die, an old man holding a mirror to represent vanity, and another old man holding a bag of money to symbolize greed. There is also a golden rooster who pops out, as well as several rotating statues that appear and disappear from within the clock. Overall, it's a really cool, complicated procession that occurs every turn of the hour. We then saw the Estates Theatre, which is the opera house where Mozart debuted Don Giovanni (that was obviously a huge success among Prague-ers). This theater is a pretty shade of mint green and has several corinthian columns, making it one of the finest examples of classicism in modern Europe. Fun fact: my friends and I actually tried to see an opera (Hansel and Gretal) at this theater, but unfortunately nothing was playing that day. After a quick bathroom and snack break, we heard the history behind the statue of Jan Hus in Old Town Square. We then toured the Jewish quarter, which used to be a sectioned-off ghetto in older times (Hitler actually tried to make this an official ghetto again during WWII and reinstated many of the antiquated, anti-semetic practices). The two main attractions were the Jewish Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery. The cemetery, which has a beautiful church-turned museum attached to it, is built significantly higher up than street level in order to house several layers of graves in one plot. The synagogue is the oldest in Europe, being built in the 13th century, and has withstood many fires, wars, and attempted destructions. Our tour guide recommended that we place a hand on the synagogue's wall to receive a bit of its strength and good luck, so I placed both my palms on the building for a good 5 seconds. Before finishing our tour at another opera house, we looked across the Vltava river towards Old Town where the Prague castle, faux Eiffel Tower, and giant metronome statue are located. Fun fact about the metronome: it is built on a large platform that used to support several enormous statues of Joseph Stalin and his comrades. After their regime came tumbling down, the statues were removed. Years later, Michael Jackson built a huge statue of himself there to promote one of his international tours. Today, a giant, red metronome exists on top of the platform that is constantly moving back and forth. Legend says that once the metronome steps moving, society will return to a state of tyrannical rule, so hopefully that never happens! Once our amazing tour concluded, we said goodbye to our cute guide and headed across the Charles Bridge in search of the John Lennon wall. We managed to get to the wall and spent the next 30 minutes posing in front of it. It's so ridiculously colorful and has so many great phrases written on it ("for the nights we won't remember with the friends we won't forget," "imagine," "be kind," "the sun will rise and we will try again," and "fight hate with love" are a few). We had a great time doing solo shots, couple shots, and group shots. And, of course, leaving our own mark on the wall somewhere. Next was the castle on the hill (*cue the Ed Sheeran song*). We stopped for a brief food break (a little to-go pizza shop with slices for 40 koruna/$1.00) and then started our ascent up the hill. As the largest castle complex in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, it's currently the Head of State for the Czech Republic. Besides the royal guards outside and the amazing gothic church that has gargoyles peering down at you from all sides, the castle complex was kinda blah. However, we did get a fantastic view of the city from up there. We also walked by the Golden Row where Franz Kafka used to live in one of the little houses and then touched the highly-shined genitalia of a statue (that's what we were supposed to do, don't worry!) before walking down. Later, the other girls on the trip wanted to go shopping for clubbing clothes before dinner. I, unfortunately, was definitely not feeling well enough to go out. But I joined the excursion anyway and then got a falafel with lots of hummus since Greece doesn't have this amazingly tasty spread. They didn't end up leaving the hostel until well after midnight (crazy people). Meanwhile, I went to sleep fairly early and was later awakened at 4:30 am when one of the girls came back. The other 2 stayed out until 6:30 am! No. Way. José. The next day, we ventured back to Old Town to climb the faux Eiffel Tower. It was a loooong hike up there on the little spiral staircase, but we made it. The view was fantastic, but the tower definitely swayed a noticeable amount, so we went down pretty quickly after our ascent. Back on the ground, I bought 2 "Praha" pins and a magnet to spend my access koruna coins. We ended up sitting in the cafe area of the tower for awhile since we were all exhausted and freezing by then. Fun fact: Prague's tower was built 2 years after the original in Paris and is actually 16 meters higher above sea level. The reason: Prague built its on a hill. Smart. Then it was lunch time. We wandered back to Old Town Square to look at the offerings of street food. We ultimately ordered a combination of sausages and a potato, cabbage, bacon concoction that was insanely overpriced (tourist area, oh well), but full of food. I felt like I hardly made a dent in my bowl, but I didn't want to push anything with my still-upset stomach. Afterward, we walked through some tourist shops and a fur shop that sold coats for upwards of $5,000. We also tried to buy those opera tickets and got turned down, so we went back to the hostel to relax for a bit instead. Later we went back into the city to have a traditional Czech meal, but we got turned down from the restaurant because it was too full for a group of 4. Instead, we went to a really delicious Italian place called Don Giovanni's (of course) where I ate spinach tagliatelle with pesto and pulled out my rusty Italian. Then it was off to bed for us to prepare for our flight the next day. Next top: Copenhagen, Denmark! - Hannah |
Hannah BisbingStudent @ Penn State. Figure skater. Writer. Traveler. Coffee fanatic. Foodie. Semi-professional people watcher who recently returned home from backpacking around Europe. All photos taken by me, unless otherwise noted.
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