This has been the most productive lazy day. My intention was mainly to rest, but instead I’ve almost finished Anna Karenina (around thirty pages left), I’ve created a working schedule for the week, budgeted, and planned the rest of my trips for the semester. In about an hour I’m going to go out to watch two microtheatre performances, so the only left on my to-do list for the day is to write this blog post. Today is officially one month from the day I left home, August 30th, so I thought I’d do a recap over the last month.
Best Memories:
During my week of extra travel, Prague, Germany, and Vienna definitely stood out. Prague was incredibly quaint with the most adorable cafes, people reading everywhere, and the best breakfast that I still think about almost every day. Germany was also beautiful and felt like a place from my dreams. The villages along the countryside with their white, red-roofed buildings made me want to move there, and the city was impeccably gorgeous too. Vienna stood out for the experiences I had there: spontaneously seeing a concert in a palace, almost crying at the unrealness of the palace gardens, and admiring some of the classiest, most artistic buildings I’ve ever seen.
The process of traveling is also a thrill. It gives me the feeling that I never want to stop doing it and that I’m finally doing what I’m meant to be doing. I’ve never felt more right than I do traveling and with all of the different mindsets and opportunities that go along with it. I can’t imagine settling down and not continuing to see what incredible things this world is carrying.
One of the other best things about this month is that my brother and his girlfriend got engaged. My brother has always been and will always be one of my favorite people on the planet, and honestly, his new fiance is right up there too. I love them both with ALL of my heart, and I couldn’t ask for better humans to call family. It’s amazing to see how happy my brother is and to add such an incredible, compassionate, and hilarious woman to the Pugh Crew. My heart literally beats faster just thinking about it.
There are definitely some other wins from this month too, like the fact that I’m getting better at Spanish, I’m becoming more independent, and I’m still so shocked at the food difference here. I don’t have to worry too much about what I eat or really even think about it because most of it seems so much better for people than back at home. As a bonus, it’s all delicious and definitely one of my favorite parts of this experience.
The Lows:
While it’s been a great month, it has not been without faults because, life. I had a rough patch at the very beginning where I lost sight of myself and tried to be someone I wasn’t. Along those lines, it’s been somewhat difficult to function as someone with introverted tendencies and be comfortable with doing the things I want to do when they’re so different from pretty much every one else. All of these things, though, just required remembering who I am, being okay with that, and taking better care of myself. Obviously these are things I have to choose to do every day; I’m glad for the opportunity to do so. I’ve been moving forward and setting myself up to have a really wonderful second and third month through things like writing more in depth, traveling more, reading more, volunteering, organizing my time, and remembering who I want to be.
The other challenge I’ve been facing, and still am, is being sick. It feels slightly different every day but I don’t know if that is for better or worse. However, I’m doing everything I know to like getting rest, drinking water, taking medicine when I need it (and trying not to take it if I don’t), and I’ve started taking some vitamin C tablets to help boost my immune system. It’s hard to find the balance between making the most of my time and resting, but I’m starting to lean more toward rest so I can heal faster and enjoy my time more feeling a little better.
That’s about it for now. In the next month, I’m looking forward to getting even better at Spanish, starting to volunteer, going on my birthday trip to a jazz festival in Stockholm, going hiking with my roommate, and another trip that I’ll announce soon.
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