It’s been two and half months since I last wrote. I guess you could say I’ve been falling a bit short of my every two week goal set out at the beginning of my time abroad. Even though my blogs have stopped, life has kept up its steady barrage of the extraordinary, and after yesterdays events in Boston the saddening as well. Thankfully everyone I know in Boston and at BC is safe, and my plans to run the marathon next year are even more fervent than they were before. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Boston. Stay safe!
Now to update you on my life abroad. As of March 25 I am finished with classes. The exam period begins on May 20, so I have been diligently studying every waking moment of my travels. In SpainI spent time reading over economic policy on my friends beachside villa, taking in the rays of La Costa Del Sol while sipping on vintage Rioja. In Paris where I currently reside, I am crushing out finance problem sets on picturesque parisian cafes, experiencing to the best of my humble abilities what it’s really like to live La Vie Bohème.
If you were about to stop reading fearing this was going to be another my life is a fairytale post with those last two sentences you are not alone…I can’t believe I was able to write such bullshit. Here is the reality…I did go to Spain to visit one of my best friends from home; like normal this year work was not the priority. Shortly after our arrival to Malaga we contracted a horrible stomach virus that turned most of the storied coastal stay into a sickness followed by drawn out recovery. I do currently reside in Paris in a nice little 7th floor walk up in the 2nd. But the stay has been far from simple as I stress about tragedy at home in Boston while I try to cope with my unfettering desire to ignore work as exams fast approach and dealing with the inevitable reality that life is bound to take a drastic change yet again.
The spring semester went very quickly, and London has provided its share of distractions as well, mostly in the form of annoying friends from universities not far away from the LSE. I’m feeling a little bit distraught that my time in London is coming to a swift end, and I am hoping that one day soon I will be able to call London home again.
The world has been my oyster for the past year…I’ve seen countless countries, made new and interesting friends, delved in and out the romantic side of life, and secured a coveted summer internship at one of the most well known companies in the world. Yet through this entire experience so far the lesson that sticks with me most is a simple one…finding what makes you happy in life is a journey that has a always has definite beginning but never a definite end.
I’ve had a lot of things go my way this year and a few things work out a bit differently than expected. I am enthusiastic about the future…I’m 20 years old, healthy, and enjoying myself in the best cities in the world. However, I’d be lying to you if I told you that I was not scared of fucking wasting all these gifts that have been given to me, and that I am at times doubtful that I’ll succeed the goals I have envisioned.
This year has introduced me to people who have genuinely touched my life, and people I would certainly have not befriended as my previous self. I still have a 6 more weeks of my time abroad before I move on to the NYC chapter of my life. I can’t tell you what will come of those 10 weeks or the 18 months before I graduate from Boston College, but I am thinking about the future a lot these days and wanting certainty at every step. And in my quest for a certain plan, the only thing I have realized for certain is that the bread in paris is absolutely out of this world.
Let's Go Get Some Bangers & Mash 