Spring Time Adventure

Spring rain was falling upon the steady stream.
With my paddle in my hand, I stroked deep into the murky water below.
The wind was gently blowing causing the rain drops to streak down my face, like tear drops of joy.
The spring air smelled of pomegranate and freshly planted tulips.
With a gust of wind daisy seeds flew freely past my face, much like a feather tickling me.
In the distance I could hear a woodpecker, tirelessly pecking away at his craft.
I came upon a swamp and my canoe got stuck in some mud.
As I freed myself from the clenches of the mud, I noticed the many mosquitos freely dancing and prancing upon the water almost as if I was the spectator of a ballet.
I continued on through the swamp until I reached a clearing.
The sun was slowly setting, casting a vibrant hue of orange and yellow and in the distance a fog was settling as the evening sky turned to nightfall.
The night sky was crystal clear and the stars were shinning ever so brightly.
The stars constellations tickled the night sky.
The water remained still and the wind had stopped.
I put my hand into the water and felt a chill go up and down my spine.
I found a camp site and set up my tent.
I got a fire going and relished its warmth.
The outside air had become cold and damp.
After having dinner, I laid awake in my tent for some time, listening intently to the world around me.
An ominous cry of a loon pierced the night, echoing in my years keeping me up for a while longer, until eventually I fell asleep into a deep sleep.
Eager the next morning I set out upon my canoe, uncertain of what might lie beyond the horizon.

An American's Surviual Guide to London

London is a city rich with cultural diversity and an array of various neighborhoods that distinguish London from any other place in the world. Being an American in a British setting is a lot more complex than most people will come to realize. The biggest anomaly being the English language in the context of England, although there are many similarities, there are also some major differences. Pronunciation of words is amongst one of the hardest things to get used to. For the first few weeks I would be sitting having a conversation with a local, and I found myself listening more inventively on what the person was saying and how they were saying it. This led me to try and adapt myself to the local language as best as I could, although, it was extremely challenging. Every time I would try changing my pronunciation of a word, it always felt weird and I would often revert back the American pronunciation. I ultimately came to middle ground, that rather than changing the way I speak, I would adopt the phrases commonly used in order to "fit in".

Being an American in London can be a mixed bag. You are either highly acclaimed or sometimes repulsed by the local community.

Amongst the biggest challenge for me was adapting to the left side traffic. At first I had many close calls where I nearly got hit a few times. Within a few weeks I got used to looking the opposite direction, however, then the problem became where was the driver? My eyes would always dart to the right side of the car to look for the driver and not see a person, was often concerning to me. It was not until about three months in that I got used to this.

Another thing was that most of the time I was here it rained. This often brought my morale down, but then I learned to embrace the humorous side of it. The way I began to look at it was that I did not have to look at the weather forecast anymore, because of the fact that every single day for the most part was 50 F, cloudy, with a chance of rain. The days that we did have sunshine which were few and far between, were a blessing when they happened.

The pub culture was amongst one of the most fascinating dynamics of London. While every pub or bar has a different atmosphere, there are some defining characteristics you will find throughout. The biggest one was the social atmosphere, everyone in the pub was there to socialize with one another and drinking the beer was a very slow process. A person could be there for 1.5 to 2 hours and only have 1 pint, maybe two. The pub was a unique community in which likeminded individuals would come together and talk about life. I remember how in the first few weeks of being in London, how interesting the conversations were with the locals. It was something more than just small talk, rather it was very personal, people wanted to know about you and you're ambitions for your life.

Pubs also are characteristically intoxicating places to be in while a football, rugby or cricket game is on. I did not care for these sports, prior to coming to England. However, seeing the amount of energy and enthusiasm locals had for these sports, made me want to find out more about them. I began learning more about these sports and how they were played.

The final survival tip I have for you is to embrace London and all of its small neighborhoods. To truly experience and understand a culture, you must go on past all the cliché tourist attractions and wander down random streets and immerse yourself with the local culture. It is only truly then that you will begin to realize what it means to be an American Abroad....
 





   

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Liverpool the Urban Industrial City

I woke up around 5am this morning to catch the 6am Tube to London Victoria Station for my 7 am departure to Liverpool. As soon as I got to Victoria Station, I walked down to my coach and hopped on. Before we got into Liverpool we first had to stop in Manchester City to drop some people off. The city of Manchester itself appeared somewhat less well kept in comparison to London. There was a lot of litter everywhere and many of the streets corners were covered in graffiti.

Getting out of Manchester was a nightmare, there was a massive traffic jam so we had to wait about an hour or so, resulting in being an hour and a half late to our original arrival time in Liverpool. Once in Liverpool, I found my hotel and tried checking in, but almost did not get the room. This was because when I booked the room online on Expedia, I only had the ability to book a  room with two single beds and this particular night the hotel was fully booked and wanted to "fully optimize" capacity. I totally understood this reasoning, but as I told them I paid for a room and therefore I should get a room. After about twenty minutes I was able to check into the room, I originally booked and everything was fine. I got settled in and then made my way down to Albert Docks, a major industrial port that was once the busiest industrial ports in England.

I made my way to go and see the Beatles Story Museum, which was located on the opposite side of the docks.

The Museum itself was very informative, it took you through the history and creation of the Beatles. There were various exhibits along the way that recreated some of the monumental moments in Beatles History including a recreation of Matthew Street, as well as the Cavern Club, which was one of the first places to kick start their careers. There was also a creation of the Yellow Submarine made famous from there well known song.

The final exhibit was a recreation of the iconic white room, in which Lennon filmed his music video for the song "Imagine". Overall, I'd say that the museum itself, did due diligence to the Beatles and is worth a visit if you have the time while in Liverpool.

I then took a stroll down Albert Docks, and boy was it windy. The wind was so loud it became deafening. Alongside the docks there is what is known as the Three Graces, which are buildings that have become iconic to Liverpool.

A few yards away there is a set of statues dedicated to the Fab Four, themselves!

Next I started walking towards the Liverpool Cathedral, Europe's fifth largest Cathedral.  Getting to the Cathedral was not an easy task however. I presumed that if I walked straight towards it, I'd eventually make it there. However, each time I seemingly got very close to it, I would become obstructed by either buildings or a fence. I eventually pulled out the map I had and found my way to the entrance of the Cathedral. This church was by far the most impressive I have ever seen. While the Vatican was impressive, I preferred this Cathedral much more because of its architectural design, as well as its massive stain glass windows.

It was around dinnertime so I made my way over to Matthew Street (a street named after me obviously), to go and check out the Cavern Club, where the Beatles and other famous British Bands played many years ago. The Cavern Club has to be one of my most favorite places I have visited while abroad. The club itself had a very upbeat culture that was energetic and playful. It was relatively crowded, but not to the point where you couldn't move around. I had a beer and hung out for a few hours listening to the live performer playing various songs from the Beatles, Oasis, the Who and other various British Bands who played there.

I went out to eat on Matthew Street, which had a quaint culture within itself. With so many music pubs to choose from, it was a hard decision. Everywhere you went was filled with an intoxicating energy and a passion for music. This is primarily due to the fact that Liverpool is home to several universities, so there were many people my age out and about. After I grabbed a bite to eat I made my way back to my hotel where I decompressed for the rest of the day.

The next day I got up and made my way to the Metropolitan Christ the King church. The exterior of the church was lined with various stain glass that reflected colors onto the sides of the building. In the interior the church was set up as a large circle with seating going around the alter. Above the alter were stain glass windows whose colors reflected a vibrant array of hues. Along the side of the main sitting areas, were various stations that a person could go to and explore, such as Repentance and Remembrance with correlated activities one could partake in.

Underneath the church was a Crypt, originally intended for the use of another church that was never built. I was the only one down there with the exception of the information desk at the time and it was ominous being down there by myself. The Crypt itself was poorly lit and had various rooms for prayer and worship. There was a treasury on display that showcased various religious artifacts as well.

After I left the Crypt, I headed to go up on top of the Radio City Tower, which overlooks the city of Liverpool. It was an amazing view on a relatively clear day.

Finally I made my way back down to Albert Docks to go a visit a series of Museums that were within one of the buildings. On the first floor there was an exhibition about the history of the docks as an industrial port. The second floor looked at the impacts that the sinking of Lusitania during WWI had on the people of Liverpool and Britain. On this same floor there was also an exhibit about the people of the Titanic. The third floor was about the transatlantic slave trade that was based out of Liverpool. This exhibit was really well done, as it went into an immense detail about the day to day lives of being a slave up from its beginnings to the present day.

I went to the Bus Station and waited for my bus to arrive. Once the bus arrived we did a quick stop in Manchester to drop and pick some people up. It started snowing as we were leaving Manchester. About a half hour out the snow changed to  rain, ultimately changing as we got further south into sunshine. We hit a traffic jam for about a half hour or so, but were eventually able to make our way back into London around 8:30 pm. I went out to dinner and then headed back to Richmond and got back to my dorm around 10:30 pm.

Overall, I'd say that Liverpool was well worth visiting. However, one thing to note is the fact that you can do pretty much everything there in two days max, so if you are planning a trip to there keep that in mind. The city itself was a blend of industrialization met with urbanization. There were mainly Scottish and Irish people there and everyone was  friendlier than in London. Liverpool is a lot more relaxed than London, as the people around you are not as much in a rush as they are in London.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Lessons Learned While Being an American Abroad

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

-Oscar Wilde

Some four months ago, I set out on a study abroad experience to London, England. Time has somehow been able to elapse me, and these past few months have only felt like a few weeks. In many ways it is a bitter sweet feeling, to be able to return home to America, yet at the same time I have grown attached to London.  I am split between two homes, two different identities with an uncertainty of how I will fit in back home.

I remember the first week of orientation, I felt like I was a Freshman in college all over again. I met so many people from so many different ethnicity's and social classes, that to a point I became overwhelmed. With so many cultures all coming together at once, I had to begin to ask myself where did I want to fit into this community? It was certainty not a situation I had ever been in before. I knew what being an American meant to me, but as I began to explore and learn about other cultures, I began to shape myself differently. I started to become more aware of the perception of Americans  from other cultural perspectives that I never noticed before. By the end of the first week my perception of America had become skewed, and I began to start adopting new ideals.

One of the things that was pointed out to me by many Europeans was that many Americans, were very unaware of what is going on in the world around them. I found this especially true with myself. Many people whom I would talk to would often bring up various global political issues that I have never heard about. As a result of being constantly involved in so many political conversations, I found myself reading more about these issues, that I would have not otherwise paid any attention to. 

February rolled around and it was time to go to Berlin, Germany with my roommate Max. Berlin was far different than anywhere I had ever been before. To some degree it reminded me of the suburbs of New York City, but much more atmospheric. I'll always remember seeing the Brandenburg Tor, that first night that we were there. With no one around it was a moving, yet a chilling experience at the same time.

Even more impactful, just down the road was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of the Holocaust. There were endless pillars as far as the eye could see. One could walk through the labyrinth of pillars and as you walked through the pillars, they gradually got taller, until they reached above your head. There came a point in which you could find yourself alone amongst the endless pillars, and that in itself was a moving experience.

Once you got out of all the main touristy areas, you began to run into a bunch of graffiti, but not in the sense I had traditionally seen or thought graffiti as being. In Berlin it was a communication medium, used to convey social and political messages from the artist to the viewer. This gave me a whole new respect for graffiti as a true art forum.

Spring Break soon followed and I then traveled to Italy by myself. Prior to this trip, I would have never considered traveling alone on such a journey, but it was good that I went alone. I got far more out of the experience than I would have, had I gone with other people.

Rome was everything I had always dreamed it to be. Being there was like living out a childhood fantasy. From seeing the old city to the new city it was truly an amazing experience. I will always remember that first time that I saw the Coliseum, and how mystified I was to be there. Equally as impressive was walking through the Roman Forum and getting further perspective on how the Ancient Romans lived. I was in the center of the foundation of Western Democracy and that alone was intoxicating.

Florence was my least favorite place that I visited in Italy; however, it is where I grew the most as an individual.When I got to Florence, my taxi driver dropped me off nowhere near my hotel. I had to navigate my way to my hotel on foot. My phone wasn't working, nor did anyone in this area speak any English. However, prior to going to Italy, I did learn some basic phrases that were life savers. Apart of me was starting to panic as I tried finding my way to my hotel, but I told myself that I needed to remain calm. After about 20 minutes of asking various people for directions, I found my hotel. Getting lost, ultimately, only helped contribute to me becoming a more skilled navigator, as well as a more rounded individual.  Florence also taught me a great deal about art, and gave me a new level of appreciation of art and a broader perspective on the world that is around me.

Venice was the city I explored the most. You did not have to walk very far at all to get away from the tourist. Venice was truly an escape from the rest of the world. Many hidden streets led to small little restaurant and shops tucked away in hidden little corners.

As far as London goes, it is a city that will forever remain in my heart. London is the perfect combination of the old and the new coming together. It is a city filled with a vibrant up beat culture, that is unlike anywhere else I have been. It truly has been a privilege to be here these past few months, and I look forward to sharing the lessons I have learned from studying abroad with those around me. I really appreciate everyone who has made this experience possible and has supported me along this journey. I'd like to thank first and for most my Mom and Dad for letting me even come abroad, I know that it must have been tough for you to leave me alone in a foreign country, but I am better because of it. I would also like to thank both Curry and Richmond for giving me this opportunity of a life time. Building off this, I'd also like to add that both institutions provided excellent support services for me while I was abroad. Special thanks to my Professor/Advisor Kirk Hazlett for your support thousands of miles away, as well as Ned Bradford and Pat Bonarrigo and at Richmond I'd like to thank Rachel Taylor, Dominic Alessio and Marcus Slease, you made my experience here one that I will never forget! I left America some four months ago and I will come back a stronger, more well-rounded individual, filled with a new sense of ambition.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Abbey Road and Tower Bridge

Late this afternoon, I set out for Abbey Road an iconic place to visit if you are a Beatles fan. I got off at Baker Street Station, and from there I walked about two miles to Abbey Road. There is a station, right next to Abbey Road but it was a nice day so I decided that I would walk for a bit.

On the walk to Abbey Road, it was extremely quiet. Aside from lots of cars passing by, very few pedestrians were out and about.

Abbey Road itself was just like any other traditional London neighborhood, although it felt very disconnected from the rest of London. With pretty much no one around, I took a stroll down the road until I came to Abbey Road Studios. A few meters away from the Studios was the famous spot that the Beatles took their album cover photo.  The cross walk in which they went across was partly shut down due to construction, although, if you looked at the right angle, you could see the similarities.

Many tourists were standing in the road, all taking the same photo of them crossing the road, however, most were completely oblivious to the fact that Abbey Road is a functioning road and that there are cars trying to get through. Cars would sit there honking at the tourist to get out of the way with very few of the tourist paying any attention.

I then went into Central London to go and walk on top of the Tower Bridge. From atop the Tower Bridge, there are two walkways suspended from above the bridge. In each walkway, there is a section which is see through glass. Below oneself, one can see pedestrians and the River Thames below. Looking down below was both an exhilarating experience, while at the same time some what scary. There was also a whole bunch of information and various videos to watch about the bridges construction and its significance to London. This exhibit was very affordable to go up and see this exhibit so if you are ever in London, it is well worth the time.

I continued my journey by taking a walk down the River Thames for one last time. Since today is Shakespeare's birthday, the Globe was putting on a film festival comprised of 37 of Shakespeare's plays, being shown on screens all along the River Thames. There was also a lot of runners out and about, who were preparing for tomorrow's marathon.

Finally, I reached Parliament and watched as the sun slowly set. I took one last stroll over Westminster Bridge and then headed home.

  

   

The Day in the Life of a 1st Grader

Today is my very first day of camp and I'm awfully nervous.
I have never been away from my Mommy and Daddy before.
Mommy and Daddy say camp will be a lot of fun.
They told me that I will make lots of new friends and play many games.
I have always liked playing games.

So Mommy and Daddy and me headed over to the bus stop.
Mommy made sure that I had a lot of sun screen on me.
She kept telling me where everything was in my backpack.
I didn't like her keep telling me the same thing.
When it was time to get on the bus Mommy was crying.
I asked Mommy why she was crying and she said she was crying because she was very happy for me.
I ran over to Mommy and gave her a big hug then went on the bus.
When I got on the bus I did not know where to sit.
There were so many seats and none of them looked like the one I sat in the car.
I asked the bus driver where to sit and he told me to sit in the front next to him and that I would be his special helper.
I like helping so I got really excited.
The bus pulled away and I waved goodbye to Mommy.
Mommy was still crying but I blew her a kiss and she smiled.

After riding the bus for what seemed like forever we made it to camp.
When it was time to get off the bus I was very confused on where I was suppose to go.
I asked the adult standing by the bus where to go and he walked me over to my camp group.
I met my counselors Max and Stephen.
Stephen was really tall, he seemed like he was a giant.
He had curly brown hair and brown eyes.
His voice was extremely loud.
Max was really short and I felt taller than him.
He had  straight dark black hair and blue eyes.
He talked very quietly.
When everyone else arrived at camp my group played get to know games.
I was really nervous when we first started playing the games, but Stephen really got into the games and it made me feel better.

After we learned each others names we went for a walk down to boating.
I have never been boating before, but Stephen said I will like it.
On the way to boating we sang songs.
I like singing songs.
Stephen sang loud.
I sang loud.

We got to boating and went and saw the turtles in the swamp.
I like frogs more.
Turtles are slow.

We went back to camp and colored for a bit.
My favorite color is red.
Jimmy had the only red crayon.
I asked Jimmy if I could use the red crayon when he was done with it.
Jimmy didn't want to share.
This made me sad.
Stephen heard me ask Jimmy for the crayon and said that it would be my turn soon to use the red crayon.
This made me happy.
I like being happy.

Lunchtime came and I was excited to see what my Mommy had packed me for lunch.
I got my brown paper bag and found a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and a juice box.
I like peanut butter and jelly

We then went to swimming.
I was really nervous, I had never been swimming without Mommy and Daddy before.
When it was my turn to go swimming a nice man in a red swim suit helped me swim.
I like the color red.

Next we went down to play sports.
I really like to play soccer.
Some day I am going to play soccer so everyone can see me.
My daddy plays soccer with me all the time.
I always score goals on him.

After sports we went to nature.
I like playing with dirt and bugs.
Mommy is always upset when she see me come inside all dirty.
She says, "Honey, I thought I told you to not play in the dirt. You don't want to ruin your clothes!"
One time I brought Mommy, a worm.
I told her the worm was a present for her.
She got scared and screamed.
My daddy came running and he asked what was wrong.
I showed Daddy the worm, and he laughed.

At nature we learned how to make a fire.
We were each told to go and find sticks.
I wanted to get as many sticks as I could, so I ran as fast as I could.
I fell and got a boo boo.
It hurt bad.
I was sad.
Stephen gave me a ban-aid and I felt a lot better.

After nature it was time to go home.
I got on the bus and waved goodbye to Stephen and Max.
Today was fun.
I like camp.
I can't wait to come back.

When I got back to the bus stop I saw Mommy and Daddy.
Happy to see them, I ran and gave them a big hug.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Observations from London

The following are observations I have made over the past few months:

If you are lucky enough, you might be able to see a spot of sun shine on a good day in London. Most days are often consistently the same that you don't have to even check the weather to know that it will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Many locals often joke about the weather to lighten up the mediocracy of everyday life.

London is an extremely busy city. Where ever you go someone is always in a rush to get somewhere. You begin to realize just how many kinds of suitcases there are. While most of the suitcases are different shapes and sizes the real difference is in the wheels. There are many different types of wheels on the suitcases the most common I have noticed are designed in such a way that one can easily roll a suitcase up a staircase. 

People are often times also in a rush to get up escalators for whatever reason. You can easily tell a foreigner apart from a local, when you see them standing in the middle of the escalator. This often angers the person trying to get by, and the foreigner is completely oblivious to their surroundings that they do not even notice that someone is trying to pass.

London is one of the most diverse cities I have ever been to. Whether it is by individual self-expression, or by language, you do not have to walk very far to experience a multicultural environment.

National pride is evident. There are clear distinctions between Scottish, Irish and British

Royalty is a very big deal in England. One does not simply see many things in England without at least some reference to Royalty. Take for example: Royal Mail, Royal Parks, Royal Boroughs, the currency and etc....

Queuing or getting in line is very orderly and proper. The queues are amongst the most structured I have ever seen.

Smoking is extraordinarily prevalent in society, despite very visible anti-smoking campaigns that I have not seen in America.

Grocery stores especially, the glossiness of magazines are not as in your face as you would see in America. Sure you can still find magazines, but they are not located right as you check out, often times they are down an aisle. Even then the language used on the magazines is of a different variety, taking on a more formal tone.

Pubs and bars promote a very social culture. Inside you will not see people getting drunk, rather you will see people hanging out and enjoying the ambiance. There is also something very intoxicating about being in pub while a football game is on. The amount of energy inside makes me care about the outcome of the game. Do note, I do not care for football otherwise.

The roads are extremely narrow in London to the point that two cars can barely fit. Often times when two cars try and pass each other, one car ends up going on the curb, because they were too anxious to pass by, that there is not enough room for the other car to pass.

Even with green crossing signals one must be cautious of the bikers whom seem to not think it applies to them.

The Tube can be either your best friend or your mortal enemy. Often times it is your best friend in that it is usually punctual, in that you won't have to wait more than ten minutes. Or even if you are a person like me who commutes, the trains will often arrive and leave at the same time every day.  However, there are times that various factors contribute to a chaotic scene in the train stations. This is often due to signal failures or strikes by the unions whom operate the facilities.

One does not simply talk to a stranger on the tube. Rather he or she keeps to themselves, by either reading the newspaper, playing on their phone, staring into blank empty space and or staring at their shoes.

Many people do not "Mind the Gap" between the train and the platform. Many passengers stumble off, despite being reminded many times to be careful.

Hand scooters are a very popular forum of transportation around the city, for all ages.

Around every block there is a Starbucks.

 London is home to many amazing parks that you can easily spend hours strolling through.

Politics is a very big deal in London. Whenever I tell someone that I am an American, they instantly jump on all these different political issues facing the US and the world abroad. However, initially when I encountered this I was very unaware of many of these issues. As the result of being prompted, constantly, I would say I have become a more globally aware citizen.