Ok so it has not quite been a year and "road" is a loose term. More like, spending the majority of the past year living in "not my home." I figured this was as good a time as any to reflect on my mad journey. There have been plenty of tears along the way and it's probably the loneliest I have been since I first graduated from college. I left my favorite boys behind and pursued my own selfish impulses, but they've been more understanding than I ever could have hoped for or deserved. Well...the biped has been, the fluffy quadruped, not so much.
Nonetheless, this past year I have done been plenty of amazing things that I never thought I would do. I rode horses in Mestia, floated over Cappadocia in a balloon, hopped on a camel, accepted rides from strangers, had a picnic in the clouds, scaled castle walls, built an entire house in just a week, wandered through caves, dined with strangers, danced like a fool, ate mysterious foods, made frenzied dashes through airports, slept in strange places, and chased farm animals even though there was no farm to be found.
Now that I have settled into graduate school I find myself reading until I pass out from exhaustion, spending too much time contemplating modernization theory and experimental design, and constructing nerdy jokes that only a very few will appreciate. I have not grown to love London yet, but I do love my LSE-life...as nuts as it is sometimes. It's comforting to know that after a year of not quite fitting in anywhere or with anyone that there is a cozy niche at LSE where I can indulge in being myself and not worry so much for a bit.
I didn't meet all my goals for this past year. I did not make it to Azerbaijan or Belgium. But I am already dreaming of 2012 with ideas of Morocco, Loch Ness, Belgium, and the Siberian railroad. I realize that most of my time will actually be spent on my dissertation and the inevitable job hunt, but this girl will dream all the same.
Nonetheless, this past year I have done been plenty of amazing things that I never thought I would do. I rode horses in Mestia, floated over Cappadocia in a balloon, hopped on a camel, accepted rides from strangers, had a picnic in the clouds, scaled castle walls, built an entire house in just a week, wandered through caves, dined with strangers, danced like a fool, ate mysterious foods, made frenzied dashes through airports, slept in strange places, and chased farm animals even though there was no farm to be found.
Now that I have settled into graduate school I find myself reading until I pass out from exhaustion, spending too much time contemplating modernization theory and experimental design, and constructing nerdy jokes that only a very few will appreciate. I have not grown to love London yet, but I do love my LSE-life...as nuts as it is sometimes. It's comforting to know that after a year of not quite fitting in anywhere or with anyone that there is a cozy niche at LSE where I can indulge in being myself and not worry so much for a bit.
I didn't meet all my goals for this past year. I did not make it to Azerbaijan or Belgium. But I am already dreaming of 2012 with ideas of Morocco, Loch Ness, Belgium, and the Siberian railroad. I realize that most of my time will actually be spent on my dissertation and the inevitable job hunt, but this girl will dream all the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment