Goodbye Home, Hello Rome

On Friday, December 9th, after a mishap of driving to Ohio because 60 has been changed to 376, we made it to the Pittsburgh International Airport. The other group flying with us was sitting just a few rows over at the gate, but I didn’t approach them until we got to our layover in Philadelphia. I asked if they were traveling to Rome with the Mitchell’s and they said yes. Introductions were exchanged and then we headed for the gate for our flight to Rome.

When we arrived in Rome, the taxi had not been set up for our apartment, which was my fault. Tom Mitchell saved the day though and took us back to his apartment along with Ben, so we could wait to check into ours. The ride into the city center was intriguing. I find that entering a city for the first time, I love to just observe. Roman drivers are insane, which was making Grandpa nervous, but I was entertained. The vespas just weaved in and out of traffic and there were no real traffic lanes. Our driver honked his horn just for something to do, since the congestion in the streets was too much for impatience to make a difference. There were two other groups of people with us in the van who had to be dropped off before us. Finally we made it to the Mitchell’s apartment where we were able to relax for about a half an hour.

When it was time, Andrea and Mr. Mitchell, took us by metro to our stop. Walking to our apartment was rough with our luggage due to there being a lot of steps and going up hill from there. I usually pride myself on packing light, but I definitely didn’t on this trip. They were both good sports about it and even volunteered to take us to the grocery store. The store itself was insane that afternoon, there were people everywhere and we had gone without a list, so Grandpa kept coming up with other things we would need. The store wasn’t big, but trying to figure out where stuff was became frustrating with jet lag creeping up on me. There were quite a few flies buzzing about the store as well. At the checkout, poor Andrea who was helping me unload the basket of groceries onto the belt, dropped a can of spaghetti sauce and it smashed all over the floor and us. The Italian man who came to clean it up made light of it and said, “Now all we need is some spaghetti!” He probably didn’t know it, but that basically made my day and put a smile back on my face.

After a much needed shower, we met up with the rest of the group to go to San Giovanni In Laterano where the ordination was going to be held two days later. It was a gorgeous church with ornate ceilings, beautiful statues, and marble floors. Andrea and I each got audio guides and toured the church together. We learned about Constantine and his role in the Catholic Church as well as the placement of prophets and apostles within the building. The church also had a Papal Door which is only opened during jubilee years.

That night, I went on a pub crawl with Ben, Joe, Linda and her kids, David, Kevin, and Krista. We spent some time near the Colosseum, which is gorgeous at night. Seeing it for the first time as we emerged from the metro station was breathtaking. To kill time, after being pestered by men trying to sell light up gadgets, we went to an outdoor cafe for drinks and pizza before joining the pub crawl. It was right across the street from the Colosseum and I kept glancing over at it in amazement that I was in Rome. The whole experience was rather surreal. When you live in a small town like Franklin, being in a city with a landmark that is known worldwide is incredible. A couple of the servers were curious as to how we all knew each other. I became a Mitchell cousin because it was easier than trying to explain how I had ended up with them in Rome. The pub crawl itself wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I think of a pub crawl in the Irish sense, where you sit around a table with drinks and socialize. This was more of a club scene type of thing. It was definitely fun just to cling to the wall and observe everyone. I wasn’t interested in drinking too much, especially on my first night in a foreign city with jet lag, so I just had a couple of drinks. Since we were only given one key to our apartment and I knew Grandpa would sleep through the doorbell, I went back to the Mitchell’s apartment with Joe and Ben to spend the night in Andrea’s room. The next day was to be filled with sightseeing and I could hardly wait.

Long Time, No Write

It's been quite some time since I have posted on this blog. I had actually forgotten about it until I was compiling my playlist for writing. I'm actually participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and by actually, I mean that I'm on track to hit 50,000 words by November 30th. It's funny though, I haven't written much since the end of my college career until now. I've started this novel about four marching band kids and now I have ideas for all kinds of story lines. I'm trying to keep snippets of them saved so that when December comes, I can draft them too. This is a hobby I'm hoping will hold. I seem to come across hobbies that hold my interest for a bit and then fade. Some are just seasonal things though like knitting. For me it's a cold weather hobby and not one I want to be doing in the middle of the summer. Reading and writing though, I'm a fan of both during all seasons.

I won't say much more tonight, other than I hope to start blogging again in some aspect. I need to write everyday if I'm going to commit to this, even if it's only 50 words. Today I've written over 2000 probably. It always amazes me too when I look back through my blogs what I'll find. This quote is one that I found, said to me by one of my favorite college professors:

Not many people can do what you did. Don't take yourself for granted. -Dr. Trejos

She was talking in regard to my study abroad experience. I feel like I need that posted by my office computer for day to day encouragement. Sometimes I get down on myself about my abilities, but I just have to step back and realize that I'm the girl who got on an international flight by herself two years ago to spend four months in a country where I knew no one. Surely I can discuss loan options in the town I've been born and raised in. There is really nothing foreign about that.

JASNA Pittsburgh Announces Student Awardees

I did pretty well for an Economics Major who's a Jane Austen Addict...

JASNA Pittsburgh Announces Student Awardees

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) sponsored its first annual undergraduate paper writing contest in 2011. The group will recognize two Allegheny College students as awardees at their first annual conference, entitled “More than fifteen minutes of fame!” on March 12, 2011. First place will be awarded to Annie Nebo, while second place will go to Julie Ropelewski. Both women are English majors at the small liberal arts college located in Meadville, PA. They will receive small monetary prizes and entry to the March conference, where they will be recognized for their achievement. Joslyn Dechant, a student at Clarion University, was awarded Honorable Mention.

Centered on the theme of How Jane Austen Changed My Life, the undergraduate competition was promoted throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania region. “We want to celebrate Austen and encourage her next generation of fans,” explains Mell Steven Cosnek, President of JASNA Pittsburgh. “Austen was an active writer throughout most of her life, and the paper competition is a way to recognize students that share her passion,” Ms. Cosnek adds.

Chicago

So it has been about a month now since I journeyed to Chicago for the Midwest Economic Conference (MEA sponsored). The whole thing was rather last minute for me. A good portion of the students who went had been signed up for months and the reason I didn't from the beginning was because of the potential cost of the trip. As it turned out, three students dropped out last minute due to workloads, and by last minute I mean I had a 48 hour notice. The Political Economy Club was able to reduce the price to $0, so regardless of wanting rest and time to just do work, I decided this opportunity was way too good to pass up.

I honestly feel that traveling to places I've never been with complete strangers is one of the most thrilling things I do. Some people like skydiving, others prefer driving 90 mph, I however love travel and new acquaintances.

I met the group in a parking lot on campus and we piled into two University owned vans, guys in one and girls in the other, very Irish I might add. Anyway we left around 4:45 pm and arrived in Chicago around 1:00 am Chicago time. The conference itself was actually in Evanston, which is just north of Chicago. The hotel was extremely nice. The conference was interesting because all of the presentations on Friday were way over my head. I sat through an Ivy League session and realized how much I really don't know. That night we went out for some Chicago deep dish pizza with Dr. Trejos and Dr. Barbozza which was great fun. We had a super long table and once again sat guys on one end and girls on the other. The guys had deep economical discussions with Dr. Barbozza, while us girls enjoyed talking to Dr. Trejos about balancing a family life with work among other things.

Saturday I attended all of the Undergrad Sessions which were still over my head at certain points but I did understand a good portion of what was going on. I want to submit some of my research to present next year, hopefully that all works out. Saturday night we drove into Chicago for a night out in the city. None of us had brought substantial winter coats as it had been in the 70's Thursday and Friday but Saturday it was snowing and we all just about froze to death. But we ate at a super cool authentic Chicago restaurant and walked around the city so it was well worth it.

Sunday morning we got up early to make the long journey home. I made some new friends and I gained the secretary position in Political Economy Club for the upcoming school year. I can't wait for St. Louis next year!

Maryland

Saturday, 6th March, 2010 Casey and I talked to girl scouts about studying abroad in Ireland. For the most part the parents were more interested than the girls but we had a few who were entertained. One of the girls asked if there was a pub called The Hog's Head. At first Casey and I didn't know what to say other than the fact that there wasn't, just The Brazen Head and Turk's Head. I then realized it was a Harry Potter reference which was beyond cute and hilarious. Another little girl said she knew the Irish word for girl...lassie. Overall it was a good experience and it was nice to talk about our experiences.

Afterwards we went back to her house to hang out for a bit until Patrick could acquire his father's car. After getting his non-existant voicemail, I texted him so we could make plans. He called and gave us directions to Hoffman's ice cream shop in between trying to kill things on a video game which was quite funny, eventually we got him to focus enough to get what we needed so we could meet him. Once in Casey's vehicle we put on Sondre Lerche and headed for Westminster. Patrick called us on our way to see if we wanted to have dinner before ice cream, so we met him at Applebee's. We had great fun catching up, talking about Dublin, and of course arguing a bit but it was all in good fun. I've missed them both a ton. Afterwards we ended up at Hoffman's. On the way there we put Patrick on speaker phone in case something failed in our following him there. He was blaring something ridiculous on the radio so we pumped I Gotta Feeling through our speakers and sang at the top of our lungs just to annoy him, it was grand.

We sat and talked in the parking lot of Hoffman's after getting our ice cream for about two hours before deciding we needed restrooms. McDonald's was our choice so we headed there. Afterwards we stumbled around Wal-mart where Patrick found a deal on a plaid shirt and then we sat in their parking lot for another two hours and talked even more. We reminisced about Ireland. Patrick pitched his plan for a two week trip across the States for this summer. If all goes according to plan it's going to involve friends we met in Dublin and it's going to be called The Rolling Reunion, which is quite fitting. He also talked about biking across Europe in a few years, I'd love to go but I think I'd prefer a train. (Please note that he is looking at something in the one picture. It was Wal-mart's sad excuse for a bike selection.) Soon it was time to part ways and Casey managed to somewhat document the proper goodbye between Patrick and me that we didn't get in Dublin.

Sunday Casey and Mrs. Wheltle took me to breakfast before dropping me off at the BWI Amtrak station. I got my ticket from the Quik-Trak machine and wandered out to sit on my platform for about 45 minutes. It was such a lovely day that I sat in the sun and read Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson. I thought about my future and the past weekend. I have made some pretty amazing friends who share the same ambitions I do and they understand me. I am extremely blessed. So even though they are an 1 1/2 hour car ride + 8 hour train ride away or just a plan 5 1/2 hour drive away, I thank God that they are in my life. Seeing and talking to them made me feel a bit more confident about what I want as they were able to validate last fall and give me hope for future expeditions. I hope to see them again soon. To quote Patrick on the topic of hope, "It's what we always have."

District of Columbia

Friday, 5th March, 2010 I woke up at 2:20 am in order to ready myself for a drive to the Amtrak station in Pittsburgh where I boarded a train headed for Washington, D.C. The train was supposed to depart at 5:20 am but was late in arriving so we pulled out at 6:05. I tried to sleep on the way there but I was just in and out for most of the trip. I made a playlist of The Script and The Swell Season to give the ride a soundtrack. Casey texted me around lunch time asking me if I wanted to go to a Sondre Lerche concert that night at the Rock & Roll Hotel in D.C. and I told her to go ahead and get tickets.

When the train finally arrived at Union Station I walked along the platform and up the stairs into the station. Once inside I started to grab my phone out of my pocket but Casey came forward out of the crowd and hugged me. Patrick was nowhere in sight so I called and texted him, turned out he couldn't get transport Friday so we'd be seeing him Saturday. We then went downstairs and she got a piece of pizza. I had eaten on the train so we reminisced about Dublin and commented on how surreal it was to be meeting up and hanging out in the States as we had met in Ireland.

We soon headed outside to walk around D.C. I snapped a few shots but not many as I had been there before. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so it was nice to be out and about. We spent a couple of hours in the National Museum of American History. I had been there before but I didn't remember everything and some of the exhibits were new. Long story short we saw Dorothy's ruby red slippers, Abe Lincoln's hat, and Julia Child's kitchen among other things. When the museum closed at 5:30 we set out on a search for a restaurant to eat dinner at. We found a place that was like a cross between Q-doba's and Panera.

Soon it was time to head to the concert so we went to the metro station in order to get to Union Station so we could catch a cab. We were quite glad we had as the roads were under construction and the area that the Rock & Roll Hotel was in was quite sketchy. The venue itself was completely fine which I was thankful for. I got to meet Casey's friend Evan and one of his friends from work. We stood toward the front for the concert. JBM opened and he was awesome. I've been on a singer/songwriter kick lately so this concert was perfect. Sondre was absolutely amazing. I had heard of him before but I didn't realize who he was exactly. He did the music for the Dan In Real Life soundtrack which is where I had recognized his name from. I had a great time but by the end of it I was quite tired. Evan gave us a ride home and by the time I crashed on Casey's couch I had been up for about 24 hours on three hours of sleep.

Study, Ireland, Lecture, Ireland, Everywhere, Ireland

I learned about Giffen goods in Microeconomics today. They are goods that people buy more of when the price goes up and less of when the price goes down. There is only one recorded Giffen good in recent history. According to Dr. Sohng, it was the potato during the Irish potato famine. I know it's not a reliable source but, Wikipedia says otherwise:

Great Famine in Ireland

Potatoes during the Irish Great Famine were long believed to be the only example of a Giffen good. But this theory was debunked by Gerald P. Dwyer and Cotton M. Lindsey in their 1984 article Robert Giffen and the Irish Potato[3][4], where they showed the contradicting nature of the Giffen "legend" with respect to historical evidence.

The Giffen nature of the Irish potato was also later discredited by Sherwin Rosen of the University of Chicago in his 1999 paper Potato Paradoxes[5]. Rosen showed that the phenomenon could be explained by a normal demand model.

I still was slightly taken off guard by the whole thing and as usual had that overwhelming "I can't believe some other reference to Ireland came up this week" moment.

While studying copious amounts of material that I will never remember for Comparative Economics, I came across a reference to politics and Labour Parties. We discussed the fact, and I've noted, that in the UK and Ireland Labour Parties are considered actual political parties.

I keep coming across various headlines in The Economist that deal with Ireland, also ads for Innovation in Ireland.

I presented at Study Abroad Club this week. My audience was small, but it did me good to talk about it. I talked to a friend after about how it went and when I hung with him a mixture of stress relief from being done with it, exhaustion, and longing hit me in a small bout of tears. I'm just wondering how long this is going to go on for. The only thing I can really equate it to is heartbreak, but with a country, it's people, culture, customs, way of life, etc., instead of with a person.

One of the hardest things for me to come to grips with is the alienation part of reverse culture shock. Sure I felt super alienated when I first arrived in Ireland, but after a couple of weeks I stopped clinging to everything American and started to accept everything Irish. Part of the appeal of being overseas was the anonymity of it all. I was ok with feeling alone because no one knew me, there was no expectation, quite a bit of independence. Now that I'm home I find myself expecting more of people than I should which is frustrating. I missed out on things while I was gone and having had the experiences I did alienates me further as not many people can relate. When I find someone who has studied abroad, the conversation is like a rare gem. I want to hold onto it for safe keeping but I know I have to spread my fingers and let it fall through eventually because life stops for no one, especially college students with exams.

I'm getting antsy to go somewhere, anywhere. I wish I could afford to go back to Dublin, live there, go to other places in Europe on holiday. The only thing is I have family and friends I care about here. I'm having trouble defining what is important. Also while studying for Comparative I came across Skinner. We discussed him in class and his idea that we aren't free, we are influenced by the media, people, and the environment. They tell us what we want, we don't decide, we follow a trend.

You only get one life to live. So what do you do with it? Do you surround yourself with family and friends in your native country? Do you go to a foreign country and thrive on learning about a new culture and how people live life there?

When I was in Ireland I was so sure of what I wanted out of life. Now I'm not so sure and that scares me a bit.