Surfing Abroad

So many moons ago (last October really), I applied for a grant that Mount Holyoke College gives out once a year. It is $7000 for students who have never been out of the US to go skipping around the countries of their choice for a whole summer. That's it. You don't have to do an internship or write a thesis about it. Just travel and enjoy. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. The short of the long is that I applied, became a finalist, gave a presentation on why I wanted to hike around New Zealand on a gastronomic tour and lost. It was heartbreaking but I ended up (against all my will) becoming friends with the winner of the grant, Erna. One day she told me that she would be traveling for four months all over the entirety of Europe. Even on $7000 this seemed far fetched. So I asked how.
"Couch surfing."
What it is, aside from a term that puts hilarious imagery in my mind, is a Internet-based non-profit. It connects you with people all around the world who are interested in meeting travelers and are willing to give up a spare bed or couch or dog house for a few nights. You can choose certified or non-certified members (depending on your comfort with risk). AND IT'S NOT A DATING SERVICE! In return you are supposed to make them dinner or take them out for the evening or bring a gift from your home country. The project is gaining momentum very quickly. So far I have met a French and a German for coffee but never had anyone stay over. I plan on surfing at least one couch in my travels abroad. Dog houses...well, maybe not so much.

To learn more about the project visit www.couchsurfing.com.

The Illustrious Duke

Okay, so this post isn't really about my prep for Scotland but oh well. Last night I went with a few friends and my parents to see The Illustrious Return of Don Quixote at Double Edge Theater in Ashfield, MA. A co-worker, Thom Pasculli, is a part of the theater group/play and we all decided to go out and support him. Plus he has been growing a sweet beard for the play and that in itself deserves an ovation.
As I was driving out to the play I realized that I had no idea what I was going to see. I know the story of Don Quixote and that this is a physical theater group but, really, that's it. And I can't describe how intoxicating it was to view this play with no expectations. You are thrown into the literary dream world of Don Quixote, following him throughout Double Edge's entire estate, both indoors and out. The ensemble meshes so organically with each other and their surroundings that you really do forget where you are for and hour and a half. And that is the strongest message out of this play: that one's dreams and realities are no different and need not be. Acrobatics are no longer acrobatics, they are physical extensions of the emotions of these wild characters.
And here I find myself at a wall. I'm trying to explain a play that shouldn't be described because it deserves to be seen without expectations. And in that I think there is some wisdom for my travels. Perhaps I should stop reading my copious amounts of travel guides. Perhaps I shouldn't wonder what my three roommates will be like. Yes, there is a certain amount of vulnerability in this and, yes, there can be disappointment. But the reward of throwing yourself into a strange situation or world and coming out feeling as if you've lived a dream, well...I'm willing to take my chances.

When Track Buddies Collide

I got an email from a friend from my track team at college and, after hearing about my hostel plans, booked at Castle Rock for the same night! I am very much relieved that my first night abroad won't be alone but not nearly as relieved as my parents are I think. This will be Jess's first time abroad as well and, as a West Coast native, it'll be fun to convene and contrast our different reactions to this new culture. She's in a dorm while I'm in a four person flat. She'll be doing science while I'll be doing anthropology and architecture. She's spending some time in Germany while I'll be in Ireland and, cross my fingers, Wales after the semester ends. It all depends when the money runs out...

Beneath Castle Rock

I arrive in Scotland on the 12th of September but, alas, my lease does not begin until the 13th. So a hostel it is! I booked my one night stay at Castle Rock Hostel and let me tell you, I've never been more pumped for my first lodging experience. After seeing the gore-crammed film Hostel I am forever afraid of foreign accommodations but I think this will be a far more successful stay than theirs. The hostel sits right beneath the historic Edinburgh Castle and, with that kind of view, 11GBP is a bargain.
But housing is nothing compared to my fears about one thing: food. Luckily I was clued in by my Irish friend about a place called Tesco. Apparently it is like "Costco and The Dollar UPS had a European lovechild". You order your ridiculously cheap groceries online and they are delivered to you during whatever one-hour slot you like, all for a tiny fee. You can also go directly to the store and do your own shopping but, being as fascinated as I am about this mind-boggling concept, I think I'll opt for delivery to my apartment the first day I'm there.

Let's Rove

This is my first venture out of the US as well as away from home.
I will be attending the University of Edinburgh in the countries capital, my home base for 15 weeks. I hope for the blog to be like an anecdote I heard at a concert I recently attended. Glen Hansard, the headman of The Swell Season and star of the Oscar-acclaimed musical "Once" told his story of change and success as this: you come to a wall and try feverishly to break through this one problem that's hindering you from success. You try and try and eventually turn around and walk away, believing there are some things you can't change. You go on through life making little decisions and treading news paths. And finally, one unforeseen day, you find yourself on the other side of that same wall that you had tried so hard to break through. All it took was a unplanned walk around the world. So let’s rove.