INDIA!!!

Hey guys!

So for those of you who don't know, I applied for a Microfinance internship for this summer in Mumbai, India. I applied last week and received my acceptance today! Only problem is... I need to fund it now =) I've received a $1000 scholarship from my home university already, but I'm still about $2200 short. Many of my friends have urged me to make a "donate" web page, so I added a "donate" button above. If you would like to check out the website, feel free at http://www.indiastudyabroad.org/program_details.php?prog_na_id=14 . Any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated!!! THANK YOU!

Expect a post soon about Lake Como/Bellagio =)
Night!
Caitlyn

Paris or Milano?

Ciao!!

So I've been in Milan for 2 weeks now, and everyone keeps asking me the same question: Which do you like better, Paris or Milan? And the answer to that isn't an easy one.

Before I left to come study abroad again, I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to compare the two. They are completely different experiences and I refuse to keep telling myself things along the lines of, "Paris is so much better than Milan because....." and not to pat myself on the back, but I think I've done a pretty good job so far. There are differences of course, but I need to complete this experience before I decide which one I like more. I can't judge it now. I absolutely love traveling and I'm eager to experience new things, so I've just accepted that Milan is just...different than Paris. I love Milan for completely different reasons than Paris. However, there are some differences between the two cities that cannot be ignored.

Paris is a much prettier city. Milan actually isn't that attractive with the exception of the area around the Duomo. Other than those few blocks, Milan architecture can't hold a candle to Paris's gorgeous buildings. But then again... no one ever said that Milan looked like Paris, so once you accept that Milan is an ugly pretty city, you warm to it much faster.

I love Italians. =) The Italian way of life is...slower than in France. Not only are they friendlier, things here are just not as intense as Paris and far less intense than in the U.S. Everything that could possibly go wrong, does. The trains are always late. People show up to things at least an hour and a half after the scheduled time. Shops are always closed. Nothing ever goes smoothly. And people just shrug it off and go home to their families and drink wine. I love that attitude.

Classes here are much more laid back. Maybe it's because I have Italian professors instead of French/American professors as I had in Paris, but here you can be 15/20 minutes late and the professor won't say anything. Why? Probably because they understand that the trains are always late....

The attitude towards Americans are also different. Here when you say, "Sono Americana" (I am American) Italians say, "ohhhhh!!!" and they are excited and eager to talk to you. Whereas in Paris, I didn't want to tell people I was American because I didn't want their attitudes to become snotty. I definitely feel more comfortable here. I feel like I've made more Italian friends in two weeks that I did in 4 months in Paris.

One of the most important things I've learned about traveling is that you need a sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you will never get the most out of your experiences. I promise that. For example, yesterday our power went out completely and the flipping the circuit breakers wasn't working, so we went to ask our neighbor who didn't speak a word of English how to turn it back on. After a few minutes of miming "light" and "none" he finally got it and helped us. But I look at some of my friends who I know would never go up to someone without speaking their language and ask for help. I wonder sometimes how they survive(d)/will survive their study abroad experiences...

Of course it's impossible not to compare the two cities, but I'm trying not to compare the experiences as a whole. I've just accepted that they are very different. Besides, I haven't been here for that long! I still have 3 1/2 months of adventures to experience. And I can't wait.

I love you and miss you all.
Ciao ciao!!

Month 1

Okay. So I've been here for 5 weeks already, and I haven't updated this. It's time, huh?

Well, first let me start off by saying that adjusting to living in another country sure isn't easy, as I am sure you can imagine, but it's not as difficult as I thought it would be. With a good working knowledge of French, I've been pleasantly surprised at how well I've adjusted to not only a new country, but also city life. Needless to say, I love it here and can't believe how fast the time is flying. It's truly unbelievable. I am going to cry when I have to leave and as my family can attest to, I never cry. But that's another story for another time...

Some interesting things that have happened in Paris:

-Now I understand that there are crazy people out there, but I will never forget the time I saw a man erm... "moving his bowels" as my great-aunt would say, not only at a Metro stop, but in his pants. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a smell that will probably never leave my mind.

-Adding to that, I will never get used to the smell of the metro. It's an odd combination of alcohol, puke, urine and Chanel number 5.

-I am sure you have heard that Parisians are not friendly to Americans. This is both true and false. Parisians are not friendly to anyone. They don't discriminate even amongst their own people. That isn't to say that I haven't met some very nice Parisians, but unfortunately, the stereotype is true. It doesn't matter if you are Irish, Romanian or Chinese, they will not smile at you, they will not stop for a chat, and if you hold up the line at the grocery store... forget it. The glares you will receive will be enough to burn you alive.

-No one speaks. I'm serious. You could drop a pin in the metro and probably hear it. People are so quiet that whispering seems like yelling. I find it odd that no one engages in conversation, but I guess Parisians are a quiet people.

-I smiled at a man who said 'bonjour' to me when I first got here and he looked at me like I was growling at him or something. I still can't get over that no one smiles.

-The amount of times you will get hit on is amazing. Well, maybe "hit on" is a strong word, but you can't walk twenty feet without someone saying something to you or calling something out in either french or broken english. For future reference, wearing your iPod is a good idea.

Oh, and once someone asked me if I had a spare train ticket while I was walking in Gare de L'est-which is a train station for those of you who don't know. He didn't want a metro ticket, but an actual train ticket. I started to laugh. Does it look like I am selling train tickets?

If you ever get the chance to study abroad, please do it. I promise you it will be the best thing you've ever done. I have met so many people, seen things from so many other perspectives and been to places people only dream about. I can't believe I am only 19 and have done so much. Thank you mom and dad =) You probably don't even realize how much this means to me. I have been waiting to travel around Europe since before I can remember and here I am, living my dream because of how hard you guys work. I love you so much.

This weekend I am going to Amsterdam.

Spring break=Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary.

End of March=Barcelona

April= Rome and Venice.

May=Who knows?

This is the best decision I've ever made in my life. I wake up every morning smiling, knowing that I am this is living proof that you can do whatever you want with hard work. Corny? Maybe. True? Yes. If you get the opportunity, travel, travel, travel!

Oh, next weekend I'm trying to get to Normandy. I can't wait.

Mom. I need you to tell me when you are coming. You coming here is messing with my travel weekends. I love you, but I don't love you that much.

Just keeeding.

...Maybe =)

I'm off to bed.

-Caitlyn

Chestertown

So the day before I left for fall break (October 15th), I go out to my car to see a bright orange ticket on my windshield, with the word "VIOLATION" on the front. I'm thinking, what in the world could I possibly get a violation for? Well, it turns out, I was parked incorrectly... How that's possible, I don't really know. But, I am appealing it, so we'll see what happens. 

The whole thing made me laugh really, because in my head, I could hear my friend Alice's voice saying, "Only in Chestertown." Which is absolutely true. Here is a compilation of things that have happened to me so far this semester... Things that seem to only be possible in this small town on the Eastern Shore:

1.) Getting pulled over the first night back at school. Somehow, in the ONE MILE it takes for me to drive from school to the river, only in Chestertown can you get pulled over.

2.) Only in Chestertown will an old lady with a limp approach you at 5:30 am at Dunkin Donuts to tell you "I will pay you to help me bucket out the water from me cellar. Just get into my car..." Yes, at Dunkin Donuts at 5:30 AM. 

3.) Only in Chestertown will you see an intoxicated 23 year old from God-knows-where, come up to you at 2:30 to tell you that although he has TWO hotel rooms, he is looking for a a bar to sleep at. Oh, and he was standing on the dock of the river while telling us this... As if there might be a bar on the river?

4.) Only in Chestertown will you find going to the Library a social event.

5.) Only in Chestertown will you find going to the river at 3 am incredibly fun. 

6.) Only in C-town will you dance in the parking lot of the dock by yourselves at 2 am.

7.) Only in C-town will you stay up all night at said dock, doing nothing but talking, looking forward to DD opening at 5:30, so you can get coffee. 

8.) Only in C-town will a man you have never seen before touch your purse and say, "This is shit." What that means, you still don't know. 

9.) Only in C-town will a seemingly drunken farmer ask you who will win the Presidential Election. When you respond "McCain" he says that he will vote for Obama because "Biden is from Delaware and because MD is next to DEL, he will look out for us." ... Huh?

10.) Then, the seemingly drunken farmer will engage you in a ten minute conversation about how women are the problem with this country, and how he is suing 14 women in November. (?)

11.) Only in C-town will a man with an amputated arm talk about his sexcapades to a store full of customers. 

That's all I can think of for now....

October 1, 2008

So today was my study abroad interview, and everything went smoothly! So next week, I should be receiving my acceptance letter which means one thing:

PARIS NEXT SEMESTER! 

... Can you tell I'm excited? 

Anyway, this blog was mostly created for friends/family to be able to see how I'm doing, keep in touch, my [second] impressions of Paris, etc. 

But in the 3 1/2 months we have before that, the topic: WAC. [Washington College for those who don't know.]

Alright, to begin, let me start by saying this fall semester = MUCH better than last fall semester. However, there are a few things bothering me:

1.) We have a lot of complainers at this school. Seriously, shut up already, cuz your complaints are getting old. Do you think I don't see the construction everyday? Why do you feel the need to write an article to the Elm every week? Do you think your complaints will make the construction go faster? 

2.) Democrats: For the love of God, is the reason why you keep publishing stories about McCain simply because there's nothing to write about for Obama? Why don't you start highlighting what Obama has done and stop writing about Mc.... oh wait. That's right! You can't because Obama HASN'T done anything! I keep forgetting...

... No seriously, though. I honestly don't have a problem with Obama except his lack of experience. I'm sure he's a great guy, but seriously, could the media be any more biased? 

Question: Why do people look at me with sympathy when I say I'm republican?

3.) A certain professor. You can't even remember my name, and you want me to take your advice about my future? You don't know me at all, sir, let alone my name, so why would I listen to your opinions? SORRY. 

4.) The fact that my econ exams count for 30% of my grade. C'mon Dr. Daniels! 30%?! Isn't that a bit much? 

5.) The fact that I think I want to double major. What's wrong with me? Why am I making this harder than it already is? 

6.) Why do you walk around without shoes? I'm sorry, but that's just gross. Aren't you afraid you're going to contract some sort of disease? Step in spit/gum/vomit?

7.) The fact that President Lynnie makes $285k/year. WHAT?! What do you do? You don't have to pay for your $5 million president's house... where does all that money go? So you meet with the Board of Visitors and Governors like once a month... so what?

Well, I'm off to do a presentation on an article I can't find on the internet. It's 12:05 am, so I should probably get started. 

Night.

P.S. Go see Eagle Eye.