It has been many months since I last reported any news. I have been beyond busy, and now I must tell all the experiences.
For most of June, July, and August I was locked away in a stale library for long hours at a time drafting my dissertation. When it was finally submitted, I cannot express the elation that overtook my senses. 10 months of graduate work, and I was finally finished. Although it was cause for celebration, it was also a strange time. Because, the submission marked the end of the year and the parting of ways for the vast majority of people I have met along the way.
We celebrated many goodbyes, and for me it was all so surreal. It seemed like just yesterday, I was fretting whether the UK consulate in Chicago was going to grant me a UK visa, and now it was the end of the year, and sadly probably the end of the journey with a lot of people. I guess that's how life works though. People come in our lives or a reason, and thus we must cherish every moment we can spend with those or we will regret it in the end. Life is about experience, and I know that I am a much greater person for having experienced so much this year with such a diverse group of people. Thank you for all of the memories, for all the laughter, and for all the pints... you all hold a special place in my heart.
I happened to see the Pope, in his 'Pope-Mobile,' and the Queen of England, while in Edinburgh.
I went to Crete, Greece with Jacqui and others to celebrate the end of our year and to see a new country. Our whitewashed hotel, was perched on top of a mountain and looked perfectly down on the bay below. The crystal blue water lapped lazily across the face of the stoney beaches, while the gentle wind breezed soothingly across the trees. We dined so cheaply, but on such incredible cuisines. Moussaka, Souvlaki, gigantic gyros, grilled feta with roasted tomatoes that tickled ones senses like a rainbow after a rainstorm, it just seemed right. Oh and the olives! Green and brown, big and small, and all so juicy. I ate them at each meal, daily.
Jacqui and I rented a car and drove around parts of Crete. We stopped at ruins from 9,000 BC, and though the sights were aesthetically beautiful, the great thing was we could see them for FREE!!! We drove through barren mountain ranges, and well placed olive fields. We dined in the most beautiful village where grapes grew freely through the pristine alleyways. After 5 hrs of driving, we reached our destination: a beautiful beach at the Libyan Sea. If one squinted and stared into the horizon, they could see the coast of Northern Africa.
After Greece, we had 3 more weeks to sit in Edinburgh. After arriving back in the burgh, it became more real that the fun filled year of graduate school was over. I had plan to pick up my phone to call a friend, but remembered everyone had left. It was a bit saddening, but also inspiring because I knew my journey was not over!!!
It has now been 3 weeks and I'm on the train heading to London. I have lived in the UK twice and I've never made it down London-Town. That's okay, though. After a day of sightseeing, I am leaving the UK, but I'm not heading back to GA or even the States for that matter. No, I am heading East to Bangkok, Thailand.
I am moving to Jacqui's homeland to experience a new culture and soak up all that Thai lifestyle has to offer. I'm so excited for all the opportunities that are coming my way. The first major order of business is brunch at the Sheraton Hotel which apparently contains all the world's best cuisines in one place. I will blog immediately after that and try and give you a first hand account of all the tastes and goodness, then its off to the beaches.
I will keep you posted.
