International Habits?
I studied abroad when I was in college (wow that was over a decade ago!). I lived in Ireland and I remember the day I was supposed to leave- September 13, 2001. The problem was the September 11, 2001 was...well...a dramatic/traumatic day. I ended up leaving on the 19th...
It's not really that relevant to my life. It was a lonely experience for me. I was new to international travel (or pretty much any kind of travel). I was immature and very emotionally young. I was very religiously and politically conservative (a lot of people don't even know that I was EVER conservative). It was all very eye opening and weird. My whole time in college I only knew 1 other person that studied abroad, it was like this totally random thing that I did. It still feels like that, in fact I almost never talk about it because it feels to irrelevant
But anyway, So tonight, I was laying next to Junia thinking about bedding...because that's the random crap you think about most of the time right? I was thinking about this new quilt we purchased and how lovely it is and how it's weird that all of our beds just have a fitted sheet and a duvet with a duvet cover on them.
And then I realized that is a habit that I picked up from study abroad that I use in my daily life. (I also now leave butter on the counter, take my tea with milk, and have a fondness for salty bread in soup) I cannot imagine ever going back to the fitted sheet. I would NEVER make my bed. I make my bed every single day now, because it is so easy!
I know that is a weird round about way to basically say nothing. But it leaves me with this question. In your international travels- what kind of daily habits have you picked up?
It's not really that relevant to my life. It was a lonely experience for me. I was new to international travel (or pretty much any kind of travel). I was immature and very emotionally young. I was very religiously and politically conservative (a lot of people don't even know that I was EVER conservative). It was all very eye opening and weird. My whole time in college I only knew 1 other person that studied abroad, it was like this totally random thing that I did. It still feels like that, in fact I almost never talk about it because it feels to irrelevant
But anyway, So tonight, I was laying next to Junia thinking about bedding...because that's the random crap you think about most of the time right? I was thinking about this new quilt we purchased and how lovely it is and how it's weird that all of our beds just have a fitted sheet and a duvet with a duvet cover on them.
I know that is a weird round about way to basically say nothing. But it leaves me with this question. In your international travels- what kind of daily habits have you picked up?
In France it is absolutely crucial that you greet the bus driver when you get on and thank them when you leave (even if you have to yell it for them to hear you), I still do that. It's also totally normal to not own a car--I'm doing my best to keep that up as long as possible. I have adopted what my cohort calls "the French glare" when I am crossing paths with someone who is catcalling/makes me nervous. Also, thanks to my host family's taste for expensive alcohol I'm now incredibly picky when it comes to hard apple cider.
ReplyDeleteI always greet bus drivers too. I just think it is kind- and treats them like people...huh. THat's cool!
ReplyDelete