When I was in high school, my parents had a teal blue Dodge minivan. I got to drive it my junior and senior year, because it was better than the alternative they offered. None of my friends had fancy cars, but they had normal cars. And the fact that I, a teenage girl in the prime of her youth, was driving a vehicle made for a mom with three kids was a constant source of embarrassment for me. My fellow classmates got a kick out of my ride, and I quickly became known as "soccer mom." Awesome. Talk about the ultimate uncoolness... I vowed that I would never drive a van in my adult years, even if I was a mom with three kids that needed to be driven to soccer practice five days a week.
Fast forward to 22, when I finally bought my first car. A real car. It was a 2007 Ford Fusion, silver exterior, black interior. It was used and was by no means fancy, but it was beautiful and represented freedom, adulthood, coolness. I drove that thing around like nobody's business for three years. Fast forward to 26. I quit my job, left my car in my parents' garage, and moved to England for grad school. I was fine without my car and truly enjoyed using public transportation during my time abroad. But now I'm back at my parents' house while I figure out what I'm doing with my life, and I'm once again faced with an awkward car situation.
The good news is that my parents no longer have the teal mini van. The bad news is that they now drive a gold one from circa 1999. The even worse news is that my license is expired and my car needs to be registered again before I can drive it. So what does that mean? It means that for the week that I've been home, I've had the pleasure of being chauffeured around in the van by my youngest sister. My parents were kind enough to add me to their insurance, but the thought of driving around in the van makes me feel unbelievably unsexy, and I'd rather just stay home.
Every time I'm in the van, it's as if I'm living the embarrassment of my 18-year-old self all over again at 27. For some reason, the whole embarrassment factor never registered with my parents, and they have zero sympathy for us. They had zero sympathy for me when I was in high school or for either of my sisters when they were in high school. My brother, now in high school, will soon be faced with the same embarrassment. I suppose if we came out of it alive, he will too.
Since I'm not planning to be in Michigan for long, I was going to hold out on registering my car until I know where I'm going, but I don't think I can wait. Gold mini vans are the ultimate incentive for me to get my own car back on the road. I refuse to prematurely be a soccer mom ever again.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Saying Goodbye to Manchester
It's hard to believe that my time in England has come to an end. Seems like just yesterday that I quit my job, moved all of my crap to my parents' basement in Michigan, and boarded a plane bound for Manchester, UK. There was so much anticipation for what this season would hold and how my decision to move to another continent would pan out. I was nervous to leave my comfort zone and sad to be saying goodbye to the people I care about, but I was mostly excited for this opportunity to pursue my master's and live abroad, two things that had been on my list for a while.
This year in Manchester has been one of the most challenging, but also one of the most rewarding, seasons of my life on a number of levels. There are countless things I could say to describe what my experience has been, but the rule of thumb with blogging is to keep things short. So, I've decided to sum up this season with a list of highlights:
-Transitioning back into academia after working for 4 years was rough. My first semester of classes nearly killed me, but by the end of second semester, I was killing it in my classes.
-I loved deeply. I was wounded deeply. I was reminded once again of the resiliency of the human heart.
-I lost friends and walked away from community, but I also made new friends and found a new community. I feel particularly thankful for all of my incredible classmates who brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program, and also know how to have a good time in and out of the classroom.
-I wrestled with my weaknesses, fears, and disappointments, sometimes winning the battle and sometimes losing. In the process, I saw the strength and determination that I possess, and I'm proud of myself for sticking it out, even when I didn't think I had it in me.
-I traveled to 7 European countries (France, Belgium, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, and Italy) and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of exploration. I've now been to 28 countries.
-I reconnected with my African roots during a program field visit to Uganda. Turns out I'm not the only one in my family who can play the drums.
-I drank lots of cider and even more tea (with milk and sugar, of course).
-I got the stomach flu and tonsillitis and was thankful for the NHS. I still can't believe that I can walk in and out of the hospital and not pay a dime (America, what's the deal??).
-I lost 10 pounds but gained most of them back (probably from late-night kebabs and sour cream and sweet onion kettle chips).
-I spent countless hours in the library. They paid off.
-I was rained on a lot, which has made me appreciate sunshine even more than ever. I also came to understand why the weather is one of the only things English people talk about. You're either complaining about how terrible it is, or rejoicing on rare days of sunshine. There is no middle ground.
-I broke both of my cameras (womp), which got me in the habit of camera borrowing for my weekend adventures.
-I kissed an English boy in the rain (que romantico!).
-I dated a Spanish boy for a week and spent one of my favorite days in Manchester with him exploring the city and indulging in sunshine and jazz music. Why one week, you may be wondering? Because we met one week before I left (quickly becoming the story of my life).
-I went on a date with a guy from Kashmir. This was the second most awkward date of my life, and I will be dedicating a blog to it in the near future (to read about the my most awkward date, see here).
-I got made fun of for my American accent. I was also told that there should be more Americans in Manchester. I prefer the latter, though you might say I'm biased.
-I missed family and friends, but also thoroughly enjoyed my independence and learned to be super comfortable spending time with myself.
-Oh, and I earned a master's degree from the University of Manchester! Well, almost. I just have to wrap up this small thing called a dissertation. Details...
If you had asked me 4 months ago what my experience in Manchester had been, my response would have been laced with negativity and disappointment. Sometimes, seasons don't look like what we think they are going to. Ask me now, and I'll tell you that I'm incredibly thankful for this experience. It's pushed me in uncomfortable ways, but it's grown me a lot and looked like (I suspect) exactly what it was supposed to. I'll end now, because my 'short' list isn't so short after all. But first, some pictures of the city that I've called home for the past year:
This year in Manchester has been one of the most challenging, but also one of the most rewarding, seasons of my life on a number of levels. There are countless things I could say to describe what my experience has been, but the rule of thumb with blogging is to keep things short. So, I've decided to sum up this season with a list of highlights:
-Transitioning back into academia after working for 4 years was rough. My first semester of classes nearly killed me, but by the end of second semester, I was killing it in my classes.
-I loved deeply. I was wounded deeply. I was reminded once again of the resiliency of the human heart.
-I lost friends and walked away from community, but I also made new friends and found a new community. I feel particularly thankful for all of my incredible classmates who brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program, and also know how to have a good time in and out of the classroom.
-I wrestled with my weaknesses, fears, and disappointments, sometimes winning the battle and sometimes losing. In the process, I saw the strength and determination that I possess, and I'm proud of myself for sticking it out, even when I didn't think I had it in me.
-I traveled to 7 European countries (France, Belgium, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, and Italy) and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of exploration. I've now been to 28 countries.
-I reconnected with my African roots during a program field visit to Uganda. Turns out I'm not the only one in my family who can play the drums.
-I drank lots of cider and even more tea (with milk and sugar, of course).
-I got the stomach flu and tonsillitis and was thankful for the NHS. I still can't believe that I can walk in and out of the hospital and not pay a dime (America, what's the deal??).
-I lost 10 pounds but gained most of them back (probably from late-night kebabs and sour cream and sweet onion kettle chips).
-I spent countless hours in the library. They paid off.
-I was rained on a lot, which has made me appreciate sunshine even more than ever. I also came to understand why the weather is one of the only things English people talk about. You're either complaining about how terrible it is, or rejoicing on rare days of sunshine. There is no middle ground.
-I broke both of my cameras (womp), which got me in the habit of camera borrowing for my weekend adventures.
-I kissed an English boy in the rain (que romantico!).
-I dated a Spanish boy for a week and spent one of my favorite days in Manchester with him exploring the city and indulging in sunshine and jazz music. Why one week, you may be wondering? Because we met one week before I left (quickly becoming the story of my life).
-I went on a date with a guy from Kashmir. This was the second most awkward date of my life, and I will be dedicating a blog to it in the near future (to read about the my most awkward date, see here).
-I got made fun of for my American accent. I was also told that there should be more Americans in Manchester. I prefer the latter, though you might say I'm biased.
-I missed family and friends, but also thoroughly enjoyed my independence and learned to be super comfortable spending time with myself.
-Oh, and I earned a master's degree from the University of Manchester! Well, almost. I just have to wrap up this small thing called a dissertation. Details...
If you had asked me 4 months ago what my experience in Manchester had been, my response would have been laced with negativity and disappointment. Sometimes, seasons don't look like what we think they are going to. Ask me now, and I'll tell you that I'm incredibly thankful for this experience. It's pushed me in uncomfortable ways, but it's grown me a lot and looked like (I suspect) exactly what it was supposed to. I'll end now, because my 'short' list isn't so short after all. But first, some pictures of the city that I've called home for the past year:
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