My first time out of the country was in 2008 for a January term on meditation and relaxation techniques in India. Our group stayed at Vishtar, a secular, non-profit organization committed to enabling women, children and other marginalized sections realize their rights. However, we also visited Mysore, Shravanabelagola, and spent two days at an aruveda training center in Karnataka. India was my first love.
Next, I spent a semester studying abroad at Accademia Italiana in Florence, Italy from January to May of 2009. I shared an apartment with two other American students from the program and we attended classes four days a week. I took Italian, Renaissance Art History, Etruscans, Fashion of the 20th century, and Photography I. I learned so much in each class both about the topic and about myself. Our program hosted weekend trips to Rome and Naples as well as day excursions to Siena and San Gimignano. My experience there was incredible in ways beyond words. Florence is my greatest love.
Now, I have started the next chapter of my life. I am living as an au pair with a family in the Netherlands some 20-30 miles outside of Amsterdam. We have not yet determined how long I will be staying but once I am settled and have a better idea of what my future might look like we will discuss it. As for the mystery of my future - you can read about how I feel about it in my first entry here. The times that I have felt most myself was when I was in another country. So, while I'm in the Netherlands it is my intention to do some "soul searching." The one thing I know for sure about my future is that wherever I end up what I want to write. So in the meantime I'll be chronicling my adventures in this blog. I have another blog where I write about things I like so please be sure to check it out here.
