Salzburg

I've been a bit absent from the blog for a few days (okay, weeks). Working 2 jobs, holiday stuff and school full time will do that to you. I'm also a bit in limbo waiting to hear back on something very, very exciting that I hope you will all get to hear about very soon. Stay tuned! 

I first visited Salzburg in 2012 on my 3rd trip abroad. I was only here for not even 24 hours. This was a quick day trip to Austria while I was in Munich. We squeezed in mere hours in Salzburg between travels to Paris, Germany and back to Paris again. 

I don't have much knowledge of the city of Salzburg, though I know it is beautiful. A must visit for any Sound of Music fans (I had not seen the film until days before I had left as my mom insisted I watch it before I left for Austria), though you will still find Salzburg to be enchanting even if you haven't seen the film. One of my favorite parts were the pedestrian only shopping streets steeped in history. You can shop in a variety of stores and pass by the birthplace of Mozart in one go.

This above photo was taken when I reluctantly decided to climb to the top of the fortress that overlooks Salzburg. It is a climb in itself, but the view from the top was worth it. We meant to explore the fortress only, but found the spots for amazing views on accident. I reminisce quite often of the giant chess board that lays itself out in the shadow of the fortress inviting all to play. Eating ice cream in February and watching others play chess while watching the sun set not wanting to leave is something I feel will repeat itself the next time I visit Salzburg. I would love to visit Salzburg again simply to see more of it as I had such a short visit this time. 

A bit of a sad week for me as a favorite professor of mine recently passed away. He was a mentor for myself, and always fiercely encouraged me to travel. I had only just reached out to him via email mere weeks ago updating him on my life, what he meant to me, and all of my future plans to live abroad and travel as much as I can. He told me even now, at his age there are still so many places he would like to see. Sadly now he will never have that chance, and I supposed I have taken it upon myself to fulfill that dream for him by seeing as many places as I can. I will try my very hardest to make him proud, though in some ways I feel I already have.

UK vs. US: The Major Differences Between Education Systems

Even though I have not started my Master's degree in the UK yet, and will not for several months I have still noticed many differences between the UK and US education system from my own observations as well as friends who are currently studying there.

Landing in a new country that is now your place of residence is scary enough, never mind having to learn about an entirely new education system. Luckily I am preparing myself as best I can and finding out the biggest differences between the system I am currently in and the one I will be in next year so I won't be blindsided by the differences. Here are the biggest differences I've found so far:

No GRE's. A former roommate of mine is applying to grad school in the US and was freaking out about her GRE's. Basically GRE's are an admissions test that one must take before attending graduate school (much like the SAT's or ACT's for college). I cannot even comprehend how stressful they may be for someone, but fortunately for me the UK education system does not require GRE's to attend school there. Woohoo!

Later starting dates. I'm used to starting up the school year in mid August, or after I transferred, after Labor Day in September. To me this was starting late, but not compared to the UK. Friends of mine don't start their classes until the last week of September, almost into October!

A hands off approach.  This may vary depending on the program one is studying, but compared to the American system I feel that the UK has a very hands off teaching approach. Professors don't really give you a schedule of homework or assignments, and don't seem to go as in depth with their teaching as they leave it to the students to do. Their seems to be a lot of time out of the classroom and a lot of opportunity for students to teach themselves through assigned readings and other things. It's definitely not the way I am used to doing it as I feel the US system uses more of a hands on approach. I know all of my due dates and assignments, projects and tests before hand and all learning is done in the classroom. The UK system will take some adjusting to but will be interesting to learn through a different style.

Reading weeks. This is something we definitely don't have in the US. It's sort of a mid term break (I'm guessing similar to our Spring Break here) in place for students to use to study, although I'm sure most don't. I can't lie, I'd use my reading week to travel abroad and leave my books at home...

A lot less work. This is not to say grad school is any easier or harder than those in the US. In the US I am used to having weekly homework & assignments, several quizzes & tests as well as group projects (ugh) that usually consist of a paper and a presentation. In the UK? Not so much. For each class you have one test (worth half your grade) and one big essay or paper (also worth half your grade) due at the end of term...and that's it. Part of me is excited and the other part terrified. What if I bomb the test? That's 50% of my grade! This is a major difference that I'm not sure how well I'll deal with. I guess I'll just have to constantly work on studying and writing to ensure I get a good grade on each part.

Final due dates. The last thing I was surprised to learn was when these final tests and essays are due. In the US, finals are the last day of class and then you're done! Freedom! Not in the UK. Your final exam and essay are due AFTER class ends. Yes. So if your class ends December 5th, but you don't start next term until January 5th, then that's when your final paper and essay are due for the previous term. I have to say: I do not understand this rule...at all. It makes no sense to me. Who wants to study for a final or write their essay during break? No one! I think I might just forego this rule and have everything I can get done done by the end of the term if I'm able to, that way I can enjoy my break as much as possible.

No doubt there will be a bit of a learning curve getting used to an entirely new education system, but I hope preparing myself ahead of time will make the adjustment a bit easier.

Image via wikipedia.

Changing the way I travel

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from my first trip to Europe in 2010

One of the things I am most excited about in making the move is completely changing the way in which I travel. Gone will be the days of large group trips and a constant ticking clock on your time at any given destination.

Don't get me wrong, I think large group travel is great. It's how I came to fall in love with travel itself; without it I would not have fallen in love with travel like I have. Though I feel as if I have worn out my experience with large group travel, and am seeking something more.

Most of my travels up to now have been in large groups through college or university. For my first trip or two this option was great for me because you always had 25 or so other people with you experiencing the same thing you were. Over time, however I started seeing the cons of this type of travel. One being you were always on a schedule and a time limit. You have ten minutes here, take an hour to explore, be back on the bus by this time. I always felt like I never had nearly enough time anywhere and always felt like my time was cut too short. Another con was I felt like I was being interrupted. If you are trying to completely take in a city, or view, or landmark there are 25 other people with you. I've had many moments where I just connect with a place, whatever or whoever it may be, and you just want to stand there for however long you want and take it all in. You want to soak it in as much as you can and appreciate it as much as possible. Yet, you get interrupted by the constant noise of a group beside you. You are never alone in a city, you always have several people by your side and in some cases this isn't always a good thing.

With the move to London, I'll get to wake up there everyday. I won't have to wake up and say 'I'll be going home in 7 days.' Instead London will be home for me. I won't have a ticking clock or a time limit there and will have the entire city at my feet to explore for as long as I would like.

When I do leave London it will be to travel to other countries. I can take a train or a plane and arrive in a new place and have no itinerary or agenda. I can truly be alone if I so choose, and completely soak in a destination with no interruptions from other people. If I do travel with someone, it will be with one person or a few people and not an entire class worth. Instead of trying to pack my schedule with 10 different things I have to make sure to see because I have a short time there, I can leave my schedule completely open and allow myself to explore.

Travel changes you, and continuously changes you in a variety of ways. I'm eager for travel to keep changing me over the next year and beyond, and for me to change the way in which I travel.

Nantucket

Even though my passion is to travel and live abroad, I currently live in the U.S. and have my entire life. I yearn to travel to other continents, at times so much so that I fail to appreciate the beauty of my own country, and what is available for me to go and see.

Back when I lived in Florida, I wanted to visit the island of Nantucket so badly. So when I moved back to New England I knew this tiny island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts was somewhere I had to go once the weather improved and summer came along. So right before the summer season came (the busiest time on island) I took a several day trip to Nantucket, and the beauty that I have only imagined I came to discover was real.

The Key to Happiness.

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

The biggest reason I am doing this whole thing, moving abroad is because I know it will make me happy. This is what I truly want, and I am throwing caution to the wind and doing it.

I'm tired of making excuses for myself. I'm tired of telling myself I can't do something for whatever reason or another that doesn't even matter. I'm tired of doing what I feel obligated to do, doing things to please other people other than myself. I'm tired of the same routine, the same places; I crave the new, and exciting and different. I crave a challenge because that is what will change me. I crave, I need, I want to explore. To be surrounded by new people, cultures, languages...everything different and exciting. To land in a new country only previously visited. You live here now. Hit the ground running...and go.

If you really, truly want to do pursue something, no matter what obstacle stands in your way, you can overcome it. I truly believe that. The biggest fears in our life usually hinder us from doing things. Moving abroad plays upon so many fears, but fears exist to be overcome and conquered. You face a lot of fears and obstacle moving to a new country, but you overcome them simply because you have to. You cannot live your life in fear, for living a life in fear is no life at all.

The option of this not working out was never really an option for me. It will be happening no matter what happens. It has to happen because I need it to. I need to experience this for my own life, my own passions, my own sanity.

Travel is something I crave. I need it like I need air to breathe. Travel was never, and will never be a luxury item for me, but a necessary one. I have to experience it for I cannot live without it.

If you follow your dreams, and work hard it will make you happy. You decide your own happiness.

Once you discover it, go out an seize it with everything you have.

If you're looking for a sign, this is it.

Why London?

A lot of people ask me why London when I tell them I am going abroad for grad school. While the fact that I love the city, that isn't the only reason why I chose to move there for a year (and hopefully longer):


I'm a city person. I thrive in city environments. The energy of cities are addicting to me. I could never see myself living in the country or in the suburbs. Sure, visiting is nice, but I like to be where things are going on. London is one of the world's major cities, and makes for a perfect place for me, being a city person, to set roots into.

It's a great location for my degree. London couldn't be a more perfect city for my major of tourism management. London itself is such a tourism city, and it depends on tourism so much. The location of London within Europe is perfect as well. It is located in a great spot to travel to several different countries within a few hours, and for someone studying tourism, and addicted to travel this couldn't be better.

Public transportation. The public transit in London is some of the best I've ever been on. You have the Tube, as well as the buses. While the Tube does not run 24 hours (though certain lines will be running 24 hours a day in 2015) the buses however, do. Compared to the very limited public transit I use now, having a fairly reliable subway system and 24 hour buses are a dream.

History and culture. I personally love England and what it has to offer. England is one of my favorite countries, and always has been. I love the scenery and how green everything is as well as how much history England has. There are so many towns, villages and castles to explore and it seems there is some sort of historic significance everywhere you go.

While I do completely love London, the fact that I know I can get around and have access to all of Europe before me as well as living in a country that has so much history and so many new customs and cultural aspects only enhances my choice and want to study there.

Photo by me.

Florence

Photos by me.

I've been able to go to Florence twice; once in winter and once in summer. Once I visited for the first time in winter it quickly became one of my favorite Italian cities. Everything is old, historic and beautiful. Florence is definitely a place I would go and visit on a weekend trip while I'm in London. I love that everything you would want to see in Florence is in one relatively small area of the city, as opposed to other cities like London or Paris where things to see are spread out over miles of a city and take time to get to. Everything one would want to see: The Duomo, The Uffiizi Gallery, Michaelangelo's David, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and the River Arno are all within walking distance of each other. That's another thing I like about Florence: its walkability. It's very doable to walk around the city and explore as many tourist areas are pedestrian only or have very few cars. When I stayed here I stayed at a hotel by the Arno river which was great to wake up to and made a very picturesque walk past the river and into the heart of Florence.

Why Westminster?

I've had a lot of people in my life when I tell them I am going to grad school abroad they ask me two things: where am I going to school, and why I picked that school.

So I decided to write up why I chose to attend the University of Westminster for my Master's Degree.

The location. When looking at schools I knew I wanted to be in central London. Central London or bust, as it were. I had researched some other schools, but ultimately they were too far from central London for me. I knew central London was what I wanted and I didn't want to settle. My campus, Marylebone, is right across from Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. It is also a 5 minute walk to Regent's Park. I can totally see myself spending some time in the park catching up on my assigned readings before class.

The cost. Having loans from undergrad I knew I wanted a university with lower tuition fees rather than higher ones. In my research, there are a lot of schools in London and they all range in tuition fees. While Westminster was not the cheapest in tuition fees, they certainly were not the most expensive either. I've seen some schools with fees of 26,000 pounds a year (that's $40,000!) Compared to my undergraduate university, and other schools I was pretty happy with Westminster's fees of 11,500 pounds a year.

The degree. With my undergrad degree being in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Management, I knew I wanted to get a Master's to coordinate with that. When I was looking at schools, several schools had travel or tourism related degrees, but they just were not appealing to me. They featured various types of tourism or focused on certain aspects of the tourism field, which don't get me wrong, are important but ultimately not what I was aiming for. When I found Westminster's it immediately peaked my interest. Westminster's program deals with the demand for tourism, tourism marketing, how tourism shapes cities around the world (as well as London itself), and also deals with mega events and festivals and how they stimulate pride and energize the local community. All of these aspects have greater interest to me than any other degree I have found.

The housing. I also researched where I would be living while I attend school. If a school was not centrally located, their living facilities probably wouldn't be either. If I wanted to study in central London, I knew I wanted to live there too! The first thing I liked was Westminster offers 2 housing options specifically for post grad students ONLY. That was a huge plus for me because being 24 I knew I wanted to be with people of similar age ranges, not with a bunch of 18 year old freshmen. The second thing I liked were the options of the housing. By this I mean, you could choose to live in an old, Victorian building or a brand new renovated building. However probably what I liked the most was the location of the housing complexes. The new one is located near Kings Cross called Depot Point, while the other older one is located actually in the borough of Westminster near the Victoria train station called Wigram House (and is located a 7 minute walk to Buckingham Palace!) The prices per month for each are reasonable too, when you consider you are in central London. Depot Point, being brand new is about 1000 pounds per month, while Wigram House is about 640 pounds per month (for the largest room).

Overall, I really don't think there is anything I don't like about Westminster. There is usually that one big thing staring you in the face that you know you'll just have to get over...but here there really isn't. I love everything about Westminster; the location, the housing and costs, the degree, the tuition fees...everything seems reasonable.

I guess the compromise with that is dealing with the heart attacks I get when I add up the costs of tuition, housing and personal/travel expenses and wonder to myself 'how am I going to pay for this?!'

Prague

Image via here.

Prague is quickly inching to the top of my list of places to take a long weekend trip to during my time in London. I have wanted to go to Prague for about 10 years now. Ever since I saw the movie Chasing Liberty in 2004, part of which is set in Prague, I have been enchanted by the city and have been itching to go.

Prague, to me, looks like it's straight out of a fairytale. I think Prague's Old Town is one of the most well preserved Old Towns throughout Europe. There is always that worry that I build up places in my head to be greater than they actually are. A friend of mine, who is in London for her Master's, just recently took a weekend trip to Prague, and calmed my fears of the city not being everything I imagine it to be. She described Prague as "everything she dreamed it would be...a gorgeous city." She cannot wait to go back. As for me, I can't wait to just go.

One thing on my list to do in Prague is visit a special cafe. Several years ago, I saw a Samantha Brown episode where she went to Prague. She went to a cafe there called Cafe Imperial. She wanted to visit it to see if what she had read about it was true. She had read that this cafe had a pile of donuts sitting out on the counter that were stale; hard as rocks. For about 60 U.S. dollars, you were allowed to buy the entire plate of stale donuts, and throw them at people in the cafe! No joke. Of course, they couldn't guarantee your safety if you did this however. I'm not sure why, but when I heard that I knew I had to check this place out. Not sure what that says about me...but the concept of being allowed to throw stale donuts at people is hilarious and ridiculous. Now I wouldn't actually buy the donuts and throw them, but maybe take a photo of them at least. Unfortunately, upon my research apparently the plate of donuts has been taken away! So sad. Maybe in recent years, they've put them back. Even without the stale donuts, I would still like to check out the cafe. It looks like a beautiful cafe and restaurant decorated with thousands of ceramic tiles and ornate columns.

I'm already looking up airfares on RyanAir and EasyJet in anticipation of booking a trip over a long weekend next year onceI get settled in London.