"It will be interesting to see how long you keep this up." says Shana, a friend, neighbor and collegue. Oh how she underestimated my narcissism...
I'm not going to give any sort of overview of how this is gonna play out, what topics will be covered or where I'm going with this because honestly I have no idea. I'm using this is a forum to display my random, and often times bizarre, thoughts, experiences and encounters.
I've recently decided that its well time to apply to Masters programs, something along the lines of International Development. I'm particularly interested in AU's Natural Resources and Sustainable Development program, which requires a year of study at the University for Peace in Costa Rica, not bad, not bad. I'm also looking into three programs in Holland and one in Italy. More and more it becomes clear that I need to live abroad. Yes, yes I've spent tons of time backpacking and studying in South and Central America and Southeast Asia, but I mean really living, like when I was in Argentina for over a year...only longer. When discussing the prospect of doing a Masters in Europe with Janai I contemplated my life as a European and it went a bit like this...
Me: The best thing about European Universities is no GREs, and your chances of getting a job over there are way better. And, of course, meeting a lovely European man...
I would love to be a kept woman. Sit in my lovely home on some idyllic street in some old as dirt european town, sipping coffee, eating pan de chocolate and wearing a fantastic scarf. I'd get back to my painting, ride a bicycle everywhere, smoke rollies and have a terrier. And you could be there too Janai! We could refer to things as "declase" and "soooo bourgeouise", read Satre and speak in a mixture of 4-5 languages, of which we know a marginal amount, because pretention is the bibelot Europeans never leave home without.
Aaaaah my European life.
Don't misunderstand, although it sounds as if I'm painting all Europeans as vapid, self-absorbed, indulgent, uselessly oppulant and obnoxiously showy, I'm not. That's obviously only the French. The rest of them are quite lovely to be around.
But on a real note, spending some quality time in Europe would be good for me I think. Take in a bit of Old World scenery, walk more, live in a tiny flat somewhere charming, stop being so impressed by things that are 400+ year old and maybe find a way to leach off of their welfare state as I age as Universal Healthcare in the States seems to be a far flung dream.
Ohhh Amanda, I can't believe that someone underestimated your narcissism!! How naive... But yes, your cadre of often bizarre and exciting experiences surely sets you up for an interesting blog. It's a shame that you did not do this while in Argentina or SE Asia, as I can't imagine the stories that will emanate from your maturing and aging years will come even close in terms of obscurity and insanity.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, you must live abroad. While Dubai is a very weird and often times intangible place, living in a new environment, with people from all over the world, who bring their own culture and experiences to the table, is what separates "us" from what is typically perceived as "an American". What's the #1 comment that I get here? "Wow, an American with a passport!" Well, yes, with stamps from over a dozen countries in the past 9 months plus 4 visas including Kenya, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and UAE. What now, Brits?!?
So go out Amanda, show the world your Johnson-ness, and rock out!! You've got a lot to offer and I'm excited to see it manifested in these pages of your blog.
Much love
Ben