Plaster.

Plaster (n.) - Bandaid.  I don't know why, but I found that one funny.

This day feels particularly English (rain coming down in sheets, reading Wuthering Heights for the thousandth time and STILL horribly irritated by its contents, listening to "Flaws" by Bastille on repeat), so I figured I would write about my upcoming English-y endeavors.
It's hard to believe - I mean it, difficult to grasp - that in a week, I'll be on a plane returning to the motherland.  Motherland to my country, not necessarily to me.

Reflecting on my time abroad, and as cliche as this sounds, it has truly become a part of me.  There isn't a day that goes by that something doesn't remind me of England - after all, I have a 3' x 5' Union Jack flag occupying my wall to behold daily.

I have a particular love for story-telling, a trait from both parents.  At the dinner table, it is almost impossible to finish a story before dinner is done, and whoever's telling the story (Yelling, "I'M TELLING THE STORY!" probably more than once, impersonating the disgruntled pirate from the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie), indubitably, has a cold meal.  Us Rosenbergs take FOREVER to tell a story, but if there's time, there's usually a good punchline or a laugh to be had in its conclusion.  I suppose I didn't notice it before, but lately, I've been consciously aware of the fact that most of my stories are connected to my abroad experience.  For example, it happened while I was working the other day.  I was fulfilling a stereotypically "intern" duty, stuffing the Summer Advising Day binders full of important information for the incoming freshmen -- yes, it was as exciting as it sounds.  Whilst working (and avoiding paper cuts), I put on the Disney Pandora station, singing along to "Under the Sea," "Zero to Hero," and other Disney classics.  Admittedly, there were embarrassing dance moves to accompany my off-key singing.  Somehow, listening to the Disney Pandora station sparked a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movies) reminiscence between my fellow intern Kelly and I.  It reminded me of a time in England where Obella, Macauley, and I had particularly lazy days and watched a few DCOM movies in one sitting (it was probably the weather that brought on such lethargy).  Simple examples like this arise all the time -- I sometimes want to stop myself for fear of sounding too snobby or condescending , saying, "That time I studied abroad..." etc., etc.  Condescending about what, I'm not too sure.  I just never want to be "that guy."

Feeling such a way, that my study abroad experience is inherent in every day life, makes me want more.  I'm itching to travel, dream, and discover.  Because I am so blessed and fortunate, I'll be going on the Kiplin Hall trip soon, the great-return-to-England trip I mentioned earlier in this post.  I've heard nothing but amazing things about this trip from students who previously went to Kiplin Hall with Dr. Gillin, my favorite professor.  I cannot imagine a better academic setting.  I'll be following the footsteps of the great Romantics, hiking in the Lake District and other areas of Northern England.  I regretted returning to America without traveling up North (Royal Holloway was southwest of London), but this is my golden opportunity to do so -- I'll get four credits, it counts towards my major, it will help with my thesis, it's outdoors-y, heck, all of the above.

Life is good.


In the meantime, listen to the soundtrack of my study abroad experience, the fantastically beautiful Abbey Roads Studios production of "Flaws" by Bastille.  Not to sound like "that guy," but I actually went to Abbey Road Studios... ha ha ha.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzRBoZb3GKw