Terra Incognita

was i only dreaming?
I have the pictures on my walls. Pictures of Big Ben, a cafe in Paris, the piazza outside the Vatican. I share conversations with Protz, Sarah, Emily, Mary Pat, Ellen, Russ, Seth. I get calls from Michael and emails from Careth and Elizabeth. I wear my Dublin pants and Nice shirt while carrying my British purse. I share the memories of last semester with my friends and flatmates who experienced London and abroad along my side. But the day-to-day of Columbia living and the familiarity of school has made those memories seem like fiction. I cling to the daily conversations with flatmate Sarah, laughing over the un-packably huge Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock movie poster that we left for our summer Flat 1 successors to enjoy, and dancing to the Madonna and Britpop that plays in our head. Ah, the Flat 1 dance parties...

Seriously, though, it almost feels as though last semester has faded from existence. I know that I talk about London too much. I appologise. Sometimes I'm afraid that I might appear as though I'm flaunting my experience in the faces of others. But I don't mean to flaunt or boast. If I can't shut up about London, it's because I'm afraid that if I do, the term will turn out to be a dream after all.

ready to check this one off the list
I came to college with a list of cities I wanted to visit before graduating. In January, I spent a couple days with Erin in Chicago and crossed that city off my list. This summer, my hopes of visiting New York with my family were thwarted...by none other than my family (see June 12 post with the head "meanwhile...in mid-missouri"). But I'll get there, mark my words. After all, after this weekend, NY will be the last of the big three.

I'm headed to DC, guys! The annual Society for News Design workshop and exhibition will be there...and so will I. I'm really excited because this will be my first "professional" thing to do as a designer, albeit it's a group of newspaper designers rather than magazine. But hey, experience is experience and connections are connections. Ron Johnson from K-State (and our former neighbor on Newbury St. in Manhattan) is giving the opening talk for the student members of SND. And then there's Sara Jackson (also from K-State) and Tim. And I'll be in DC. After visiting the capitals of five different countries last winter, I'll finally be able to say I've seen my own.

There I go again, relating everything to London...I swore I'd never be one of those study abroad students. Oh well. Live with it.