Final Post :((

I think the obvious first thing to mention about this bizarre past year is my NUin experience. I will remember every bit of my experience in Europe for the rest of my life as some of the best four months. Most of all I will remember traveling all over Europe. Some of my favorites being Munich, Lisbon, and Paris. Getting to go abroad for my first semester is something that I could have only dreamed of. Before going to Ireland with the NUin program, I had never been to Europe, but I desperately wanted to. Another thing that I will never forget about this year is my first semester on the Boston campus. I will always remember my countless trips to cafe crossing, my classes, volunteering at EMK, and most of all exploring Boston with my friends. I will never forget walking down Huntington for the first time, eating in Dim Sum in Chinatown, the rock climbing club, or my first dorm experience with my Boston apartment. 

One thing I learned in this past school year is how to survive independently. Ireland was not only my first time in Europe, but it was also my first time living alone for an elongated period of time. I learned to cook, to manage money, and, overall, live on my own with my friends. I think cooking was my biggest feat. Before I left for Ireland, the most sophisticated thing I could cook on an everyday basis was french toast. By the end of Ireland, I was able to cook chicken like a madwoman. I was making enough stir-fry to feed at least ten of my friends. I learned how to make my own chicken tenders. I learned how to make all of this with only an electric stove. Once in Boston, I made a variety of food french fries and mastered my ginger chicken. I learned how to not spend all of my money in Italy and how to eat way beyond my stomach capacity with pork buns in Chinatown. Most of all I learned how to be a college student.

I have been missing a lot of things since I’ve been in quarantine. First of all, I’ve been missing all of my friends and even my classes, that's an obvious one. My friends from NUin and Northeastern Boston campus are some of the best friends I’ve made in my entire life. Another thing that I desperately miss is my independence and freedom. I miss Boston where I live with my friends and explore one of my favorite cities with them. I miss my shopping days exploring Huntington and even some thrift shops around Boston and even attempting to navigate the T. I even miss Marino, which is something I never thought I would say. I miss Dublin, SO MUCH. Even though I left in December, I miss it like I left yesterday. I miss traveling with my best friends and the foods, cultures, and experiences from traveling, or as my dad calls it “galavanting,” across Europe.