Several summers ago, I was in Sheffield, England, studying at a university there. Since there was no class to attend during summer months, I started to spend my weekends visiting some of the villages in the Peak District, the country’s famous mountain region to the West of Sheffield. I bought a guidebook of the area, […]
Under the Blue Sky Read More »
6 am. The alarm goes off, and I slowly get out of bed and walk to the window. On the other side of the street, a coffee bar is already open, spilling a bright yellow light onto the still dark street. Another day is beginning. After half an hour of stretching exercises and meditation, I
Several years ago, I was at London Heathrow Airport connecting flights. Although normally connecting flights is easy, because my two flights were operated by different airlines, I had to go through the border control once before doing the full check-in procedure all over again. As soon as I got out of the arrival door with
Merry embarrassment at the airport Read More »
Spotting my seat, I first pick up the disposable cushion and throw it in the overhead storage along with my backpack. Sitting down on my seat, I take out a book, a notebook, and my pencil case from my tote bag before storing it away under the seat in front of me. These three items
The spring I was turning eleven, my family made a ten-day trip to London, England. Since my father had work to attend, it was my mother and I who explored the city together during the day. With a paper street map in our hands, we visited popular tourist spots – the British Museum, Trafalgar Square
So as it won’t fall Read More »
One weekend in May 2018, I went to Toronto to attend my friend’s wedding. Because my budget was tight and hotels in Toronto were expensive, I went for my familiar solution: stay at a youth hostel. After a quick online search, I found one in Greektown close to a subway station. The location was accessible
Two Nights I Couldn’t Sleep Read More »
Last summer, when I visited my family in Japan for a few months, I happened to spend a night in Tokyo. I was visiting a family member in the region until late in the evening, then I had an appointment to visit a friend in central Tokyo the following morning. Since all I needed was
The amazing night view Read More »
In Autumn 2016, I visited Ottawa for the first time. It was a week-long stay to meet my supervisors-to-be at University and explore the city to see if I could see myself living there. I’d just finished my previous study in England, and after visiting a few different cities in Germany and Italy visiting friends
The moment of comfort Read More »
A little over a decade ago, when I was in college, I went on a family trip to London, England, for about three weeks. Since my English communication skills were still basic at the time, I decided to attend a language school during my stay. The school I chose was situated in the Bloomsbury District,
The first autumn I spent in Canada was a little over a decade ago, when I lived in a rural town of Québec as a college exchange student. After a rough month of adjusting to the new life on campus, Canadian Thanksgiving arrived, and just like many other international students, my new dorm friend and
