I Want to Get a Master's Degree (or three), but I Probably Won't

I love education. I love reading and learning and discussing what I've read and learned with people who are smarter than me.

Traveling is amazing for the sake of travel alone, but my main drive behind wanting to visit and live in other countries is so that I can learn history FROM the people it happened to IN the places it happened. I've gained a lot of knowledge that is helpful to my development as a person, but I can't really put that on a job application.

The other problem is that I don't just want one career. This world is so huge! There are so many things to love and learn! Imagine working in the SAME job your entire life.

I have three main interests right now and would love to study them in a formal setting, to give myself structure and guidance from those who know more than me.

1. Masters of Teaching, English Secondary Education. Working in Korea has shown me that I do have the potential to be a good teacher. I connect well with my students and I enjoy trying to craft lessons that will engage all of them. Imagine if I was actually teaching a subject I loved and enjoyed? (Not that I don't love teaching the English language, but there's only so much you can accomplish at this level.) If I get my teaching certification I can teach at any secondary school anywhere in the world, wherever there's a need. It would also be nice to have a backup for if/when I return to the United States. I remember the impact my high school English teacher had on me and I know I could be that person for others.
Length of program: 1 year. Cost of program: $20,000.

2. Masters in Postcolonial Cultural and Literature. Postcolonialism is a subset of literary studies that really struck me during my undergraduate degree, but I didn't have the chance to take any classes and dive deep. I think I've mentioned this somewhere here before, but I'm really into dissecting the power structures of literally every subject and situation. It's rather tiring and unnecessary in many situations, but it's perfect for analyzing the effects of colonialism and all of its fucked up layers of power.
Length of program: 1 year. Cost of program: $20,000.

3. Masters in Public Health. Concentration in women's health and reproductive rights on a global scale. If I had to choose only one it'd be this one. I can see a long career for myself in this field which is why I'm hesitant to actually research and apply to graduate schools. Once I start down this path I'll most likely keep going and won't have the freedom to fuck off to South America for a year or two. Length of program: 2 years. Cost of program: $40,000.

Total: 4 years of full-time education and at least $60,000. Ain't nobody got the time and money for all of that.

The problem is that I don't WANT to choose just one. I want to be well-rounded! I want to do many things in my life! I want my experiences to build on each other! I think that what I learn as a teacher in different countries can improve my focus in postcolonial literature and culture which can then give me the skills to be a more mindful and empathetic person in the global health sector. 

And it's not like I want to pursue these masters degrees because I'm scared of the "real world" (whatever the hell that means). I want to use my knowledge to be a contributing member of society and improve people's lives for the better! Who can fault me for that?

And in between all this, there's still the whole world left to see. South America, Central America, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antartica, the Canadian prairies, most of America. Italy. Greece. Spend more time in the Balkans. Anywhere and everywhere I can get my hands on, really. 

And between all of THAT I would like to have kids someday. (I say "someday" as if I'm not a woman with a biological clock that's already halfway done ticking.) I want to spend as much time with my grandparents as possible. I want to be there for my cousins when they go through their teenage years. I have lots of books I need to read. Movies to see. People to talk to. Sunsets to look at and sunrises to sleep through. Mountains to climb. 

How can I do everything? I can't. And I won't. But goddammit if I'm not going to try. 

Posting While Sedentary (Also, Where I'm Going This Summer)

Alternative title: should I post if I have nothing to say? If I'm not traveling?

I hate having my time wasted and I hate wasting other people's time.  But I feel like everything I read by (most) travel bloggers these days is just fluff.  Meaningless #hashtag content.  Like everyone is trying to fulfill their requirement of one Instagram post a day and two blog posts a week, nevermind if they even have new pictures or new stories to tell or new thoughts to share.

What bores me most about travel blogs is that people feel compelled to have a "point" for every single post.  A long layover in the Netherlands turns into "How to Spend 24 Hours in Amsterdam".  Visting a few cafes after a week in Paris turns into "The Best Cafes in Paris" as if they've had time to sit and contemplate them all.  I'm tired of everyone trying to have an angle. 

Just tell me about your day!

I want to see hastily taken pictures in a museum before security tells you to stop, shots of a flower that you thought was pretty.  What book did you read in that park you sat in for hours since your feet hurt and you couldn't bear the thought of walking one more kilometer to the metro? Were you having a nice day at a cool museum then, once you connected to the free Wifi, accidentally got into a text-argument with your best friend and now your thoughts of that museum and the artists you saw are tainted?

Believe it or not, I don't read travel blogs for useful information. Sounds ridiculous, but I'm sure most people relate.  If I want information, I use a guidebook or a tourism website. If I read a blog, I want to hear about your day. I'm sure I've retained information through osmosis of all I've read, but in my four-ish years of reading a few blogs a week, I've never actually, consciously used any of it while traveling.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS that I don't want to post just for the sake of it.

Because I don't want to bore you.  Because you don't deserve to have your time wasted since everyone and their mother is trying to waste your time on the internet.

I've said all of that ^^^^ to preface this new information (although this info isn't new if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram):  I'm traveling again! Starting June 6th!

I will (hopefully) travel until late August or early September and I really don't have much planned.

The only definite is that I will be in Slovakia for a month, back at the hostel in the mountains that I ran back to last July when I needed a break. (I really need to update y'all on that story. I only wrote one post about it and never followed up with a part II. Oops!)

After Slovakia, there's a strong possibility that I'm going to China (Beijing, specifically) with my school for two weeks because my school is paying for it, even though I graduated!, and over my dead body will I ever turn down a free trip.

From there, who knows! I might have a long layover in Dubai on the way back from China. I was wary of the idea at first, but now that I looked into fun and reasonably priced desert tours I'm extremely excited at the thought. 

Once I'm back in Europe, I have no plans for a full month. I'm considering Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria, but August in those countries might be too hot for me. That sounds like a dumb excuse, but last summer when I was in other south-ish eastern European countries, like Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, I was so miserably hot I couldn't fully appreciate my days. Hence my exodus to the High Tatras in Slovakia.  So I'm not going to let myself be miserable again if push comes to shove.  Maybe I'll go to Slovenia and do some chill hiking, or Latvia and Estonia. Who knows! I'll probably let Ryanair decide my next move.

Near the end of August, I'm heading to London to meet Poppy, an Australian friend that I met last summer in Slovakia. From there we'll take a night bus to Scotland and do some hiking.  I didn't expect to go back to Scotland this soon after leaving last year, but Poppy has never been and suggested we go. Similar to free trips to China, I will also never turn down an excuse to go back to Scotland.

From there, I'll (hopefully) follow her to Sweden where she's starting her master's degree and just chill for a bit.  For some reason, there are insanely cheap flights back to the US from Sweden compared to other places in Europe. How convenient!

That's my ~general plan~ but who knows how the next three months will unfold!  I had a plan for last summer too and I set fire to that only one month in.

Whatever happens, I'm going to blog about it.  In the most genuine, unselfconscious way possible. No forced angles to any of my stories. Not trying to pretend I'm an expert in anything, much less a city I've only spent a few days in.

I'm just a girl with a blog, standing in front of a Europe/China/UAE, asking them to love her.

My 2018 Travel Goals

2018 will be a year of change. Sure, a lot changes EVERY year (2016, anyone?), but 2018 will be a year of plenty of forced changes.

I'm graduating from university, for one. 

On May 12, 2018, I'm graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in English and a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience (two degrees for the price of one? heck yeah) and will be forced out into the world as an adult without any plans. Well, of course, I have plans, but nothing like the rigidity of the American education system that has a strict timeline I must conform to.

So what does 2018 have in store for me, travel-wise? 

I have big, big plans, but there is so much up in the air right now. Possibly none of the following can happen, or everything could happen and more! Come what may, I'm going to try to see as much of the world as I can.

Here are my ambitious 2018 travel goals.

Appalachian Trail

My friend and I want to do a few weeks on the trail after we graduate in May. She's done a 2 week AT hiking trip before and I've never even camped outdoors overnight. But if Cheryl Strayed can do it, I can too, right? If I had it I can just go home with no harm done and if I love it I can carry on for 3-5 weeks. This will be our big graduation hoorah without spending too much money. 

Get a traveling job or internship

I'm applying for a few short-term internships and jobs that start right after graduation. If I get any of them (which honestly the chances are low, but I'm still trying) I could end up in a European capital for a month, Washington DC for the summer, or 20+ American states for a year. Fingers crossed I get one of them because they'd be great resume builders while also letting me see different parts of the country and world.

The Baltics

Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. I flew from Glasgow into Palanga, Lithuania, a cute seaside town as the very first stop of my eastern European summer trip in 2017. Because I was in such a hurry to see Poland and Ukraine, I didn't even stop in the capital, Vilnius, much less go up north to Latvia and Estonia.  Almost everyone I talk to tell me about how cool the capitals of these three countries are (and the surrounding areas, of course) so I'd love to see them for myself.

sunset over the High Tatras on the way back from a hike

Eastern Europe and The Balkans

They overlap a bit so I'm including them in the same section. Romania and Bulgaria were on my original 2017 summer travel list, but that was before I got so incredibly burnt out and hid in the Slovak mountains for a month (I should post about that at some point, probably). I met so many people who were doing months solely focused on the Balkans and they were having the time of their lives. There's a lot of hitchhiking in that area, which I really need to get used to. 

The countries I was to visit most: Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia and to go back to Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina since I spent so little time there. 

It's an ambitious plan for the year, but 2017 was pretty big, too! 

I visited 18 countries in 2017, 16 of them for the first time, so I'm sure I can visit a few more in 2018!

What are your travel plans for the year ahead?

Packing for 3 Weeks in Europe (France, Spain, and Portugal)

Little Bits & Pieces

• toothpaste (two of them: one for mornings and one for night with a lot more fluoride), foldable toothbrush from Boots (#nonspon)
• Vaseline tin, tiny deodorant, nail clippers, Alieve, hair comb, razor, 28 days worth of multivitamins
• Glasses just in case, backup contacts, contact solution, contact holder (being legally blind is annoying)
• Concealer, powder foundation, waterproof mascara, eyebrow gel, tweezers, body spray that I got for £1 at Boots
• Clinique lotion because I'm worth it, hand sanitizer, hair elastics, bandaids
• Sunscreen.  It says oil free and for face but it STILL make my face super oily, which is why I'm taking the powder foundation
• 3 squeezy tubes: shampoo, face wash, and laundry detergent
• Bigelow lemon green tea (am I officially British now? I'm literally packing my own tea)

Clothing

• 1 dress
• 1 pair of navy tights to wear with the dress (they were really cheap from Primark and are holding up surprisingly well)
• 2 button up shirts
• 4 t-shirts (the white one can only be worn under the button ups)
• 1 pair of leggings for bus rides (I ended up ditching these right before Paris since they were pilling SO BAD and getting all over my other clothes)
• 1 flannel button up
• 1 sorority sweatshirt for bus rides/cold nights
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of track shorts for sleeping
• 1 Guns N' Roses shirt for sleeping
• 3 bras (1 "normal", 1 sports bra, and 1 for sleeping/chilling out)
• 2 headbands to make my outfits a little bit different (also I'm in that awkward stage of growing out my hair)
• 1 foldable rain jacket (Parka in a Pocket from Primark)
• 1 pair of shower flip flops (90pence at Primark)
• 1 pair of Sketchers walking shoes (judge me idgaf)
• 1 pair of Chacos (I can't even describe how excited I am to wear my babies again. They're ugly and super American and will probably give me blisters since I haven't worn them in so long but I LOVE THEM)

Electronics and Other

• Kindle + charger
• obnoxious American flag plug adapter
• iPhone charger + cord
• 2 sets of headphones
• Canon point and shoot + charger
• a tiny flashlight
• Journal + pens and highlighters + washi tape because I'm cReAtIvE
• cheap earrings, 2 locks, a Lonely Planet guidebook (will eventually do a post comparing Lonely Planet and Rough Guides)
• Passport + acceptance letter to the University of Glasgow because they won't let me back in the UK without it

I'm very glad I did this mini-trip before I go on my long one over the summer. It really helped me realize what I need, don't need, and would prefer to have.  For instance, I bought a pair of Levi cutoffs in Valencia because it was so hot outside and I wanted some color on my legs.  I'm also really glad I packed my flannel even though I almost left it.  Flannels are very ~American~ but at this point I don't care.  It's great to use as a blanket on cold buses or as a casual pullover for chilly nights.  I also picked up a scarf in Barcelona, which is nice to lie on at the beach or in a park.

I packed all of this in my Osprey Porter 30L, which I'll post a review of soon.  Is it too small?  Too big?  Uncomfortable?  Tune in sometime in the near future to find out!

---

pin it!

What have your trips taught you about packing?

confession time: I feel "too young" to solo travel

Photo by Slava Bowman

I'm trying to make plans for my summer.  Eastern Europe.  Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.  I'll start from the top and work my way down, fly out of either Greece or Istanbul at the end of the summer or when my money runs out, whichever comes first.

*90's movie record scratch* But wait, back up.  I already have a plan for my summer.  I literally just told you my plan.  Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.  Why do I act like I don't know what I'll be doing in 3 months time?  Why do I make jokes about my money running out when, as long as I don't go crazy, it definitely shouldn't?

I'm scared to commit to a solid plan because, in all honesty, I feel too young to be going off on my own.
This feeling is akin to impostor syndrome, feeling like I have no right to be where I am.

Which is absolutely ridiculous.  I'm 21.  I know PLENTY of people who have traveled on their own by my age or younger.

So why do I still feel like I'm too young to travel on my own?

It's a confidence thing, really.  I just need to do it.  I need to go, to prove myself that I can do it.
It's just scary right now.  In my head, I keep thinking "I should go home, get a summer job, see my younger cousins, hang out with my grandma".  All very good excuses for not traveling this summer, but that's what they are: excuses.

I know I need to go because if I don't I'll regret it.  I just wish I didn't feel so damn young.

---

Did you ever feel like you were "too young" for whatever you wanted to do?