Returning to the US after Study Abroad
Hello everyone,
I got back from my study abroad trip yesterday, and I have some things to share. I have quite the travel story. But before we get to that, I would like to talk about how it feels to be back in the US.
I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that I didn't experience much culture shock when I arrived in Canada. But being back in the states is so much harder than I thought it would be. It's really weird, but I feel like I don't belong here. It feels wrong to be back at Maryville College. I've only been here for a day, but I feel like I'm in a dream, that this isn't real. It's like I felt when I first arrived in Canada but I'm sad, not happy and excited. Nothing has really changed here in TN; the only difference is my perspective. I was definitely ready to get home and see friends and family in the week leading up to my departure, but now I just want to go back to Canada.
Now I know this is all part of culture shock and re-entry and all that, but I was not expecting it to hit this hard. When I landed in the US and headed to the bus station in Nashville, I felt very uncomfortable there and like I didn't belong. Now some (probably most) of that was because it was the Nashville bus station; that's just how bus stations are. But at least part of that feeling was directed at the US in general. I know this will pass though for the most part. I'll readjust eventually. I think what will really help is going back home (I'm currently staying in Maryville until graduation) and seeing my cats. I miss them very much.
Ok. Now for my travel story.
So, I was supposed to leave for Calgary at 8:25 pm on the 27th then go to Toronto, then Nashville, catch a bus to Knoxville, then head to MC. My friend Agnese was also leaving on the 27th, but her flight was early in the morning. I woke up at 5:40 am to get ready and take her to the airport to see her off and say goodbye. I then had several things to do before going to the airport for my flight. I got to the airport at 5 pm. I waited around and, closer to 8, my flight was delayed. I thought, "This is fine. I had a long layover in Calgary anyway. I'll still catch my connection." It was delayed again and was set to arrive 30 min before my connection. I was a little worried about that but thought I'd still be able to make it. It then was delayed again. This time, I wouldn't arrive in Calgary until 30 min after my flight left. I then went to switch my flight. The only option I had was to wait for a flight to Calgary at 6:30 am on the 28th, then take a connecting flight to Nashville after a 2 hour layover. That also meant I would have to get a new bus ticket, which was a whole ordeal in itself. I eventually got a new ticket for 7:20 pm, 5 hours after my last flight was supposed to get in.
Flights kept getting delayed and eventually cancelled so there were no cheap hotels in the area that had any available rooms. I decided to spend the night in the airport.
They didn't have any lockers for my bags so I couldn't just find a chair and fall asleep. I had to stay awake. To do this, I decided to watch movies. I ended up watching 3 movies and a few episodes of a show before finally checking one of my bags, going through security, and waiting for my flight to board. This flight was also delayed. It was only an hour and a half so it wasn't too bad. I'd still have time to catch my flight to Nashville, though it would be cutting it close.
I got through security and customs and ran to my gate which was all the way on the other side of the airport. I got there 5 min before boarding was supposed to end but the flight was for San Diego. They gate had been changed. I then ran to the new gate just for them to tell me that boarding hadn't started yet. The plane wasn't even there yet.
So now I was sweaty and tired and stressed. I ended up waiting for 3 hours past the original departure time before boarding. This meant I got to Nashville later than expected. And with the amount of people at the airport, it had a hard time getting a ride to the bus station. I eventually got a ride and got to the bus station 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of my bus. There was a long line to check my bags and I was once again worried about missing my transportation. I went around the line and told another worker about my situation. She checked my bags and assured me that I would not miss my bus, that it wasn't even at the station yet.
To make an already long story just a bit shorter, I waited an uncomfortable 4 and a half hours in the Nashville bus station surrounded by sketchy people, 2 of which tried to sell me drugs and another who was shouting and verbally abusing the security guards at the station.
I stayed on the phone with my mom pretty much the whole time I was at the station to have someone to talk to and give the other people there an excuse not to talk to me. I eventually boarded my very late bus at midnight and arrived in Knoxville at 5:30 am on the 29th. I was going on 48 hours without sleep when my friends picked me up. We then went to get breakfast then went back to the college where I promptly crashed on the couch and slept. I got about 5 hours of sleep then got up and started typing this post.
All in all, I didn't have the best time travelling back to the US, but I'm choosing to look at it, retrospectively, as an adventure. Yes it was difficult and frustrating, but it was just part of the experience and is, if nothing else, an interesting story to tell.
That's all I really have for now. This may or may not be my last post; I'm not sure. But here are some pictures to share anyway (I didn't really know where to put these within this post, so I'm slapping them on at the end. Hope that's ok.)
I got back from my study abroad trip yesterday, and I have some things to share. I have quite the travel story. But before we get to that, I would like to talk about how it feels to be back in the US.
I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that I didn't experience much culture shock when I arrived in Canada. But being back in the states is so much harder than I thought it would be. It's really weird, but I feel like I don't belong here. It feels wrong to be back at Maryville College. I've only been here for a day, but I feel like I'm in a dream, that this isn't real. It's like I felt when I first arrived in Canada but I'm sad, not happy and excited. Nothing has really changed here in TN; the only difference is my perspective. I was definitely ready to get home and see friends and family in the week leading up to my departure, but now I just want to go back to Canada.
Now I know this is all part of culture shock and re-entry and all that, but I was not expecting it to hit this hard. When I landed in the US and headed to the bus station in Nashville, I felt very uncomfortable there and like I didn't belong. Now some (probably most) of that was because it was the Nashville bus station; that's just how bus stations are. But at least part of that feeling was directed at the US in general. I know this will pass though for the most part. I'll readjust eventually. I think what will really help is going back home (I'm currently staying in Maryville until graduation) and seeing my cats. I miss them very much.
Ok. Now for my travel story.
So, I was supposed to leave for Calgary at 8:25 pm on the 27th then go to Toronto, then Nashville, catch a bus to Knoxville, then head to MC. My friend Agnese was also leaving on the 27th, but her flight was early in the morning. I woke up at 5:40 am to get ready and take her to the airport to see her off and say goodbye. I then had several things to do before going to the airport for my flight. I got to the airport at 5 pm. I waited around and, closer to 8, my flight was delayed. I thought, "This is fine. I had a long layover in Calgary anyway. I'll still catch my connection." It was delayed again and was set to arrive 30 min before my connection. I was a little worried about that but thought I'd still be able to make it. It then was delayed again. This time, I wouldn't arrive in Calgary until 30 min after my flight left. I then went to switch my flight. The only option I had was to wait for a flight to Calgary at 6:30 am on the 28th, then take a connecting flight to Nashville after a 2 hour layover. That also meant I would have to get a new bus ticket, which was a whole ordeal in itself. I eventually got a new ticket for 7:20 pm, 5 hours after my last flight was supposed to get in.
Flights kept getting delayed and eventually cancelled so there were no cheap hotels in the area that had any available rooms. I decided to spend the night in the airport.
They didn't have any lockers for my bags so I couldn't just find a chair and fall asleep. I had to stay awake. To do this, I decided to watch movies. I ended up watching 3 movies and a few episodes of a show before finally checking one of my bags, going through security, and waiting for my flight to board. This flight was also delayed. It was only an hour and a half so it wasn't too bad. I'd still have time to catch my flight to Nashville, though it would be cutting it close.
I got through security and customs and ran to my gate which was all the way on the other side of the airport. I got there 5 min before boarding was supposed to end but the flight was for San Diego. They gate had been changed. I then ran to the new gate just for them to tell me that boarding hadn't started yet. The plane wasn't even there yet.
So now I was sweaty and tired and stressed. I ended up waiting for 3 hours past the original departure time before boarding. This meant I got to Nashville later than expected. And with the amount of people at the airport, it had a hard time getting a ride to the bus station. I eventually got a ride and got to the bus station 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of my bus. There was a long line to check my bags and I was once again worried about missing my transportation. I went around the line and told another worker about my situation. She checked my bags and assured me that I would not miss my bus, that it wasn't even at the station yet.
To make an already long story just a bit shorter, I waited an uncomfortable 4 and a half hours in the Nashville bus station surrounded by sketchy people, 2 of which tried to sell me drugs and another who was shouting and verbally abusing the security guards at the station.
I stayed on the phone with my mom pretty much the whole time I was at the station to have someone to talk to and give the other people there an excuse not to talk to me. I eventually boarded my very late bus at midnight and arrived in Knoxville at 5:30 am on the 29th. I was going on 48 hours without sleep when my friends picked me up. We then went to get breakfast then went back to the college where I promptly crashed on the couch and slept. I got about 5 hours of sleep then got up and started typing this post.
All in all, I didn't have the best time travelling back to the US, but I'm choosing to look at it, retrospectively, as an adventure. Yes it was difficult and frustrating, but it was just part of the experience and is, if nothing else, an interesting story to tell.
That's all I really have for now. This may or may not be my last post; I'm not sure. But here are some pictures to share anyway (I didn't really know where to put these within this post, so I'm slapping them on at the end. Hope that's ok.)
Saying goodbye to Agnese at the Regina International Airport.
On the first plane. Saying goodbye to Regina.
Landing in Calgary.
A small view of the cockpit on the plane leaving for Nashville.
Heading to Nashville.
Back in the US, landing in Nashville.
