Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

Ever gotten bamboozled on a bus? That was me, fresh off the plane, study-abroad student, ready to take on France. Instead of the metro, I was on a bus, discovering that I could endure hours of zigzagging through unfamiliar roads. The bus became my unexpected classroom.

Each bus trip was like tuning into a reality TV show of European travelers. There was the beard-guy engrossed in Dostoevsky, Spanish teens gabbing away, and the knitting lady whose needles clicked a rhythmic soundtrack. We were all lost and found in our narratives, all aboard the same bus.

The landscapes, man! Talk about Instagram-worthy.  The castles are like something out of a 'Game of Thrones' episode, laying on the hillsides. The vast farmlands were not just pretty to look at but the life source for the country, it made me realize the sheer scale of things. And those wind farms? Hypnotic. Their blades spinning round, faster, slower, faster - a visual lullaby for a long trip.

Let's not forget the bus stops, the moments of respite and unexpected connections. Once, I found myself in a classic 'Lost in Translation' moment, trying to communicate with another traveler. My French was as good as a cat playing a piano. But we shared a laugh, and that was better than perfect grammar.

Getting lost on the bus wasn't a screw-up. It was a weird, wonderful dive into a culture. It was about figuring things out, laughing at my blunders, and living a real-life coming-of-age flick, complete with scenic backdrops and an unfinishable baguette. Getting lost never felt so right!