All articles by dlyons

Home now for two nights and two mornings, and I’m waking up at 5am and ready for bed by 6pm. This jet-lag will wear off soon, but the memories of last month will remain. I miss most the busy and exhilarating days with new friends, walking to new museums, seeing the sights and sounds of
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Returning to the USA

What to say about such an intense and positive experience….?! After a month of near-constant activity, seeing so many things, museums, and meeting new people, it will be a change of pace in New Paltz, waiting for the semester to begin, casually catching up with friends and family. I am so glad I took this
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Travel

In just three weeks, I have seen so much of London. I know how to get around on the Underground (the “Tube”) and the South West Trains. The highlight of my trips to the many museums has been the works of art, which until now, I’ve only seen in textbooks. There is nothing like seeing
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Academic Adjustment

I am taking two classes at Kingston University. They are very similar to classes at SUNY New Paltz, with two important differences: 1) We’re only here for a month, so everything is condensed. For each class I have two papers, and for one, I also had a 10-minute presentation. We have plenty of time to
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Cultural Adjustmant

Since my study abroad session began, I have greatly enjoyed London, the food, and my accommodations. I have done some “cooking” in our shared kitchen. Food from the local Sainsbury’s grocery is plentiful, and very much like the US. The ready-made Indian meals there are outstanding. I’ve also eaten out at several restaurants. My favorites
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Septimus Warren Smith and Rezia in Regent’s Park, London

“…The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he [Septimus] kill himself for their sakes? …Besides, now that he was quite alone, condemned, deserted, as those who are about to die are alone, there was a luxury in it, an isolation full of sublimity; a freedom which the
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Tate’s Rothko Room

On February 25, 1970, Mark Rothko’s dead body was found in his studio amidst an eight-foot-by-six-foot pool of his own blood. He’d slit his own arms at the elbows, and he’d bled out fast. That same day, nine of his greatest works arrived at the Tate Gallery in London, and they’re still on display today.
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One Week Down

Before I left for London, I bought this newfangled iPod in New York City, and without even telling it to keep track, it tells me I’ve walked 101,358 steps since 29 June 2016, the day our study abroad odyssey officially began. My stressed-out belt got some relief, and now, after holding up my jeans all
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Anticipation

The past’s a convenient fiction. That’s all it’ll ever be. It lets us learn from mistakes and feel nostalgic for lost loves, yes, but memories about it’re malleable. They slip out and down like an erosion. We make of the past what we want. We’re constantly creating and forgetting where and what we’ve been. The
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