That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.
– Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
The point of going to school is to learn something. With the semester in Harlow nearly finished, it’s time to account for what I’ve learned, and whether it was worth it or not. Consider this my cheat sheet.
• I can live without a BlackBerry attached to my hip.
• If you go to Stockholm and you buy a ticket to the underground rail network, then you’re a tourist.
• If you order an appetizer as a meal, you’re going to be sorely disappointed when it shows up. Don’t be cheap on an empty stomach.
• They really do drive on the left in the United Kingdom. Three months later, it still freaks me out if there’s a child or a dog sitting in the left-hand front seat.
• You can have a fantastic time in Europe without drinking like a fish.
• You can have a way better time in Europe by drinking like a fish.
• Tip in Spain. Always.
• Mountains that look like they’re real close probably aren’t. Try anyway.
• Fringe shows are way better than shows on the West End.
• Apparently I’m a hipster (see above).
• You can drink the water in train bathrooms . . . but you probably shouldn’t.
• On roundabouts, buses have to go right before they come left. Don’t worry, they won’t leave you.
• Ryanair really is that cheap. Just check in online before you go and keep it in one bag.
• Plans are awesome, but the things that you don’t count on are way better.
• If you can pay to go to a restored castle or climb a mountain, one will take your money away, the other your breath.
• Travel is one part looking for something, another part running away from something. In the end, it’s what you make it.
• There’s not much better than standing barefoot on a beach, watching the sun set over the Mediterranean.
• There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, more important than laughing.
• My teacher, Mary Walsh, got the police called on her during midterm break for ambushing the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. Do what you believe in, and the hell with the rest. Seriously.
• If you bring a girl to the top of the Eiffel Tower, kiss her. If you're lucky, that's an experience to share together for a long time.
• The world is much bigger than St. John’s, than Newfoundland, than Canada. Let your reaches and your ambitions take you farther than your hometown, but as soon as your ego thinks about doing the same, you need to call in the reins. When you go home again, you’ll be glad you did.
• What's been seen cannot be unseen; what’s been said cannot be unsaid.
• Take pictures so that you can relive a moment, not experience it for the first time on a computer screen.
• Always accept rides from strangers. Wait, that doesn’t sound right . . .
• You can totally have a once-in-a-lifetime experience like James Blunt in “You’re Beautiful.” That doesn’t mean that his song isn’t terrible.
• If a Spanish dude tries to find some common ground and asks if you know French, don’t say oui if you really don’t. Especially if you’re in a train cabin with him for 11 hours.
• It’s not about Life of Johnson, it’s about your own life. Live it while you can – you can wait for the train, but the train won’t wait for you.
• You can have the best haggis, rich reindeer, a steaming bowl of paella, or fish and chips at every corner pub in London, but it’ll never be as good as Mom’s homemade lasagna.
• I’m a lucky, undeserving bastard.
I think that about accounts for it. Completely, utterly worth it – and maybe, just maybe, I’ll actually remember some of this stuff, once the final exam is finished. See you soon.
Cheers,
rb
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