Anthems of Noll

It's official. I've entered into the "culture shock" phase of my experience here in La Ceiba. I'm able to recognize this change because I am aware of the 4 different stages of one's experience abroad in a culture  with which they are unfamiliar, including: - the "honeymoon" stage: where everything is new, exciting and overall great - the "culture shock" stage: where everything isn't as great as it first seemed, you start to notice little (or big) things that are not "normal" in your own culture, or that you're not used to having to deal with back home - the "negotiation" stage: where you start to accept the differences in your new culture and try to embrace them as contributing to your unique experience, while starting to create a new niche for yourself - the "mastery" stage: where you've finally gotten into your "groove," you feel like you know your new home quite well and are confid...

My first week  at CREDIA, el Centro Regional de Documentación e Interpretación Ambiental, has been a very full one. So far, I've helped my boss JD with the revision of a chapter in the informe, or report, that will be sent to the EU to prove that their funds have, in fact, been used to develop beneficial environmental projects. The office space that I share with my coworkers is gorgeous, surrounded by a lush garden with avocado, mango and mangosteen trees, along with many other tropical plants. We've already taken advantage of the papaya tree in our garden to make smoothies and juices. I love having such easy access to fresh fruit and knowing exactly where they came from. It reminds me of FBC's community shared agriculture (CSA) garden, where we could gather all the ingredients we needed for the meal we were about to prepare. It's too bad they don't have any kale here, as I was starting get used to the idea of having the leafy super-vegetabl...

October is one of my favourite months of the year. I love the cool air, the changing red, yellow, orange and green colours of the leaves and the pixelated blend they create in the distant landscape. This year was special. Once again, I got to celebrate my dad and sister's birthdays at the same time. While last year we were in France having rabbit, foie gras, cheese and wine, this year's sushi and pizza in Montreal was just as memorable, if not more, because this time we were at "home," not on the go in a far away country. Apple-picking and baby goat-catching are also fond memories. I loved wearing my fall jacket, newly-crochet'd hat and llama wool gloves, especially because I knew that I could trade them off for T-shirts, a fedora and sandals within the next 48 hours. Now that I am in my new bungalow home in La Ceiba, I am wishing I could go back to a place where I didn't have to sit half-naked in my room with no fan while peeling my limbs from my bedsheet...

OK, blog, it's you, me and the world. Not to be down on myself but 6 posts in 2 years is less than impressive! The real truth behind my lacking updates is that I genuinely forget that I have a blog, which is quite sad because it has such great potential for me to share my travel experiences, my thoughts in general, and hopefully be of some inspiration to a reader somewhere out there in cyberspace. Ever since my 5-month-long Euro trip ended in March, I have kept busy holding administrative jobs in a field completely unrelated to my degree. Don't get me wrong. I learned lots about things like file sorting and processing, the procedure for medical retirement and pension buyback applications, which was all very interesting in its own way, but I have not had the chance to directly apply what I have studied in school (neoliberalism, environmental change, exploitation of natural resources, etc.) until right now. Since late July, I have been living and working at a demonstration an...

So it seems that I have a looooot of trouble taking the time to write about my travel experiences. I feel like there's so much I want to say, in so much detail, that I have no idea where to start. I feel overwhelmed and, in turn, I don't write anything at all, which is the both the easiest and the worst thing you can do as a traveller who intends to document her adventures. Oh well, better late than never, right? I've been in Europe for almost 4 months now and looking back, I have done and seen a lot of things. I have been to Edinburgh for the first time, where the architecture and landscape was beautiful. While I was visiting in late November, there was a Christmas market set up, filled with German holiday specialties including marzipan, gingerbread cookies, a vegetarian pasta called Spaetzle with the consistency of dumplings and a heavenly cheesiness...You could also get waffles, mulled wine, chocolate pastries filled with whipped cream that I later learned were call...

These first few weeks of my trip have been a continuous learning experience, about different cultures and customs but also about myself. Since arriving in France on September 26th, I have seen many quaint towns in the outskirts of Clermont, such as Orcival, St Saturnin and St Nectaire (the latter gives its name to the deliciously stinky local cheese - more on that later). I have also climbed the Puy de Sancy, I have gone to Collioure in the south of France and I have visited Lyon. While the more local sights have been interesting to get a sense of the area's history, (who would have known 10th century churches would still be standing in such remote locations?) I have also been fascinated by its geography. Volcanoes aren't usually the first thing that come to mind when you think of France but, surprisingly (to me at least), the province of Auvergne is home to a chain of these, all dormant. Seeing as I love to travel, embarking on this adventure to Europe after I graduate...

This past April, I obtained a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Geography. It was one of the most emotional, yet satisfying days of my life. My graduation marked the end of my days as an undergraduate student, where I was constantly exposed to stimulating topics and inspiring people. At the same time, it symbolised my ability to overcome the hardships of my final year in school, not without the help and support of friends and family. Perhaps I found myself overwhelmed by my fourth year because I was the victim of Reverse Culture Shock (it really does exist!), where nothing could make this year as good as the previous term I had spent in Costa Rica. I had learned about this tropical country's environmental paradise first-hand, had met amazing people in my study abroad program and had almost perfected my Spanish-speaking skills. This unforgettable experience had allowed me to learn more about myself than I had ever imagined, and I didn't feel like anything back home could possibly li...