My first selfie in a foreign country, Denmark! June 2016
This is my digital story about my travels and kind of life in general now. On June 20th I took my first international flight to Europe. I spent 2 months backpacking and constantly on the move and then I spent the following 4 months living and studying in Milan on exchange. Ever since then I’ve been fascinated by traveling and visiting new countries and new ways of life.
When I created “Crossing the Boundary” it represented both my fear and anticipation on leaving my country for the first time and knowing that I wouldn’t return for 6 months. It didn’t just mean crossing the border, basically an arbitrary line dividing countries (although I would recommend always carrying your passport if you are near a border, best not to take your chances with any potential border control.) But “crossing the boundary” also represented me crossing my comfort zone and going into new and scary territory. I created this blog a month before leaving the country in a time where I was both excited and terrified. I have done my best to provide both travel stories that I will personally cherish and look back at with fondness, but also useful information for other travelers who may be in the same boat as me. There’s a lot of boring things associated with moving abroad, things like taxes, finding a house, opening a bank account, etc. Other than reddit, I found it was hard to find information about these things. Information as in true stories from people who have gone through the process. You can go onto any banks website to read how to open a bank account, but for whatever reason there is always some sort of problem or issue or just good tips to keep in mind.
Another thing I really wanted to write about was my struggles. Looking back at some of my first posts I can really see how I have adjusted and changed. My first week abroad was terrifying! But regardless, I wrote about my feelings and how it can be scary entering this new world. I can only hope that my words of fear and negativity can help someone else get through their troubles or culture shock or initial fear of being out of their comfort zone (exactly what my blog is based off of).
Paris, Parque Boulogne, Oct 2018
Anyways back to me. Here are some stats
Mary
Female
22
Currently Living: Paris, France
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite country visited (that I haven’t lived in): Belgium
I love listening to music, attending festivals, and in general just having a good time. I’ve been to too many festivals to name (check out my designated page) and definitely too many concerts to even remember.
Since my first initial trip to Europe I’ve had the privilege of visiting all over the world. Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, and all over Europe, once again. I’ve had the opportunity to live in Ireland and now France, and get to know the local culture as a local.
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