Initially, I thought Kate was a dancer. She sits elegantly, with perfect posture, and smiles often. It turns out she's a musician, trained in opera and musical theater. Like Lis, Kate is a traveler. Last year, she took a two month trip to the Netherlands as a part of their child development program and had the opportunity to visit many different cities and countries...
She would hop on a train and see a different city every week... and ended up in Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg! Don't you wish we could be a train ride away from a different world?
This fall, Kate will be moving from Iowa to Spain on a whim. She arrived in Chicago two weeks ago to take the TEFL, an exam to teach English abroad. In Spain, Kate plans to find an apartment and a job in Valencia, as well as travel often to Paris.
While in Chicago, Kate loved the architecture and Navy Pier (but she hasn't ridden the Ferris Wheel yet!). I too love this city's architecture. Did you know that Chicago flourished because it built beautiful buildings and public spaces like Millennium Park in order to coin itself as a "global city"? Although supposedly it's declining since it's booming economic growth in the 90s. :(
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| The Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier - featured in one of my art books. |
Anyway! Kate recommends reading The House on Mango Street and watching Waking Ned Divine. I have not read or watched either, although I've heard great things about The House on Mango Street! Thanks for the recommendations, Kate! I wish you all the best in Spain. Please feel free to write to us about your travels and the people you meet along the way! :)
And to my readers, would you pick up and move spontaneously to another country? I'm seriously thinking about it now! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I would gladly pick up and move to another country in fact that is what i had planned for my future. No one knows this but one thing i always dream about is getting on a train and as you said it "being a train ride away from another world." we are always taught to try to become successful to support our family and to bring our kids upright but i believe to bring them up in an atmosphere where the world is different all around them is the best way because it adapts them to many situations not just the fluffed up and cushioned suburbanite world we have here.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful thought - as you said, it's so important to be able to perceive the world outside of the context we know. If it's your dream, do it. It's never too late.
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