on the concrete staircase leading to my home of 11 months, crying, as I stared into the dark hazy purple sky.

I lived in one place, the San Gabriel Valley, for 18 years of my life…

Until I didn’t.

My first apartment, 25 minutes off UCSD’s campus in Tierrasanta, has become such a fond place for me! It’s a quiet suburb in San Diego, but I’ve silently worked on my goals and piecing my life together in so many ways here.

First came learning to really cook for myself, then the dishes. & laundry & bills & roommates & commuting to school.

But also more things that are passions of mine too–creating videos, writing & performing poetry, reading 30+ (fiction/biography/leadership) books, & hosting dinner parties.

I don’t know exactly, when I started calling San Diego home, but this small corner of my room where I’m writing this from has definitely been a good place to me.

And when I leave to Copenhagen for 4 months, and I return in January of 2023, it’ll be a new year in a new place, again.

I won’t be renewing the lease here, and I suppose that means quite a bit to be because i’ll have to learn how to adapt and adjust in a new place, all over again.

But in life, isn’t that part of the adventure of it all?

I called my friend Alex today, and when he heard I was going abroad, he recommended I travel all around Europe. Now, it’s my first time going to Europe, and also living on my own there as well, so I’m already in for so many new things, but I also am ready to see what more is out there.

I plan to go to places like Germany for Oktoberfest, Vienna because Billy Joel made a song about it, Scotland because my roommate Andrew studied abroad there, London for the sake of it, Paris for the cobblestone walkways, and basically anywhere I can buy a train ticket to and stay a couple nights in a cheap hostel.

Which brings me to accommodations!

When I get to Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark on the Eastern coast of the country, I’ll be staying in a dormitory studio (1bed 1bath) called Engvej–literally meaning Meadow Row. It’s on the island of Amager, which hosts a big section of Copenhagen. 

Within walking distance is the beach, and within biking distance is my campus for the faculty of Humanities.

For my packing, I’m planning to travel with 3 things–a carry on luggage for clothes, a backpack for my school stuff + weekend travels, and a camera bag to get some more detailed and finer images and videos of the entire place!

For the most part, in the city, I imagine that I’ll be walking to farmers markets, making friends in the dorms to go eat out or cook together, and jumping into bodies of water–the dams, the beaches, the canals!

I hope I find home again, in the abstract belonging type of way, but also in the comforts of new friends and the familiar business of life that I’ll get to while abroad.

But also, I’m not in a rush to settle into life and find a routine–because I’m traveling and going to soak up as much experience I can!

Thanks for reading,

Qui-Shawn Tran

P.S.

I think I might do Study Abroad livestreams here & there on my Instagram. If you want to follow along so you’re up to date, here ya go – https://www.instagram.com/quishawntran/?hl=en