Studying Abroad... in Massachusetts?

In my last post I mentioned that I was living with eleven other people, but I did not specify that seven of them are not from the US. I have always wanted to study abroad in college but never had the time or money to go through with it. I believe I found a more efficient way to dabble in the experience without actually leaving the state.

Let me lay it out for you. Miko, Sandy, and Yiki are from China, Lena is from Germany, Diep is from Vietnam, Alexandra is from Haiti, and Carlo is from Italy. Also in the house lives Ryan from Texas, Matt from New Jersey, and Beverlie who represents the Bay State with yours truly.

Surprisingly, we are all getting along great. I am not sure if it has to do with the lack of understanding during conversations or if we are genuinely happy getting to know one another. I have spent many days copying the diet of the Chinese women. FYI - none of them have heard of or ever eaten Crab Rangoon.

For the past week or so I have tried living off of rice, noodles, vegetables, and shrimp. It's not easy but if that is all you know than pizza and BBQ burgers don't seem as appealing. A few times, I have caught my Chinese housemates indulging in large bakery items from the local market. I can only tell them as nice as possible to stick to the usual in order to maintain their girlish figures.

So far the experience for me has been eye-opening and rewarding. Every day I get to learn about a country I may never get a chance to visit. The only thing about studying abroad I don't understand is how my housemates ended up in Worcester, Massachusetts. Yes, the schools here have a good reputation, but I can only hope my new friends get a chance to swim in the ocean and have themselves a Fenway Frank.

~ Heidi