Magellan Trip : Finding Food and Finding Friends

To start off, I want to say that I have now been in Malta for four days. Unsurprisingly, it does not yet feel like it has been more that a single day. After getting to my hostel at 4:30pm local time, I was so incredibly exhausted that my day consisted of dinner and sleep and nothing else. Actually, at the risk of ensuring a certain friend's disapproval, that first meal was actually at a McDonald's. So much for immersing myself immediately, but if it is any consolation a solemnly swear that will be my last trip to McDonald's for the next two and a half weeks. Sadly eating out is not as fantastic of a experience as it is for me at home. Interestingly, it is not because I am unadaptable or afraid to try new things (in fact I ate a pizza the other day that contained four cheeses, and I only knew two of those cheeses existed), instead it is the lack of refills that plagues me. Those that know me are acutely aware with the fantastic amount of beverages I consume on a daily basis. I rarely leave the Commons without at least four refills or more, and this custom of restraint is one I had to learn quickly. That, or I buy myself a pitcher of Diet Coke to drink by my lonesome.

I also want to admit that hostel life was not at all what I expected. So far I have made more than a couple fleeting friendships, lasting only a conversation or a meal. Just in these four days I have had fascinating, and sometimes even enlightening conversations with a man from Oslo, Norway; a woman from Beijing, China; two women from Lithuania; a man from Libya; and and American expat from Ireland. All of those people have left since, but the conversations were welcomed and helped reassure me that everybody is truly compatible (and have a superb grasp of the English language). The night before the Libyan left (his name sounded like the second syllable of Wyatt) I ate dinner with him and he was telling me about his country and his interesting ability to identify another Libyan from a crowd of Arabs by just noticing how they are standing. All in all, it was a pleasant experience that I am glad I subjected myself to. Meeting new people and exposing yourself to the thoughts and ideas of other cultures is one of the tenants of what a Magellan Project is supposed to entail- and I relish the opportunity to expand my worldview.