The Husky Life

My name is Mackenzie Hunter, I'm a Northeastern student going into my 5th and last year, studying International Affairs and Anthropology. This summer I will be volunteering with IVHQ in Costa Rica working on a Sea Turtle Conservation Site. I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy at Lorenzo de Medici in the Fall.

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It's finally getting nice out in Boston, so it was time to celebrate by riding my bike :)

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Last night Frank Warren from PostSecret  came to speak at Northeastern! It was extremely inspirational and fantastic! 

I've been reading PostSecret every Sunday since it started back in 2004. I no longer know what a Sunday with reading secrets would be like. 

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Thinking about graduating is becoming more and more stressful. This is the first time I don't know what I will be doing next and that is daunting. So I've made an appointment with Northeastern's Career Services! 

Hopefully they can reassure me. 

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Today is turning out to be a great day. 

1. I've been asked in for an Interview with Flour Bakery and Cafe. 

2. I've been asked to give a few speeches at NU Welcome Days for the College of Social Sciences and Humanities because I was recommended as a perfect example of a Northeastern student. 

AHH I'M A PERFECT EXAMPLE! It makes me ridiculously happy to hear that!

3.  I'm completely packed to move back to Boston. And what I don't bring with me tomorrow is packed away for graduation and getting into a real apartment. 

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I'm home!

I miss my study abroad already.

This is one of the moments where you know it will never be the same again. From here on everything will change. 

You’ve been good to me Florence. I’ve made some pretty amazing friends, gone on some pretty crazy adventures, and had the time of my life. 

See you later Firenze.

Ciao. Arrivederci. 

Mi Mancherai. 

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Home is Wherever I'm with You

2 days and I am back state-side.

Things I cannot wait for:

Seeing my person (eventually) 

Christmas partying with my friends 

Baking with my mom 

Riding my bike 

Hanging out with the family I nannied for 

Driving my car while blasting music 

Being able to always speak English and have people understand me 

CHRISTMAS and snow and fairy lights and carols 

New Years Eve 

My last semester of college

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I just finished all of my finals! 3 days left in Florence before heading back state-side!

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These are some pictures from my photography class from Fiesole, Italy 

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Trevi Fountain

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I have just less than 2 months left of my study abroad. Thursday marks the start of Fall break. I feel as though time is going by extremely slowly, yet at the same time remarkably fast. I am both ready to go home to see everyone I'm missing, yet I also never want to leave Europe. 

Conflicting feelings much?

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Firenze

I still can’t fathom that I have mid-terms this week. Italy should be a place of magic where real life doesn’t exist. Yet it has given me the plague and brought me down to reality with the possibility of failing. 

But Thursday is the start of my Fall break! I will be heading to Bristol, to visit my friend who is on co-op there, Coventry to visit another friend and then to Edinburgh! 

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I am missing Northeastern! 

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I just had my first experience having aperitivo in Italy. It might be the best thing I have ever experienced. You buy ANY drink for €8.50 (I had a dry gin martini straight up) then you get endless amounts of food from the buffet. The buffet included bruschetta, couscous, grilled eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, cheese, rice, fruit salad, meatballs, chicken, and tons of fresh crunchy bread. OH MY GOD. What is this magical place? My roommates and I ate as much as we could possibly imagine, enjoyed our extremely strong drinks, and talked for about 3 hours. Perfection. 

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Firenze

I am finally settled in Florence, Italy for my semester abroad!

I am in love with Florence. Everything about Florence is perfect, well almost everything, just delete the hoards of tourists. 

I just got home from grocery shopping for the week at the open air market, I already have shop owners recognizing me, so obviously they are the people I’m going to continue to go to. And everything is unbelievably cheap/fresh/delicious in the market!

I’m also trying to decide whether I should go to Oktoberfest the first weekend in October, thoughts?

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I'm back! I want to thank everyone for your patience with my lack of posts. I will make up for my absence with a plethora of pictures of my trips! :)

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Costa Rica

So I am waiting at the airport for my flight to Miami, then off to Costa Rica!

Posts will most likely be sparse, as I'm not sure how much internet I will be able to find. I will be in Costa Rica working on a Sea Turtle Conservation site for a month. I will be back July 30! 

Bon Voyage! 

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A bicyclist was killed 2 weeks ago on the corner of Huntington Ave and Forsyth St. Here is the article describing more of what happened: MBTA Bus Eyed in Bicyclist Death.

The cycling community installed a Ghost Bike in memory of the fallen rider.

"Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel."