Eva's Travel Blog

 As we get closer and closer to the trip I find myself experiencing the pre-trip butterflies. I don't know about you guys, but this trip is all that's getting me through my typical end-of-semester slump. I keep telling myself that in a few weeks I'll be in a country I've never been before.  My mom was born and raised in Slovenia and moved here when she was 23. I can't imagine packing everything up at this age and going to an entirely new land. However, my mom has always said that she can see me moving out of the US at some point, and I have a feeling I'll fall in love with one of these countries we're going to. Now that she's in my head about moving internationally, I just know I'll subconsciously be scoping out which place I'd want to live in the most.  I find myself getting overwhelmed at how much there is to see in each city in the limited time we have. I don't want to regret how I spend my time on this trip, so I decided to start research...

 I have definitely gotten behind on my blogs, so here we are at the end of Mrs. Dalloway! I had already read this book in a previous class, but I found that I appreciated it much more this time around. I find it interesting that the entire novel revolves around Clarissa throwing a party, which is usually filled with many housewife roles like preparing food, getting table placements set up, and things of that nature. Clarissa is going about those motions and running into certain people along the way that make her question deep parts of life. This begs me to think that by being with her husband, she does not ponder life as much as she did before marriage.  I found myself resonating with Clarissa on a few levels. I have always had a fear, as many women do, that marriage will confine me to the title of being my husband's wife and that by losing my last name I will be losing my individuality and personal freedom.  I also found the character of Septimus to be interesting. He se...

 Something that has stood out to me in our recent readings of Waverly is the unique narrative style that is similar to other classic novels that I have read, such as Tom Jones and Tristram Shandy. The narrator adopts a cocky tone of sorts in which he tells the reader that if they do not like what they are reading, then they should stop reading the novel. This is something unique to this type of novel, and I appreciate the candor. Talking about the book itself in the novel is a style of writing that is very outdated, and it seems like breaking the 4th wall today. I am still determining how I feel about it or how I would feel if modern authors chose to adopt this method. It would receive backlash in today's reading community since it does seem slightly distracting from the plot; isn't the whole point of a novel to become so enraptured in the plot that you forget it's fictional? Besides this little detail that has been sticking out to me, I also can't help but notice how u...

 As we read Waverly, I can't help but notice how the plots of such old novels lay the foundation for modern shows, books, and movies. For instance, Flora's dark and yet tempting character versus Rose's safe and gentle persona reminds me of many modern plots that I have seen. There is usually a character who, despite their dark nature that many people warn against, we can't help but prefer that person due to their charm. This is Flora in the novel.  This love triangle of sorts is more complicated since the two girls happen to be friends.  For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind with this plot in the modern world is the movie of Twilight, where Jacob is the clear, safe choice, but fans cannot help but prefer Edward and his dark world. Bella also ends up preferring him, showing the plot of Waverly,  where the readers are inexplicably drawn to Flora.  Further, Flora and Rose's personification of Scotland and England, respectively, shows that Waverly is...

 My name is Eva Mihelich, pronounced like Ava, just spelled differently. I am from Cleveland, Ohio and I'm studying English (Professional and Technical Writing) with minors in Business Administration and Catholic Studies, and I am in my junior year. In my free time, I like working out in the gym, spending time in nature, walking my dog, reading, and listening to music. I also have recently taken up the hobby of coloring, which I usually do while watching mindless TV shows like New Girl or How I Met Your Mother. I'm known for being compassionate, driven, adventurous, and funny.  I wanted to go on this trip for a number of reasons. I have always wanted to go to England because I appreciate the quaintness of it - it just seems like the type of place I could have a cup of tea and write a novel. Ireland also was appealing to me because of its gorgeous scenery. Scotland was never a place I considered traveling, but it is honestly the place I am most excited to go for this trip. It s...