After experiencing the thrill of my first hitchhiking trip, it was time to relax for a couple weeks before heading to Columbus, Ohio, for a couple nights’ stay.
The reason for my visit to Ohio was that I was appearing for an IELTS exam there and with the nearby places running out of spots, I had to opt for this one which was at least 3-4 hours away from my place. Plus, as I had expired drivers license, I couldn’t drive to Columbus and had to take the bus from Detroit. My roommate dropped me off at the Greyhound bus station at Detroit.
The exam center that I was visiting was a part of a university. I always get excited whenever I visit a university, because it brings back so many memories of being a student, which I love to be honest with you.
Anyway, the plan was to reach my Airbnb during the evening time so that I can get some shut eye before heading in the morning to the exam center. The exam was roughly 3-4 hours long, so I gave myself enough time before boarding a bus back to Detroit to head home.
The exam center was 20 minutes walk from my place, so I decided to Uber to it in the morning. I was very excited and a little bit nervous as I was appearing for an “exam” for the first time in the last couple years. All this excitement and nervousness went away when I entered the exam center and saw more than 200 India-bound American and working professionals appearing for the same test. Their tense expressions told me that these tests are serious for people and I shouldn’t worry too much as I had ample time before my visa expires and I have to leave US.
The IELTS test is similar to TOEFL with one big difference. My IELTS test was paper based, so it was hard to focus when they sat us together in a classroom during the “Listening” section of the test. We were supposed to listen to the audio together and answer the questions accordingly. I wasn’t prepared for this as I had spent only a couple days preparing for an entire test. I must tell you that I screwed up the first two questions, but once I got my rhythm, the test felt like a piece of cake.
I had been writing and reading constantly throughout my life, so once the “Listening” part of the test was over, the “Reading” and “Writing” sections felt like easier part of the test, which I scored more than I expected. The last section of the test was “Speaking” and I was just waiting for it to get over as it had already been 3+ hours of testing and I was getting hungrier by the second.
For the “Speaking” part of the test, they made us sit outside a classroom and the proctor was inside. It felt like a job interview to be honest, which caused some nervousness. But, this turned out to be short lived, as I was escorted to the “Speaking” section before anyone else. It felt good to get it over with and I was just looking outside the classroom windows the whole time to experience the “freedom”.
As soon as the “Speaking” section was done, I was relieved. I confirmed with the couple officials whether it was okay to head out and upon receiving the same confirmation, I headed to my Airbnb, stopping on the way to grab a sandwich, which became my late lunch.
I took a quick nap, before heading out again to watch the local high school football game. Ever since I came to the US, I was fascinated by the American football and when I heard my Uber driver telling me that there was high school football game going on, I immediately decided to head there and eat one more sandwich while sitting on the sidelines. When I reached, the game lasted for about 20 more minutes, which gave me enough time to chill and experience my first live football game. Unfortunately, the home team lost and their disappointment was evident from their faces.
Anyway, after the football game, I happened to have some more time to explore the university area, before checking out of my Airbnb. My bus to Detroit was late at night, so I decided to explore some nearby food places. My host recommended a couple places where I could go to have some local food and beers. I must say, her recommendations didn’t disappoint and I had a nice time, eating and drinking, before heading home.
I reached home during the late hours and my roommate again picked me up from the bus station. As it was Sunday, I decided to sleep in some more before spending it lazily doing nothing! Loved it.
Next stop: Halloween Celebrations at Northville, MI, USA.
stochasticity 