That's the reason for Hillary to drop out? So Obama's supporters can kick back and take it easy?

Hate to break it to you folks, but the primaries are just the BEGINNING. The campaign is in no way over once the presumtive nominee is decided. In fact, this is where the really hard work will come in because it will mean the general election begins in earnest.

That means no resting on your laurels. It means that the Republicans are going to come after your candidate with every dirty weapon in their arsenal. It means going door to door in states that haven't voted Democratic for president in fifty years and trying to convince a few Republicans that outnumber Democrats and Independants 2 to 1 (or worse) to vote for your candidate.

The primaries are just a series of small skirmishes. The election is the big battle to be fought and if Obama's supporters are whining that mean old Hillary won't drop out just to cut them a break, then I really will hate to watch what happens when the Republican attack machine really fires up.

I don't doubt the LW is having trouble developing a social network but it also sounds like he's given up on trying. I don't know if he'd really expected that a group of interesting, trendy Euro-hipsters were just waiting for him to show up so they could escort him around the city but as a seasoned traveler, I know from experience that when you travel alone, you'd best prepare to spend a lot of time on your own.

Depending on where you travel, your actually experiences may be very different from what you were expecting. Europe is a good destination for first time international travelers because while they are other countries with different languages or customs, they are still Western nations that an American can adjust to relatively quickly. Depending on your grasp of the language (if it's not an English-speaking country), getting around should not be difficult at all. Just because you are by yourself doesn't mean that you cannot avail yourself of all the interesting things the city has to offer. You can go to the museums and historical sites, dine in good resturants, shop in local markets and immerse yourself in the daily life of the people who live there. After all, that is what your study abroad period is about. There is no excuse to be sitting home when you have the opportunity to really explore a new place. Take a tour to get yourself started, buy a really good guide book and get going.

If you are studying a particular topic (art, for instance) talk with your advisor about what local student organizations you can join in to meet people with similar interests. Hang out and ask questions - some of the best people I met while traveling were those who took the time to answer my questions and we ended up talking a little more.

You may be dissapointed that the culture isn't that different from your own, but if you are having problems developing a social network in a place where you do have something in common with the people around you, it would be much worse in a country where the culture is nothing like you are familar with. I spent three weeks traveling across Japan on my own, and for all of their modern conveniences, the culture of Japan is so drastically different from my own that I had no real reference point. Thankfully I had expected this somewhat, and I had expected a language barrier so I spent months before my trip learning to speak Japanese. I wasn't fluent, but I could speak well enough to ask simple questions and understand the answers, communicate my needs and actually speak to people. Make no mistake, I was still very isolated and had to be comfortable going out and doing things on my own because otherwise I never would have left my room.

You really have only two choices here - the first is to go home and just chalk it up to being an experience that wasn't right for you. The other choice is to buck up, turn off the tv and go out. Go to museums and markets and just walk along the streets. Chat with the lady who runs the place where you get breakfast in the morning. Ask for directions or for someone to explain something to you. You need to get out of your comfort zone and put yourself into situations that you would not have considered before. If everyone goes out at night for tapas, go yourself and don't be afraid to go out alone. Many people will see a lone traveler and reach out to them. Even if they don't and you end up having a few glasses of wine by yourself it'll be better than sitting alone in your room.