The past 6 weeks have gone incredibly fast since I have returned from Europe because I have been so busy. I guess I am already adjusted back to the busy American culture. Life has moved way too quickly since I have been home. Looking back at my semester, I find it difficult to accurately put my experience into words. It was one of the best semesters of my life and also one of the hardest. Being abroad for four months taught me more about myself than I ever thought I would learn at 21 years old. I learned that I can navigate a foreign country with the mere help of an offline maps application, that I can say goodbye to my family at the airport and get on a nine-hour flight by myself, that I can push myself to speak in a foreign language with my host family to become more immersed in German culture, and I learned that I have the strength and ability to do all of this and so much more at just 21 years old. The biggest takeaway I have from my four months abroad is that I have the maturity and strength to leave and go figure out a completely different world on my own, with the help of my fellow study abroad friends and faculty. Getting on the nine-hour flight to Europe was the hardest part of the journey and I am so thankful I stepped on that plane five and a half months ago. Now that I am home and settled back in the States, I feel more autonomous than I did back in January. I know that I am more prepared to tackle life’s challenges when I can look back and point out all the times I showed maturity and strength in Europe. This past semester is something I will always remember and remind myself of when I feel weak and scared to try something new. If you are a prospective student reading this blog post, trying to decide whether or not to accept, you have to go. The scariest and most difficult part is saying yes, the rest is hard, but also will create the most incredible and life changing memories that you will remember for the rest of your life. Getting to travel Europe at just 19-21 years old, is a trip of a lifetime and something you will forever be changed by. I definitely am.
