Honestly, I was kind of dreading coming home. I was not looking forward to the 10+ hours of travel, especially since I was starting to get sick. It also didn’t help that getting to the airport was a bit of a mess. Transportation to the airport was arranged for me and a group of people going back to Atlanta since our flights were at similar times. However, their flight ended up getting delayed a couple of hours so the transportation was canceled and I had to find my own way to the airport. I had to work with the front desk at the hotel to arrange transportation to the airport. Nonetheless, I made it with plenty of time to spare before my flight. Once I made it home thought, it was so nice. I got to see my family, who I hadn’t seen in a couple of months, and I got to see my dog too! Now that I’ve been back for a little bit, I definitely miss the experience of being abroad. I keep seeing a lot of pictures of my friends who are just now starting their trips or vacations abroad and it really makes me miss it. I feel like there’s so much more to see in the places I went let alone the places I didn’t go to. As far as how this trip changed me, it definitely changed my pace of life. While abroad, everything was “go go go” because I wanted to fit as much into my days as I could. Now I’m back home and there’s not as much for me to do/explore because everything is familiar and not as exciting. I find that I’m trying to get out of the house and be on my feet as much as possible, but nothing that I do is really productive or meaningful. It’s all just a filler in a way and I’m just trying to kill time. The hardest adjustment has been starting my internship. I’m sitting in front of a computer all day doing trainings and learning about the work I’m going to be doing. Coming from the very rapid paced lifestyle during my study abroad trip to this very mellow internship has been difficult. I’m finding it very hard to pay attention and sit still. Some advice I have for future students is to really be present while you’re abroad. For some people, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity so take in as much as you can. Also, I know it can be exhausting and you can kind of hit a wall, but push through because you don’t want to miss out on something or come home and say “I wish I did this.” Try to fit in as much a s possible to make the most out of your trip/your money. I had the best time on my trip and I’m already trying to plan out a time to come back!
Apparently I didn’t take any pictures coming home so here is a picture of the Eiffel Tower on my last night abroad!
