I’m now two weeks removed from Leicester and now that I’ve torn through my pictures for the 7th or 8th time, I’m starting to really appreciate even more the last 6 months and what they have done for me. Like most students who have the privilege of experiencing a semester abroad, I feel like my beliefs have been challenged, my perspectives widened, and a much stronger connection with the world around me. I have a much stronger appreciation for the culture I’ve come from and all new interests in the cultures I got to experience. Naturally, I’ve become obsessed. Financially, it will take some time to recover, but that hasn’t stopped me from planning tons of trips in the coming year. I want to challenge my perspectives and beliefs even further. I had always heard that the best way to learn is to travel and I couldn’t agree more. Though Paris didn’t teach me Calculus and Croatia never quite taught me how to write a thesis, the real life lessons I learned along the way will no doubt only benefit me going forward.
Naturally, I discovered a lot about myself along the way. Being thrust into an unknown environment, being asked to start from scratch, redeveloping new friend groups and carving out my identity was certainly a new and exciting challenge – one that overflowed with uncertainty – but one that nonetheless offered countless opportunities for growth. I am so thankful for the people that came into my life during this adventure and hope that our paths cross again. This experience completely altered the path that had originally been set before me and I am excited to blindly leap into whatever comes next. I can do so confident that after this experience, I can handle whatever comes next.
