Coming home was a bittersweet goodbye. I had loved my trip abroad above what’s imaginable, but I also missed everything I love at home including my house, my dog, and my boyfriend. I was said to go back to the airport as I had enjoyed my time abroad so greatly, but I looked forward to the familiarity of home.
Being home has been nice but I will say that I miss the European lifestyle. Readjusting to how fast-paced everyday life here is has been draining compared to how Europe prioritizes taking and enjoying one’s time. If you get a coffee in Europe you are expected to sit and sip your coffee, rather than here we take our coffee to go to continue our march forward. I will miss how rich and prevalent each countries culture is. They take so much pride in preserving and maintaining important historical buildings and artifacts that communicate hundreds of years of history. And overall I will miss all the amazing foods and coffees I have enjoyed.
I will forever cherish the memories and the friendships I have made through my study abroad trip. Committing to this journey has helped me grow as a person and opened my perspective to how achievable so many possibilities are to me. At one point I probably would have said traveling abroad was “too complex” but in reality, it’s a lot more possible than one believes. I now have a newfound confidence toward the world, including academics. There is so many things to see and learn in this world that if theres one piece of advice I can give to anyone that would listen, I would say to follow your passions and explore all you can.
