Arriving back in America has definitely been bitter sweet. It is tough to say goodbye to all of the people you met while on your journey, but it is such a nice feeling to return back to something you are familiar with. I’ve been back for a couple days now, and the feeling of stuffing my face with American food is far from old. It’s nice to be able to hang out with your family and friends again, but it can also be a little saddening thinking back on the fact that you are no longer abroad. Leading up to your return, it’s definitely important to make sure you have all of your stuff packed at least a day before your return and being organized and ready to go. The travel day is very long, and the following days I was in bed ridiculously early. The jet lag is no joke. I’m starting to get back to my usual routine and beginning to hit my stride again.
Reflecting on my time abroad I feel like it helped me gain a new level of independence. It’s one thing to go to college and live in a new state, but going overseas and living in a whole new country was a new level for me. I learned a ton about myself during my time there and felt like I was able to grow a lot. The nice thing is that there were so many kids from America in my program so it allowed me to have some people that could relate to my experiences and that I could rely on to have similar feelings to mine.