That's right, ladies
and gentlemen. It's been a year. I thought this year would be simpler than the
last; after all, I stayed in one country this whole time! But there's something
about study abroad that changes you. Staying in one place is suddenly much
harder than it was before. There are so many things unseen, so many leaves left
unturned! I feel the need to see more, do more. The travel bug is real, and
I've been infected.
And coming home…
Well, coming home takes some adjusting. After all, I was gone for six months.
Things change. People change. What
surprised me the most is how different I felt, when everything was the same.
Almost like I didn't occupy the same space that I did before. How do you
explain that? How can you tell someone that you're not the same person you were
the last time they saw you? I suppose you can't. So...what do you do?
You wait. You learn
what movies you missed, what moments passed without your knowing. You learn how
others' relationships have changed, all the while trying to figure out if your
relationships will go back to normal. Eventually, the new normal emerges. It's different sure, but it's a better fit
for the person you are now.
Yes, study abroad
changes you. But it's not so much about studying books as it is studying
yourself, figuring out who you are and how you fit in this great big world of
ours. I have never been challenged more, and I would never trade my experience.
A year's gone by.
No regrets.
