As the year quickly approaches an end, I am hit with many emotions. I am excited to embrace summer with open arms, exhausted with finals and loads of work, but mostly, I am off the charts enthusiastic about going abroad. Next fall, I will be attending the UPCES University in Prague, Czech Republic. On September 10th, I will be boarding a plane to spend three months in Europe. This will be three whole months of traveling, good eats, and adventure.
However, my heart will still reside in Geneva. Pieces of my heart will be dispersed among various places:
Bagels and Cakes: impromptu Saturday and Sunday morning drives for a sausage, egg and cheese on an everything bagel.
Dunkin Donuts: sporadic runs to for a reenergizer of a medium black iced coffee.
Seneca Lake: waking up to the glow of the sun shining across the lake will forever and always take my breathe away.
Fall Foliage: multicolored leaves crunching underneath my feet as I walk along the lake to class. Driving down 5&20, windows half-down watching the colors change as the seasons do.
Char Burrito Bar: Quote me on this, that char is infinitely better than Chipotle. Nothing will satisfy an empty stomach like Char.
The Quad: filled with exuberant college kids enjoying the fresh air on a warm sunny day, playing Frisbee/lacrosse or simply doing homework.
Yet, all these places are not important without the company of a good friend. I can tell you about my favorite places or discuss elements in my life that formulated my persona. However, the person I have become has been shaped through my events and experiences. Thankfully the past four semesters have been filled with amazing friends, who have created even better memories for my time at HWS.
The opportunity to study abroad next fall, would propel an amplified level of growth for myself, beyond the boundaries I have already set. The idea of being thrown into a culture different from my own independently is frightening; however, I see this as an opportunity to become a risk-taking, boundary-pushing, knowledge- seeking individual. The city, culture and academic opportunities of Prague would allow me to improve and achieve these aspirations. At the end of the day, the pieces will only be one call away.