And here we are, the final two days. I could say “I never thought this day would come,” but truth be told, I knew that it would. In fact, I wont lie and say I haven’t had a countdown on my computer screen for the last 3 weeks I have been here, not because I was not enjoying every moment, but because after a certain amount of time, it’s time to go home. In reflecting on my semester abroad, I have had many discussions on how much I feel I have changed from this experience, or how much I am going to miss the European lifestyle. The thing is, I feel that there is a lot of pressure to deem these four months as “life-changing” – I mean, those are heavy words, and I am not sure it is the right phrase to describe this experience. So, beginning to anticipate the questions about how much I have changed upon my homecoming, I knew I would need to find an answer that I was happy with, one that would please my family, and one to excite my friends that are coming abroad in future semesters. Hmm…
Well, there have been no changes physically – no crazy tattoos or drastic piercing, no injuries (except a small scar from what might have been a minor concussion, but things could be worse), my hair is the same color, and besides perhaps a few fluctuating pounds due to a croissant craving or the multitude of gelato splurges from my trip to Italy, I will land in NY with the same appearance I had when I left. I have the same obsessions with list making and labeling everything, and have only gained luggage weight in journals, notebooks, and vintage books; I have lost nothing valuable, haven’t bought a new wardrobe or become addicted to cigarettes, which many people find it hard to say after being surrounded by the nicotine-crazy and well-dressed population that makes up Europe: I am still myself in so many ways, that I find it hard to say I will return a new person, as I’ll still walk and talk just as I always have.
However, I have realized the changes that have emerged from this semester, and realized that they are quite monumental: for starters, I have learned so much in every sense. Academically, I have secured my passions for Theatre and English, having been thrust into a city with those two communities so wonderfully illuminated. I have improved my city smarts, learned the magical benefits of map reading skills, budgeted my money intelligently, planned trips to various European cities, judged the safety and convenience of hostels, planes, trains, and alternating currencies, and kept my head on my shoulders when it came to a language barrier, or an unfamiliar street sign, or a safety protocol. There are new foods I have tried, new waters I have dipped my feet into (literally, upon finding a beach in Venice), new accents and foreign words to understand, new phrases I have become accustomed to, and a few new friends that have been such an asset to my semester.
I will never know if there are concepts I have learned here that I might have learned staying at BU this semester – perhaps I would have found these lessons right on Commonwealth Avenue in just opening my eyes a bit wider. Yet the opportunity came, and having taken it, I can safely say that without completely altering my life, I have seen myself grow. There are things you learn here that I don’t think you can learn elsewhere, and not just practicing the proper way of ordering a cappuccino. I now know that home is a place where I will always want to stop by, no matter how much or how little time passes. I know that the friends I have, both at home and at BU, are of the highest priority, and serve as a backbone I will always need in every aspect of my life. The experiences abroad are fantastic, and I would recommend the chance to study overseas to anyone if the opportunity arose. I have no regrets of being here, and never got to the point of homesickness where I was unhappy being in this new and amazing place: but there are faces here that I will most likely never see again, and faces will be waiting for me at home that I have thought about everyday. It really is rather beautiful, actually, to know where your heart lies: I never knew the connection I felt to my home until I was away from it, and that in itself is the most enlightening thought I’ve developed upon reflection.
In the grand scheme of things, four months is not that long. The fact that I have had the experiences I’ve had in this amount of time is astounding, and it did not feel rushed in the slightest. I will come back; there is no doubt about it. Perhaps there is no single answer to all the questions I will be asked; but isn’t that the European way, to take things a day at a time?
I have some resolutions upon my return to the US, (which is now so close I can already smell Mom’s cooking) – firstly, I need to slow down. The most obvious difference between the American lifestyle and the European lifestyle, in my opinion, is the speed. There is a need to enjoy life, enjoy getting from A to B without speeding through the process of traveling. So taking that breath of fresh air will most likely make the world of difference, even in the midst of my overlapping schedule and packets of “to do” lists. I n
eed to read more, and get a greater sense of what is going on in the world, as many of those cities are not foreign to me anymore, nor should I feel unaffected by things that occur in far away places. There is a universal connection in traveling across the borders of different cultures, communities, and political structures, and each has something to learn from and something to take from. I have learned to communicate better: flaring tempers are not absent from the European lifestyle, but there is a sense of understanding with language barriers and culture shocks. Taking the time to understand people, while never forgetting street smarts, is essential. Many of us college students feel the need to see ourselves as our only solution, being told the importance of individuality and independent thinking: this is all important, but it shouldn’t shy away from the value that lies in asking for help. Ask, but more importantly, listen, and you shall receive.
As I take this mindset, along with several other lessons that most likely won’t even been apparent to me until I am applying them in an American context, I will have a foundation of new lessons and memories to carry with me throughout my remaining college years and beyond. I did not need to change into a new person in order to prove that study abroad works: it is a completely individual and personal experience. I was not necessarily changed by Europe: I was inspired. I am so grateful, and now excited to be reunited with my family and friends, sharing all the things I’ve learned, and seeing how they’ve grown as well. What a beautiful, magical, wonderful life.
I will not give a goodbye wave when I head into Heathrow Airport, but more of a see-you-later. Home will be just around the corner, and Europe is, and always will be, just a plane ride away.