Since my last post, I have been frantically trying to milk everything that I can out of my final weeks in Europe, and today I return home. After my resolution to be intentional about being as receptive as possible to the places and people that have hosted my time on the islands and the continent, the cities have taught me many lessons. Copenhagen taught me that bikes are best, that self-discovery starts with the removal of the familiar, that messy paths aren’t bad paths, and that you’ve never missed the bus to finding fulfillment (and also that smorrebrod is king). Barcelona taught me that I love ancient streets that lead to vibrant new ones, that sometimes the parc that everyone wants to see is half the park that is there to be found, that long slow walks in the morning can be worth hours of rushed bustle, that a city really can feel like love, that tapas are a God-given gift that we would be foolish not to indulge in, and that much sun-screen is required when encountering the strong Spanish sun after months of living on a lightless island of eternal grayness. The mountains of the Lake District taught me that a good summit is worth a thousand cities. Stratford taught me that a town really can have only one personality trait. Oxford taught me that bike raves were a thing, and that nostalgia hits harder than an open-air sight-seeing bus. Bath taught me that just because the Romans built it doesn’t mean it will be open past the British leisure hours of 4 pm on a Sunday. Rome taught me that Spanish is fun to use in any country, that colleges will always have a surprise up their sleeve, that things really are so dang old, that I love a basilica more than I can express, and that impromptu jazz performances bring me more joy than any formal show ever could. As I walk through the airports that I travel through today, all of these lessons echo in me as I notice with joy and a twinge of sadness that people are walking on the right side of the path again. It’s just fully hitting that this special time of growth and thrill and discovery is coming to an end, and though I’m excited for this next chapter of growth at home; I am sad to see it go. My view of the world has shifted beyond recognition, and my love for it has expanded exponentially. I am so grateful for what the places I have been to have poured into me, and I hope that I never lose the sense of wonder that this experience has instilled in me. If my study abroad has taught me anything it is how much I still have to learn, how much world is still out there with the potential to change and transform, and how beautiful it all is. Thank you so much to the people at UA, who made this experience possible, and to those considering your own study abroad journey, I encourage you to take that chance and watch yourself be transformed.
