As I'm "studying" for my last final and spending my last night in Singapore, I guess now would be the ideal time to reflect on what it's really been like to Study Abroad.
Warning: This post is a roller coaster of emotions, even more intense than Superman at Six Flags, okay maybe thats dramatic, but here we go:
I want to start by saying that I wrote a portion of this a long time ago. Back when I wasn’t even halfway through my time here, when I wasn’t hopped up on this going home “high”. I realize that when they say Study Abroad is a experience, that it’s a time to grow, that you learn so much, that you have so much fun, that’s only a part of it. I think that going abroad is great and I would really recommend it to anyone, but it’s one of the hardest things you will ever do. You’re forced to be alone and I mean really alone: People look differently than you, speak differently than you and act differently than you and you’re spending months living through it. You have to grow up: find your way around your country, make plans to do things, feed yourself. You think that you do all of these just going away to college; I mean I went all the way across the country, but this is a completely different ballgame. You have this time where you think about your life and your goals and question everything. You feel alone, stranded, vulnerable. It would be a lie to tell you that this hasn’t been that hardest 4 months of my life. It’s been exciting and invigorating traveling the world and experiencing different cultures, but you’re the black sheep, you don’t have your regular support system: your friends, family, sisters, pets, job, anything that get you through the day, it’s all gone. I’ve learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.
Coming to Singapore has been an adventure I'll never forget. Traveling through different countries, trying new foods and making new friends, I'm beyond thankful to have been able to come here. I've made the truest of friends that will last a lifetime, seen parts of the world most people would only dream of, and learned that, though it isn't my strongest suit, independence is something that I'm fully capable of.
You could say I've been pretty busy here, things have been nonstop actually, just a whirlwind of adventure. Throughout the 4 months abroad, I've been on 14 plane flights, visited 12 cities, written 11 blog posts, traveled through 6 countries, taken 5 courses, read 4 books, had 3 peeling sunburns, experience 2 glamorous gluten reactions, all creating this adventure of a lifetime.
Well, tomorrow I'm off to the land of the free and home of my fellow blondes. Ready for a great summer of Junior Giants, turning 21 and enjoying my friends and family that I've been so over-emotionally missing these past 4 months.
Thanks to all who've followed me these past few months!
T-21 hours to boarding and then 20 hours of travel!
Warning: This post is a roller coaster of emotions, even more intense than Superman at Six Flags, okay maybe thats dramatic, but here we go:
I want to start by saying that I wrote a portion of this a long time ago. Back when I wasn’t even halfway through my time here, when I wasn’t hopped up on this going home “high”. I realize that when they say Study Abroad is a experience, that it’s a time to grow, that you learn so much, that you have so much fun, that’s only a part of it. I think that going abroad is great and I would really recommend it to anyone, but it’s one of the hardest things you will ever do. You’re forced to be alone and I mean really alone: People look differently than you, speak differently than you and act differently than you and you’re spending months living through it. You have to grow up: find your way around your country, make plans to do things, feed yourself. You think that you do all of these just going away to college; I mean I went all the way across the country, but this is a completely different ballgame. You have this time where you think about your life and your goals and question everything. You feel alone, stranded, vulnerable. It would be a lie to tell you that this hasn’t been that hardest 4 months of my life. It’s been exciting and invigorating traveling the world and experiencing different cultures, but you’re the black sheep, you don’t have your regular support system: your friends, family, sisters, pets, job, anything that get you through the day, it’s all gone. I’ve learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.
Coming to Singapore has been an adventure I'll never forget. Traveling through different countries, trying new foods and making new friends, I'm beyond thankful to have been able to come here. I've made the truest of friends that will last a lifetime, seen parts of the world most people would only dream of, and learned that, though it isn't my strongest suit, independence is something that I'm fully capable of.
You could say I've been pretty busy here, things have been nonstop actually, just a whirlwind of adventure. Throughout the 4 months abroad, I've been on 14 plane flights, visited 12 cities, written 11 blog posts, traveled through 6 countries, taken 5 courses, read 4 books, had 3 peeling sunburns, experience 2 glamorous gluten reactions, all creating this adventure of a lifetime.
Well, tomorrow I'm off to the land of the free and home of my fellow blondes. Ready for a great summer of Junior Giants, turning 21 and enjoying my friends and family that I've been so over-emotionally missing these past 4 months.
Thanks to all who've followed me these past few months!
T-21 hours to boarding and then 20 hours of travel!