Admiring the artistic wonders of the Louvre, walking in the footsteps of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, standing inches away from actors on The Globe stage, and making a rewarding hike up the Acropolis to claim a stunning aerial view of Athens.
These are mere snapshots of my experiences abroad, and traveling around Europe has been a dream that I am sad to wake up from. I have grown into quite a spontaneous person during this whirlwind of a semester―where I have been ecstatic, confused, enlightened and overwhelmed by the splendor and unpredictability of studying abroad. How magical it was to be exposed to a city like London that has a love for the arts, a tolerance for multiculturalism, and a passion for freedom of expression. Living and working in another country, similar but still different from home, has left me with a deep appreciation for being independent and openminded.
Never have I felt equally responsible and carefree in the span of four months or even during my college career. My internship was a grand responsibility and challenged me in more ways than one: culturally, professionally, and personally. But as someone who plans each day down to the minute, I booked a flight to Barcelona on a whim and convinced my roommates last minute to stroll along Westminster at midnight. The unplanned experiences―the day trip to Cambridge and the impulsive karaoke night to name a few―were the most memorable highlights of my semester in England. My spontaneous decisions were a departure from my norm, but I am grateful for taking those risks, because now I am confident enough to trust in my intuition. Though heartbroken that my anglophile adventure has ended, I have a jewel box of fond memories to hold me over until I return again.
Traveling is such a transformative experience, and I leave you with a few stanzas from Tennyson that perfectly sum up my semester abroad:
“Much have I seen and known; cities of menAnd manners, climates, councils, governments,Myself not least, but honour’d of them all;I am a part of all that I have met;Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fadesFor ever and forever when I move.”