After being home for a week, I have now had sufficient time to reflect on my study abroad experience. Adjusting to real life has truly been a bittersweet experience. Although there were many things I missed about the US and my home, I am now dealing with the missing my new found second home, Athens. The experiences that I had while abroad, and the people that I met, will forever have an impact on my life from this point on. As I start a new chapter and enter my senior year at Rollins, I am excited to bring with me to campus the lessons I learned from my time abroad, as well as the patience I have developed in regards to life’s rollercoaster, and the excitement and drive I feel when thinking about my future and how much more of the world I want to experience. Over the course of this semester, I added five countries to my travel list, and I am excited to be adding two more this winter as part of a field study! Being in Europe for a semester taught me about how independent I am, and I now have the confidence to continue exploring the world and am excited to step outside of my comfort zone and visit South America this January. Study abroad was by far the best experience of my life so far, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity!
