After three and a half months living abroad, I am finally back home!
Since returning to Normal, I’ve been reflecting on the semester and what I experienced/learned through my time overseas.
After visiting a total of six countries, and embarking upon twelve flights, it’s safe to say I am more than happy to be home and on a break from travel.
The six countries I visited include England (my ‘home’ country, where I studied abroad), Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, and Spain.
Some specific sites I visited include the Mona Lisa, Notre Dame, the Roman Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Scottish Highlands, Bunratty Castle (a medieval castle in Southern Ireland), Roman Baths, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Parliament, and many other things.
While all of these places were amazing to see, the highlight of the semester has to be the friends I made during it.
Studying abroad is a very specific experience that, like anything in life, can only be fully understood by those who went through it by your side.
Having those connections made seeing sites like Stonehenge on a school trip feel all the more special, because I was able to see them with people that I had connected with.
(provided by Katie Munson)
If there is one thing I learned while studying abroad, it’s that, while the world is a lot bigger than it seems when you see so much of it at once, you can find people anywhere that make it feel less daunting.
Even in the middle of Rome, I ran into an American tourist from Chicago, or in an antiques shop near Covent Garden in London, a woman whose grandfather was born in Bloomington.
It’s nice to think that, as far away as you go, there will always be someone or something to remind you of home.
