Here We Go!

For me, winter has always been a season for personal reflection. Maybe it’s because I have too much time on my hands with the weather usually too cold to carry out my normal activities, or perhaps it’s because I get a break from school and thus am able to think about things other than calculus proofs or essay assignments. Either way, I always spend more time in my own head during the winter than during any other season.

This winter, though, it was definitely a good thing. As I embark on a new adventure, I feel it was beneficial to spend some time thinking about what lies ahead of me. And while I know there are many things I can’t anticipate until I’ve set foot overseas, I already have some ideas about what I stand to gain from this experience.

One of them is how to be more independent. While college definitely allowed me a sense of independence by putting me in a new situation, living in another country far away from my family and friends will force me even further out of my comfort zone. In addition to being uncomfortable, I think it will also be a challenge. Having said this, I am ready and excited to become more independent and develop the responsibility and knowledge of the world associated with doing so.

I also hope to learn a lot. I want to learn about the area I’ll be living, about the people, about Europe, about economics (my major), and about myself. This is perhaps the most important “thing” I stand to gain from this experience. Living in a new place with people who have a different background than me and participating in an unfamiliar education style will teach me to think in a different way. I expect this new mode of thinking will challenge not only my intellect but also my psyche. In spite of this, my hope is that it will push me to grow and give me a broader perspective on life in general.