31.3.11
18.1.11
Post-Trip Update
Well guys, I'm back in the States (finally), and happy to be back. I love Barcelona and will definitely go back at some point, but for now I am content to remain in Small Town South Carolina.
Going abroad gave me a new perspective on the things I had here at home, that I daily take for granted. A support system of loving friends and family, who all CARED THAT I EXISTED! The opportunity to attend a university where I actually LEARN things. A car! A dryer. Central heating and AC. Cell phones. Instant gratification, toaster waffles. BREWED COFFEE. I could keep going but I'm sure you're all getting tired of listening to me be thankful for everything in my life.
Overall, it was an amazing, life-changing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. I came home a different person than when I left, and I can confidently say that I'm changed for the better. I have a new-found appreciation for all the little things in my life, like saying "Thank you" or holding a door open for a stranger. Maybe it's a little bit of the difference between the US and Europe, and maybe it's a little bit of the difference between South Carolina and anywhere else. I'd pick SC any day.
One thing that I realized while on my first solo trip, in London, was that no matter what amazing things you see, places you go, things you eat, they're all just THINGS, they're all just STUFF, and that if you don't have someone there with you to share it, it's nothing. It just fades away. We're meant to be in relationships. Life is about sharing. Life is about caring. Life is about (trying really hard to make this not rhyme) being with other people. I'd rather be stuck somewhere I hated and be with the people I love than to be in an amazing place all alone.
I had a hard time making friends this semester, which for those of you who know me, you know that is UNHEARD OF! I was definitely lucky/blessed to be rooming with another ASA student, Katreena, who I got along swell with. (yes. swell.) Toward the end of the semester, I really became close friends with a few girls in my classes, and that helped me power through those last few weeks. Being lonely has never been a problem for me, but this semester I think my invincible-self-sufficient shield was broken down... for sure. I was homesick, I was lonely, I was sad, I was not able to control everything in my life.... CHAOS! But it was an amazing time of growth for me. I was able to learn how to let go, and let God. That's one of my sayings... I've been reading "The Happiness Project", and that's from that. I'll talk more about it later. If I remember.
So in summary:
I love Barcelona. I love my life. I am lucky/blessed beyond belief. I like to learn at university (who would have thought?). I need my friends. I am not invincible. I am not self-sufficient. I don't care what you think. I don't care what they think. I dress how I want, even if it looks stupid.
Sigh. Reading back over that, it sounds like I had a shallow semester, but believe you me, it was anything but. I can't wait for my next adventure to begin... I think it may already have begun. :)
If you want to know more about my time abroad, or have questions for me, send me an email at sarasmotherman@gmail.com. I'm happy to Skype, email, or FaceBook with you!
Love,
sb
Going abroad gave me a new perspective on the things I had here at home, that I daily take for granted. A support system of loving friends and family, who all CARED THAT I EXISTED! The opportunity to attend a university where I actually LEARN things. A car! A dryer. Central heating and AC. Cell phones. Instant gratification, toaster waffles. BREWED COFFEE. I could keep going but I'm sure you're all getting tired of listening to me be thankful for everything in my life.
Overall, it was an amazing, life-changing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. I came home a different person than when I left, and I can confidently say that I'm changed for the better. I have a new-found appreciation for all the little things in my life, like saying "Thank you" or holding a door open for a stranger. Maybe it's a little bit of the difference between the US and Europe, and maybe it's a little bit of the difference between South Carolina and anywhere else. I'd pick SC any day.
One thing that I realized while on my first solo trip, in London, was that no matter what amazing things you see, places you go, things you eat, they're all just THINGS, they're all just STUFF, and that if you don't have someone there with you to share it, it's nothing. It just fades away. We're meant to be in relationships. Life is about sharing. Life is about caring. Life is about (trying really hard to make this not rhyme) being with other people. I'd rather be stuck somewhere I hated and be with the people I love than to be in an amazing place all alone.
I had a hard time making friends this semester, which for those of you who know me, you know that is UNHEARD OF! I was definitely lucky/blessed to be rooming with another ASA student, Katreena, who I got along swell with. (yes. swell.) Toward the end of the semester, I really became close friends with a few girls in my classes, and that helped me power through those last few weeks. Being lonely has never been a problem for me, but this semester I think my invincible-self-sufficient shield was broken down... for sure. I was homesick, I was lonely, I was sad, I was not able to control everything in my life.... CHAOS! But it was an amazing time of growth for me. I was able to learn how to let go, and let God. That's one of my sayings... I've been reading "The Happiness Project", and that's from that. I'll talk more about it later. If I remember.
So in summary:
I love Barcelona. I love my life. I am lucky/blessed beyond belief. I like to learn at university (who would have thought?). I need my friends. I am not invincible. I am not self-sufficient. I don't care what you think. I don't care what they think. I dress how I want, even if it looks stupid.
Sigh. Reading back over that, it sounds like I had a shallow semester, but believe you me, it was anything but. I can't wait for my next adventure to begin... I think it may already have begun. :)
If you want to know more about my time abroad, or have questions for me, send me an email at sarasmotherman@gmail.com. I'm happy to Skype, email, or FaceBook with you!
Love,
sb
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