Hey guys!
It's the end of October and things here have been crazy. I've had one final so far and another one to go on Thursday, and then I'm done with this semester!! WHAT!! I am only in New Zealand for another 5 days and I don't think it hit me yet. I can't believe I won't be around the people I've spent the past 4 and a half months with. These couple months have been a life changing experience and I just wanted to share some of the things I've learned and reflect on my time abroad.
Before I went abroad, I haven't traveled much. I went to France once and only traveled the east coast of the US. I was never really confident being alone traveling or even going to the cafeteria by myself at Susquehanna, but now I feel so different. I feel like being independent has become easier for me and I feel very comfortable relying on myself. In 5 days I'll be flying by myself to Australia and staying there for two weeks so that's such an accomplishment for me! At SU, I was only an hour and a half away from home at all times, so I never was away from home for an extended period of time. Being on the other side of the world for so long really taught me how to deal with homesickness and to focus on myself.
Another thing I want to talk about to wrap up this blog is mental illness while studying abroad. I have panic disorder, so I get urges of panic on a daily basis with no specific trigger, which makes it hard to sit through a class for me without being anxious. There was a period in my life where I couldn't go to class for a month because the thought of sitting there for an hour made me panic. I thought that when I went abroad, these issues would be more prevalent and I would really have to learn how to cope with my issues while being so far from my safe space at home. However, to my surprise, I was able to deal with my mental illness way better than I expected. I have never been so proud of myself for coping with such a big part of my life that hinders me from doing certain things, especially while in another country.
I've also learned while I was here that nothing is going to go as you expected. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I got here. There were a lot of obstacles (like washing my passport by accident, for example) but there were a lot more memories that I will never forget. I want to come back here someday and I also want to travel to see my friends from all over the world. Going long was the best decision I've ever made, and I would never forgive myself if I didn't have this amazing experience.
Bye New Zealand!!
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