Now that I am back home and have completed what feels like a million loads of laundry, I have finally been able to reflect back on my trip and reminisce on all of the amazing memories that I have made over the past month. The feelings I experienced at the airport at the beginning of the trip differ drastically from the emotions felt at the end. In the beginning, I was excited and anxious but hopeful for a good experience. In the end, I was satisfied and exhausted but accomplished with how the trip had gone.
Studying abroad allowed me to expand my horizons tenfold. Living, eating, and walking around another country as if it was my own allowed me to have a firsthand experience that I never would have expected. I am now able to appreciate certain things in the United States (free water at meals, dryers, and Diet Coke) that I may not have thought twice about before while also missing what I left behind when arriving back home. My family and friends have told me several times that they believe this trip has affected me more than even I realize by the way I talk about my time abroad and am more intentional about living in the moment.
Adjusting to being back at home has felt very different than I would have expected. Coming home for the summer just to lay in bed and not having a day trip to Rome or Venice planned for the next day like before leaves me feeling a bit empty. But, the comfort of home and looking back on pictures and memories from abroad always allows me to appreciate the experience instead of feeling left out.
In the program UA in Croatia & Italy: Macroeconomics, we spent the last week of our trip traveling to approximately a different city each day. Venice, Verona, Florence, Rome, and the Swiss Alps were among the places we visited. This fast paced atmosphere was overwhelming at times but there is nothing I miss more than that as I sit at home writing this. I miss the experiences, the sites of the cities, the shopping, the food, and most importantly the people that I was able to grow closer with over the duration of the trip. I am already planning another study abroad for this upcoming summer!
Below are some pictures from the more “touristy” locations we visited on our trip!
