As of now I only have 4 days left in Brussels, only 4 days left on this side of the Atlantic. It will be a little of a whirlwind as I am working on finals and getting everything done and pretty soon I will have to leave. I am excited to go home for even a short amount of time and to return back to Salve. I feel like I have missed out on so much since I have been away so it will be good to back. But I know that as soon as I leave Brussels I will miss everything and everyone about it. The only solace I have is that most of the people I have met will be moving on as well. When I leave this life in Brussels, it will be completed there are no cliff hangers. But that’s not to say I am not returning in the future. I plan to come back to Belgium as soon as possible to visit my host family, literally the best people I have ever met. I will miss them the most.
There is not one day that I regret deciding to study abroad, especially my choice in Brussels. It was definitely the best decision I have ever made and one that will continue to reward me for my entire life. The friends that I have met and the experiences we have shared will last a lifetime. I wasn’t even sure that I would ever get here and it is so bizarre how comfortable I am. It just goes to show how adaptable human beings are. I recommend to anyone in who wants to widen their view point and keep an open mind, travel, live somewhere else and try to live a new lifestyle. When you find different lifestyles you are less likely to conform to one because you were raised a certain way and you will have a proactive choice in your way of life. By encountering all these different cultures and changing your habits ironically you learn more about yourself and become more confident and independent.
To those who wish to study abroad but don’t know where to go, figure out what you want out of the experience. Try to surround yourself with people and make your experience unique to your interests. You can do all the things you do in the US abroad if you look hard enough. Research, language studies, internships, volunteering, sports, they are all available anywhere in the world, so why not pursue your interests somewhere else. To become fully integrated in the place you are living it is important that you participate in the things you like so it’s easier for you to be comfortable. I know that studying abroad is all about becoming uncomfortable and to encounter a new culture, but you will encounter enough things like that believe me. I have a friend here who has gone to over 15 concerts another who plays on a European rugby team, one of my friends went to Qatar last weekend for a conference. All is possible when you are abroad, make the most of your experience. Travel often, but don’t neglect your host city and country, there is a reason why you chose it.
This experience has totally changed my life. I can’t even remember what I was like before this amazing journey. All I know is that it will be impossible to thinking the same way I did before. Which I believe is a good thing, why go abroad if it doesn’t alter your perspective. This has been the time of my life and I know my traveling days are not behind me, I will be back.
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