As I’m
writing this, I’m on the airplane, a little more than half way through an 8
hour flight from Madrid to New York. As you can imagine, I have a little bit of
free time on my hands here so I figured I’d write my final post now and post it
during my five hour layover until I finally get to Boston! But, for some reason
I couldn’t get wifi at the NY airport…so now I’m posting this after finally
getting home. 25 straight hours of traveling including taxi, buses, walking,
and two flights is absolutely exhausting and I think I’ll need to sleep for
about 7 days straight once I’m home. Pretty sure my hand/arm/legs/butt have all
fallen asleep at some point and I still have 3 hours left and I’m about to
skydive home rather than stay in this little cubicle seat any longer…
With a 6
hour bus ride before, and now this flight (that never seems to END….) I’ve had
a lot of time to think about this amazing experience as it’s coming to an end.
It’s impossible to pinpoint every perfect moment in the past 105 days, because
there were too many. But, after thinking about everything, I’ve decided that
I’ve learned 3 huge lessons while I’m here, and they’re what I’m going to take
away the most from study abroad.
3.) BRING A NECK PILLOW WITH YOU NEXT TIME YOU GO ON A LONG
TRIP. Probably wasn’t the huge life lesson you were expecting me to say, but
this one was a brutal lesson to learn. I almost borrowed my boyfriend’s before
I left, and decided I’d probably be fine without it. NOPE WRONG. Flights, bus
rides, and waiting are extremely uncomfortable, no matter how long or short
they are. Like I said traveling was sooooo so draining with the planning and
the execution no matter where I was going, and the least I could’ve done was
treat myself with a little pillow to rest on while it’s going on. Will I have
permanent neck damage from twisting my head in weird positions against every
window/seat I’ve traveled on during this trip? Time will tell. Bring something
comfy…you won’t regret it.
2.) PICTURES DO NOTHING JUSTICE.
I have seen some of the most beautiful scenery, places, and
people over the past three and a half months that I’ve ever seen in my whole
life. But, most of the time, trying to capture it is pointless because its
beauty is so unexplainable in real life and a picture really can’t show how
perfect it is. I did take a good amount of pictures while abroad, because I
want to remember what I got a chance to see, and they all came out great.
However, not a single one compares to the memory of the actual place. It’s like
going to a concert; spending the entire time trying to videotape/record the
singer or band is cool after when you have something to see, but putting away
the iPhone or camera and just simply enjoying the music without any
distractions is so much better. It’s the exact same thing with taking pictures
of travels. Seeing the world through a lens isn’t necessary when you can put it
away and see it with both eyes and take it all in fully! Take a few pictures,
but don’t be glued to the screen and miss out on what’s actually in front of
you.
3.) GO.
Literally. If you
have a place you want to see in your life, make it happen. Money is money and
time is time…if either of those are stopping you from exploring the world then
change it! I was terrified leaving for abroad; it was extremely out of my
comfort zone, especially going with a program where I knew no one. It’s exactly
what I needed. I’d always wanted to go to Europe and in the past 105 days I’ve
gotten to see Spain, Morocco, England, France, Italy and Portugal. Life
honestly couldn’t have gotten any better, and I thank God every day for giving
me the chance to see all those amazing places. I know I need to go back to
Sevilla again one day for sure, because it’s permanently a huge part of my life
now. I made a list on a bus ride back to Sevilla after a trip, and wrote down
every single country I want to go see. If I don’t put in the effort and really
try, it won’t happen. Don’t let excuses or fear stop you from experiencing the
culture of the world, because I truly believe there is nothing more important
than realizing that America isn’t the only type of culture there is, and every
one of them is beautiful in their own way.
I’m going to miss all the people I’ve met along the way, and
it scares me a little that this has ended so quickly. However, it has made me
appreciate America and my life in New Hampshire more than I ever have in my
whole life. I LOVE YOU ALL! If you’ve kept up with the blog this whole time,
you’re awesome and I’m happy I got to share my experience with you. I’m hoping
to make an iMovie collage eventually so everything is all in one spot. Once
this flight ends in 10 years hopefully my legs will work again and I’ll be able
to see everyone soon :)
Para la última vez, gracias por leer, mis amigos. Nunca
olvidaré este año. Sevilla, no me ha dejado. Hasta nos vemos,
~Mollie, Molly, Mali, Male, Mely, Meli, Moley:)
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