Time is flying! I'll be home in a little over a week! Honestly, it's quite surreal still. When should I start packing (knowing me, probably right now)? How am I going to see and do all of the things I still want to do? How am I going to clean out this room that has been my home for the past five months? What am I even going to do with all of the stuff? How am I going to say goodbye to the amazing friends and colleagues I have acquired? And for that matter, how am I going to leave this city, this country, that has stolen a piece of my heart?
Don't get me wrong, I am quite excited to go home, but I am really very reticent to leave, too. Through all of the ups & downs, this has been an incredible experience for me. I have learned so much about Prague, the Czech Republic, traveling, living alone, living in the city, about other cities around Europe, a bit about what I want for my future, and of course, about myself. I think that studying abroad is an experience everyone should have to help put their place in the world into perspective. One of the most amazing exercises for me is to think of myself, sitting in my flat, and to imagine all of the other people in other rooms in other flats on other floors in my building, all just kind of stacked up on top of each other, moving and living independently of the others. I know, it's weird, but my narcissistic self is always focused on me & my position in a room - only imagining myself in reference to my most intimate surroundings. For me, to think of all of the other people, just in this building - sleeping, washing dishes, working - as I sit and do and live, too, provides perspective and reminds me how much bigger even just this building is than I perceive it to be. The world is a hell of a lot bigger.
I find that exciting. I want to see and do and experience. There is just so much out there, quite literally a world of different experiences. I know I can't have them all, but I want them. Having just the limited (in a world perspective - I am extremely fortunate to have had all of the traveling experience that I have these past few months) experience that I have has sparked an intense hunger in my belly to really get out there & travel and to experience every little thing I can. I don't know how I will travel in the future, but I will. For now, I'll take each and every day as a new opportunity to learn, see, do, and experience this amazing life.
Aaaaaand, see you soon 'Merica!!
