Four months ago I was cramming clothes and toiletries into a suitcase, my nerves on edge and my brain on overdrive. I had no idea what to expect from a semester abroad.
At the time, not knowing what to expect was terribly frustrating. But looking back, there is no way I could have understood in advance what this semester would bring. If I had heard about some of the things I would be doing (see my post about drinking blood with the Maasai), I may have unpacked my suitcase and spent a safe semester at school. I just had to dive in headfirst and hope that every experience would be worth it in the end.
And it was. That’s not to say there weren’t times this semester when I just wanted to come home. Ask my mom; I’m sure she wished that I didn’t have access to cell phones so I couldn’t call and complain. (Sorry for that, Mom.) But I guess that’s to be expected. Four months is a pretty big chunk of life. No matter where you spend that amount of time, you’re bound to have ups and downs.
Looking back, though, there were definitely more ups this semester. I was able to do some incredible things and meet some incredible people. I learned how to adapt to another culture, to understand its nuances, and to appreciate the frustrations it brings.
Enough sappiness for now…Kenya, it’s been great.
Now for a culture shock…readjustment. I’m sitting in the Amsterdam airport with Mom and Haley killing time until take-off. Home, here I come!
No comments:
Post a Comment