Not knowing when you’ll
see a friend again is probably the worst feeling in the world. Goodbyes are seriously the worst. But I’m trying not to dwell on all of the
goodbyes because I have to concentrate on mentally preparing myself to
a) see my family again
b) eat actual food again instead of the absolute rubbish I've been eating the past week and
c) work like crazy before I move back to NCC.
a) see my family again
b) eat actual food again instead of the absolute rubbish I've been eating the past week and
c) work like crazy before I move back to NCC.
I’m supposed to write a
reflection on my study abroad experience as part of my GLS class requirements. Actually, I was planning on writing a reflection anyway. Believe it or not, this English major loves
to write. I have grown quite fond of
this blog. And I suppose the whole point
of this blog is to track my progress and write down my experiences. So in a way, this entire blog part of my
reflection.
Anyway, I've said
goodbye to a number of people, starting with Tessa and Josephine on Friday and
ending with Sarah this morning. And
there are still a few that I need to see before I leave on Monday. For the most part, I feel really sad right
now and I just want to hightail it out of here.
I really do feel at home in Canterbury, but without all of my friends,
it’s just another medieval English city with souvenir shops and upscale tea
rooms. Because my friends are leaving to
go home for Christmas holiday, I’m ready to leave, too.
Yet somehow home seems
further away than ever right now. It’s
not that I don’t want to go back. I miss
my family SO MUCH. But there’s no
denying the fact that Canterbury is my second home and it will still feel like
part of my home for some time. Who knows
how long that feeling will last..?
I’m about to get real
deep, here. So you can’t say I didn’t
warn you.
Me, Kaitlyn, and Sarah <3 |
As cliché as I know
this is, it has to be stated: I have
learned a lot about myself over the past 3 months. I started this term with an attitude of “I
can do this and I don’t need anyone’s help.”
It turned out that being Miss Independent not only takes time and practice,
it also takes a certain kind of maturity.
I thought I possessed this maturity, but I definitely didn't. To be honest, I don’t think this kind of
maturity can be acquired in just 3 months.
So while I would like to say, “I’m completely 100% independent after my
term in Canterbury” I realise that this statement would be false. Sorry if that’s not what you were expecting,
guys. But it’s true.
Know what else is
true? Friendship. Without friends, I would have melted into a
puddle of sadness and dripped down the cobblestone streets of Canterbury with the
rainwater. Seriously, though. Nobody goes abroad and survives without
friends – old and new. You just can’t do
it alone. The people who have befriended
me were purposefully put into my life to make me laugh, to challenge me, and to
listen to me. Friendship is
invaluable. The friends I have here are
invaluable. And I mean that.
Saying goodbye to Georgia at Waitrose (our favourite spot)
Georgia's coming to NCC next fall! Woo!! |
Perhaps most importantly,
I have learned a lot about the world over the past 3 months. There is so much more to this world than just
me. The problems I deal with on a daily
basis are so small and insignificant compared to the issues that each country
faces and that mankind faces (yeah, I told you I was gonna get deep). England truly has a global perspective that
is not found in the States. *Spoiler
alert* America is NOT the centre of the universe. Extremely biased media, Hollywood, the U.S. government
shutdown… it’s all such a pain in the butt.
And it’s embarrassing. Never in
my life have I felt embarrassed to be American, until this term abroad.
Now before you call me
crazy and accuse me of disloyalty, stop and think about the issues the U.S.
deals with and how the rest of the world views Americans. It’s not pretty, friends. It’s just not. We should fix that.
I still love my country
and I’m still proud to be an American despite all of this. However, being abroad has rightly given me a more
global perspective.
Tonight we are headed
to Spoons to have a chill night out. Tomorrow I plan on going to a Sunday church
service at the cathedral and then possibly heading out to Dover for the
afternoon. Oh. And packing.
And eating my feelings.
You can expect another sappy post on Sunday night, when I'm even more of an emotional wreck.
Have a good night, folks!
Have a good night, folks!