Finale

I have been home for a few weeks now, and I have often caught myself reflecting on the past semester, and sometimes it's strange to think that I spent an entire semester across the Atlantic.  I went on so many adventures and experienced so many new things that it is strange to come back home and find life pretty much exactly how I left it.  I think I experienced a bit of a culture shock coming back to the States even though I have lived here my whole life.  I got so used to the customs and way of life in Scotland that I was very aware of all the differences as soon as I stepped off the plane.  However, those differences make every place unique and special.

I am certainly glad to be home again, but I already miss Scotland and want to return as soon as I can. There really is nothing like studying abroad, and I would recommend it to anyone.  I will most likely never get an opportunity like studying abroad again, and I don't regret my decision to go to Scotland at all.  Even though I have friends that have also studied abroad, we all went to different places and had our own experiences, leaving us with our own unique memories and stories.  This past semester is something that I will treasure forever.

I strongly encourage everyone to give Scotland a go.  I know I have said this in other posts, but it really is a magical place full of charm and wonder.  It is an absolutely beautiful country and has become one of my favorite places in the world.  From the castle that watches over Edinburgh all the way up to the Highlands with their "hairy coos," there is no place like it.  The mixture of the old with the contemporary makes Scotland such a mesmerizing place.  It is just something that you have to experience for yourself (I promise you won't regret it!).

During my time abroad, I learned so much, not just in the classroom but also outside of it.   I grew so much as a person and learned so much about myself and the kind of person that I am and still want to become.  I not only learned about Scottish culture but also about the many different cultures and lives of all of the people I met along the way.  I made friends with people from all over the world and learned so much about other ways of life and traditions while also learning a little more about my place within this world.  Although the world is quite a big place, it is also a very small place, and everyone is connected in some small way which makes the idea of a world community very important.  Rather than focusing on being a good citizen of the United States, I hope to be a good citizen of the world and contribute, even in a small way, to the well-being of the world community.  We might be small, but our choices are big.

My study abroad adventures have finally come to an end, and I would like to thank everyone who encouraged me to go on this adventure and to all the friends and family who made my time there extra special.  I had the time of my life and will cherish those memories forever.  Although I am sad that it is finally over, I know that there will be many more adventures to come.  I have really enjoyed blogging and would like to thank everyone that has followed along with me.  I hope my readers had as much fun reading about my adventures and I had writing about them!  I hope everyone gets the opportunity to go on their own adventures and experience this beautiful world that we get to share!

Cheers!