Right now I am on the plane heading to Brussels, where I will jump on another plane that will take me home to the United States. Last night we stayed out partying all night until morning when I had to go to the airport. It was so fun. The stereotype that Latvians are crazy partiers has definitely been confirmed for me. I had a great last night in Europe.
I honestly cannot believe I’m leaving today. This feels like a dream, like maybe I’m just going back to my normal life in Spain instead of a different life in the United States. It’s like I just keep walking in and out of new lives, everywhere becoming a different person. I know that my semester abroad has changed me, but hopefully in a good way. I’ve learned independence and responsibility, which was especially drilled in all those times I was stuck in a bad situation in an airport or train station and just really wished my dad could be there to help me. He wasn’t though, and I got through it just fine, just like I will with every other hard situation in my life. I also have learned how to step out of my comfort zone and be a little reckless at times. The best way to live life is to experience it, no matter the consequences. I’m not going to live forever, so I better make this life good. I’ve learned how to open my eyes to the world, seeing how many different types of people exist. The number of languages and cultures and ethnicities in this small world is so astounding. I’ve gained a passion for culture. I’ve learned the importance of friends. This I did already know, but it was hammered in even more this semester. Without my friends, I would have had a completely different experience and probably would’ve hated my trip. Without the friends I made in Latvia, I would’ve been stuck inside, not seeing nearly as much as I did. The people you’re with can really make or break your trip. And if you find good ones, they’ll stay by your side through thick and thin. I have also learned to keep dreaming, because almost nothing is impossible. I never would have thought I’d end up spending half a year in Europe, away from all my family and friends and everything I knew before I even turned twenty.
I have made so many memories this semester that I will treasure forever. I will always remember my weekend trips with my friends to Barcelona, Portugal, and London. My spring break in Switzerland, Venice, Rome, Sevilla, Ronda, Granada, and Madrid. Wandering around strange cities without a map, trying to figure out metro systems, discovering amazing things. I’ll remember my heart to hearts with Kelly, barging into her room or her barging into mine in the middle of a crisis. I’ll remember school. While it wasn’t my favorite part of Spain, I didn’t hate it either. Nights out in Valladolid, doing the photoshoot with some of my best friends, painful trip-planning meetings in Lula Café. I will miss the school excursions to Segovia, Valladolid, Salamanca, Las Médulas, and Santander, not paying attention while the professors lectured about history. I’ll miss Dioni. She was honestly the best host mom I could ever have asked for. Of course I hated her food, but that’s such a minor complication next to the type of host mom I could’ve had. I consider myself so lucky to have known her. She really made me feel at home and taken care of in Spain. I met some amazing friends in Latvia, saw where my family comes from, had a crazy Latvian drunk night out. I’ll never forget how hard it’s been to say so many goodbyes. Saying goodbye to my friends from Wisconsin for the summer, to my international friends who I may never see again, to Dioni and Kelly, who have been there for me from start to finish, to amazing professors, to Latvian friends, to Spain and Latvia. Now I’m saying the final goodbye to Europe. The last five months have been the best of my life, but I’m only beginning traveling and exploring the world. There is no way I’m ending that here. I will be back to Europe soon, no doubt, to make many more memories and see what else it has to show me. But for now, I’m heading home to good old Minnesota. I will see you all soon!
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