Oh wait - I go to school here too?

Okay, so maybe the rumors I've heard are true - there must be some sort of 'study abroad shield' that keeps us naive college aged hooligans from coming to terms with the reality of our experiences. The past week has been a true testament to that idea. Oh wait, this is the 6th week of classes? Midterms are a week away from tomorrow? And maybe it's time to start thinking about that 20 page term paper staring you in the face. . . So I guess I became the stereotype and let everything get ahead of me, but the bottom line is this beautiful city is just one grand distraction from anything academically important.

Of course I haven't completely forgotten that I am 'studying' abroad, but the abroad part manages to win out everytime. Not to mention the difficulties I've been having getting acquainted with differences in classroom structure, teaching methods and expectations. I've been here for a month and a half, shouldn't I have it all figured out by now? However, through all of the frustrations and struggles I seem to be going through within the past few weeks, I am reminded by my dad of some important advice: Focus on and do well at those things you actually have control over, and the rest will be okay. Maybe more importantly - You've gotta let what's happened in the past stay there. There's no sense in worrying about something you may have done wrong a week ago.

As difficult as this new environment may be for certain aspects of my personality, it's all a learning experience. Ultimately, that's the reason I'm here - not only to learn more about myself, but to learn to adapt and make the best of a situation. It may be uncomfortable and challenging, but a different perspective is one we all need sometimes.

Sorry for the lesson in life, (I'm sure you're all here to read about marvelous traveling adventures and the glamorous European life) but unfortunately (or fortunately) that's not all I'm here to do. This year for me is about a lot of things, many of which I'm sure are still not completely evident to me. Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone is getting the chance to experience their own life lessons; They won't kill you, but they'll certainly make you stronger :)