Home Sweet Home

Well, my inabilities to keep up with my blog have inevitably shown through again, as I am now back home in the U.S. My last few weeks were great and were a much needed relaxation and goodbye. I got to soak up some of what little sun Brussels had to offer (though it was inevitably rainy on the day I left), and spend some time in my second home abroad (the Netherlands). In addition, I took one last trip with Gerard to Krakow and Budapest, which really topped off my traveling experiences in Europe. That doesn't mean the list of must see cities has gotten any smaller however - we'll save those for another day.

But, now I'm home, and despite my concerns in the past few weeks that things wouldn't seem the same anymore they are surprisingly no different. I don't want to undermine my readiness and excitement to be home, because that going back to "normal" really is a great feeling. The warmer weather has been an adjustment, but there's really nothing better than sitting in my backyard with an ice tea and a good book (perhaps a Lipton Ice Tea Bruillant would have made it complete, but you can't have it all). Having a car to drive isn't so bad either, and you can bet I'll be hitting all my fav food spots within the next few weeks. Overall, I think my first few days back have been a testament to the value of having a true home, and a place you can always come back to no matter what. Though Brussels became another home for me as it was a major part of my life for 9.5 months, there's nothing like really, truly coming home.

I think over the next few weeks as I process my experiences in Europe I may begin to miss more things, but that remains to be seen. The biggest thing I struggle with now is trying to answer the obligatory, "so, how was it?!" question. I don't know, you tell me how to sum up almost 10 months of my life in one answer. I certainly don't think my experience abroad has fundamentally changed me as a person, but it has taught me a thousand more things than I ever could have imagined to experience back here in the midwestern United States. It broadened my understanding of the world, and has given me more opportunities to look toward in the future. I have closed one chapter in my undergraduate career, and in one year as I complete the book, maybe those experiences will better help to lead me into the wild and crazy "real" world. But, until then, it's home for me.