This will be the last blog post that I make on this blog.
I know that it's weird that I'm ending my study abroad blog several months after my plane landed at Hopkins Airport this past June, but when you do something like fly across the ocean to study in a new country for half a year or so, it takes a really long time to process everything that happened to you.
In my last post, I was convinced that living in England didn't change me in the slightest. I thought that it only made me a more confused human being and that it didn't really positively impact my life. I thought that when I got back to Wooster, I'd be starting from ground zero without any direction.
Upon reflection, I was more than wrong.
This past semester at Wooster has been one of my best. I cannot believe how much studying abroad helped me to grow in confidence. I'm taking on new challenges and taking advantage of many opportunities that I normally would not have even considered. For example, when a few of my friends found out from another friend that I'm presenting my IS at a mini lecture series event, they said to her, "Ellen would have never done that before she went abroad." I've changed a lot, and I am certain that it was all for the better.
I'm also not afraid to be my true self any longer. People have always felt that I was confident with who I am because I've never been afraid to let my nerdy side show. However, I was always a bit shy about letting people know that I can be "basic" at times and that I like drinking a PSL while watching SYTTD as much as the next guy. But after coming home from England, I realized that life's too short to not do what you want to do.
I still talk to many of the friends that I made in England through Facebook chat, Snapchat, and even snail mail. We sent each other Thanksgiving cards and they don't make fun of me when I send them random messages that say things like, "Do you watch Charlie Brown in England?" My one friend and will often times send each other snaps with the temperature on it, making sure to convert it into either C or F so that the other will understand what the temperature means. I love the fact that I can still keep up a friendship with them even though I have to be so far away. They're all really spectacular individuals.
Sometimes, I'll accidentally start "speaking British" around my friends in America, but they're okay with it. While they'll sometimes lightly tease me a bit if I accidentally ask them if we're "queuing up" or if I say "cheers," they've all told me that they think it's cute.
The littlest things make me think of my time in York, and sometimes I feel a bit lonely that no one around here can ever relate to those moments. I sometimes forget that my friends don't know why Henry Hoover is the most hilarious bloke in the world and that they don't know why the word Tokyo brings back so many memories for me. They don't know the agony of waiting over two hours for Chinese Take-Away on Valentine's Day, nor do they know why I get a little misty eyed when "American Pie" comes on the radio. However, when the air is windy, slightly chilly, and there's a slight misty rain in the air, I feel at peace while walking around, because for a few brief moments, I feel like I am back.
2014 has definitely been one of the most interesting years of my entire life. If this year has taught me anything, it's that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for. If I wanted to, I could pack up everything I know and go live in another country. If anyone reading this is considering studying abroad, do it. You're going to learn so much about yourself and have the greatest experience of a lifetime.
I would like to thank my family for being so supportive of my decision to go to England, my English friends for being so eager to accept me into your lives, my American friends for instantly accepting me back into our group, the English department at the University of York for helping me along my English major path, and the IFSA-Butler staff for being the greatest Study Abroad organization in the country.
Thank you all for going on this journey with me.
Cheers.
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| Highlights from my 5 1/2 months living in England |
