Smelling the 4711 perfume I got in Cologne always brings me back to my time in Germany. For a short period of time it was so normal to think that I could hop on a train or a tram and see the DOM, or take a hike and see a castle. That I could take a weekend trip to Paris and be back just in time to go to class early in the morning. In conversations with my friends there will always be something that makes me think, “Oh! That reminds me of that time in Europe when-” and I have to catch myself because of how much I’ll talk everyone’s ear off if I’m allowed to continue. Since coming back I feel more confident in myself and my priorities have shifted, even if just a little. Growing up, travelling and seeing the world was not something I thought was in the cards for me, but stepping out of my comfort zone and actually making it happen for myself gave me a new sense of self assurance I hadn’t experienced before. Even though the timing of the trip inconveniently aligned with my having to study and finish up my grad school applications, doing that work in a new setting allowed me to see the importance of the balance between work and having fun. I learned that I find joy in quiet trips to the museum in between study sessions and the cheap croissants at the train station when I found myself getting stressed. During such a hectic and busy time in my life, it was nice to be in a place that constantly reminded me it was okay to take pause and breathe in all the beauty that exists around me, especially because beauty is not hard to find in Europe.
Now that I’ve seen a new part of the world, I find myself wanting to see more. It’s like the world opened up and it feels more accessible than it did before. If I made it happen once, I could make it happen again, right? Even though my time in Europe wasn’t easy the whole time– and most definitely not stress-free – I feel like I’m better now for having gone through all the frustrations and challenges. When I stress over the small things in my current everyday life I remind myself that there are better and bigger things out there than the minor inconveniences before me. Travelling more and immersing myself in new cultures and places has now become a life goal of mine that I hope I get to fulfill in the future.
Hey Michelle! I've been thinking the same thing about how easy it was to just go to a different city or even country for the day. I feel a similar way about not expecting to have the opportunity to travel, but now that I have I realize it's not as scary as I expected. I think even though some parts were stressful, knowing what to expect and what challenges I may have to deal with has helped a lot.
ReplyDelete