After 6 full weeks in Amsterdam, I successfully immersed myself in Dutch culture while I was away from home, broadening my perspectives and learning about the many nuances of the Netherlands. By stepping outside of my comfort zone and adjusting to new circumstances, I was able to personally grow. I gained increased self-confidence, as I was able to make it in a city across the world, and complete two advanced college courses there! In 42 days, I was able to explore over 10 museums, 5 parks, 3 countries, and make an infinite amount of memories.

Unfortunately, my time in Europe has come to an end, and now I’m sitting on a sofa digesting what even happened to me these last two months. It almost seems that it all happened simultaneously a year ago and yesterday, as I’ve stepped from an alien-turned-familiar environment, into a familiar-turned-alien one. When I came back to Kentucky, the first thing my mother and my brother asked me was if the last two months were worth it. Automatically, I of course responded that it was, but then they asked me why.

It is undeniable that after nearly two months abroad in Europe, it has become difficult to conceive of leaving again for a completely different style of life back home in Kentucky, as eager as I was to get back to it. Especially in my case, since I was going to leave for Colombia a few days after arriving back in the States to see family. In view of this, my main concern was to both permit myself to do the things which I refused to do earlier out of my own fears or manufactured excuses, and to make the last two weeks memorable.