I've been home for one jet-lagged day now, and as I begin my second only-slightly-less-jet-lagged morning I hope I can reflect on the importance of our trip in some coherent and important way that doesn't descend into exhausted rambling.
After a 16 hour travel extravaganza (during which I saw the actor who plays Ron Swanson for all you Parks and Rec fans!) I'm thrilled to be home, to sleep in my own bed and to take a hot shower, but I'm also a little depressed that our time abroad is over. I feel that I've grown so much in the past month, and returning home makes me wonder if I'll be able to sustain that growth. Will I remain as brave, bold, and independent as our trip made me feel? Can I carry my change over into the "real world" or was it only a reaction to extraordinary circumstances? Though I wonder, I feel in my heart that the answer to these questions is yes. I feel like a renewed person- a miniature superhero ready to conquer this term, next term, and, generally, the rest of my life; the feeling is brand new.
I also feel that yes is the answer to the question of our continuing friendships. The group of people that was selected to go on this trip could not have been any more perfect. So many backgrounds and personality types were represented, and yet we all meshed surprisingly well. By the end of our month together, I felt that there was not one member of the group who I would not be pleased as punch to see again; I hope that we can maintain the connections we made in NYC and London for many years to come. I'm even willing to sacrifice my strident non-Facebook-having crusade to ensure it.
I wish I could "insert picture here". I wish there was one image that represented and expressed the excellence that this program was in my life, but, really, there are many memories and many feelings which, though I'll carry them with me always, couldn't be summed up so easily. They mean far too much.
--Katelyn
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