FINAL REFLECTION

Developing Strengths

Independence: This was my first major experience traveling without my family, and being away from home without them for longer than a few days. What I had anticipated in homesickness I gained newfound individuality and motivation to make my own decisions.

Confidence/Assertiveness: Being on my own also developed my confidence. This manifested in smaller ways, like communicating that I wanted to break from the group during our time in Scotland to rest back at the hostel, but also in a broader, impactful way. The time abroad gave me a surer sense of self and identity, and I can look forward knowing I am capable of advocating for myself.

Understanding/Empathy/Patience: I learned to be more understanding and patient with my roommates and other people around me. Specifically on "off days", a friend's energy and mood levels would fall and putting on/keeping a happy face becomes more difficult. Practicing empathy, I recognized when I have felt the same way and made it a point to validate their feelings and not take things personally when those days take their toll. 

Adaptability: Between missing buses and mistaken check-out dates, there was no shortage of unexpected moments on this trip. While hiking in the Alps, we found out my return train tickets to Munich were over an hour earlier than the group, leaving me to either turn back around or miss my train. As I relied on friends to adjust the booking back on level ground, I remained calm and accepted the possibility of purchasing another ticket or stopping at that point in our hike.

Teamwork/Time in Groups: Coming from a homeschool education, I had less opportunities for group work and team environments. While I have experienced more of these situations in recent years, this trip pushed me into those situations at another level. Both academically and socially, I grew in my ability to listen and discuss with others. This came into play most prominently in the two days leading into our final project. During that limited time we had to finalize our ideas, it was important that we make the most of our meetings- not letting any one person dominate the conversation or the workload, but delegating and checking in with one another to put together the best final product.

Feelings Upon Return

Returning home, I felt disoriented and wistful. Although there was comfort in returning to familiar surroundings and seeing family, I had grown attached to being away and being with our group of people. I spent the first few days back sleeping and reminiscing, occasionally regretful that I could never go back to that specific time in my life, other times grateful and content to look back on the memories.

What I Will Miss

Of all the elements that made this trip special, I miss being in close proximity with friends most. I cannot recreate that living set up back in Cincinnati, but I can be intentional about reaching out and making plans to spend quality time with people I care about.

I miss being stimulated by new experiences every day, specifically in London, where I felt I could never run out of things to do or things to see (performances, museums, restaurants). Back home, I can seek out cultural events and activities locally and participate wherever I can. 

Lastly, I miss how public transit made those experiences accessible— without a car, and within a reasonable amount of time. I spent an extra twenty minutes walking around after work today to feel like I was in a big city again. While there were significantly less food and leisure options on a Cincinnati block, and I had to rely on walking alone, spending that time downtown felt closer to our experience abroad than a walk in my residential neighborhood would.