When I started writing 4 months ago, I said I wanted this experience to be unique, and for this blog to be different from those by other students. I’m not sure if I succeeded in that. It ended up being mostly me telling of my travels not unlike anyone else who does so, but I still tried to present it in my own way. While the blog may not be as original as I hoped, I am pretty sure my experience was as much a reflection of my personality as it could have been. I didn’t post an instagram of all the cool and beautiful places I went ( I opted more for comedic sights). I didn’t make a pic stitch of me holding up a sign in all the places I visited saying “Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me the world”, which is probably the most basic thing you can do. I thanked my parents in person like a human being does. I did things my way.
This semester has had its positives and negatives. There were moments when I was on top of the world, enjoying life to its full potential, drinking wonderful beer, embracing a completely different culture and seeing the world. But there were also moments where I really struggled, I battled with my own personal weaknesses, and even let them win at times.
I am not going to say that this semester has changed me. What I will say is that because of this semester, I have grown more comfortable with who I am. I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and although I wasn’t always successful, I am proud of the accomplishments I made.
There’s one thing I can take away from this semester that I’d like to share, and that is how I learned to become more independent. I mean that in several ways. From living on my own, cooking for myself, and getting myself to commute to school even when I had no desire to, I was able to function and prove I can handle living on my own, like an adult, in a foreign environment. I now feel comfortable in supporting myself both physical and emotionally on my own, and I feel that’s an essential skill to possess.
For me, Becoming more independent also meant making bold decisions and acting on my own. When I came to Brussels, I told myself I would make travel plans with the people I met and go from there. When others weren’t interested in doing the same trips or going to the same places as me, I didn’t let the fact that I was alone stop me from doing what I wanted to do. So, I traveled and I explored new places on my own, and I couldn’t be happier with my decisions. I didn’t let others hold me back from having the experience I wanted, and that is what I am most proud to take away from this experience.
Thank you for reading this along the way. I realize my writing can be lengthy at times, maybe a little dull, or my jokes just fall flat. But the writing I have done here has been very cathartic for me over the semester, and I am thrilled that people either care or are interested enough to read what I have to say. So, thank you.
I’m glad I was able to write down my thoughts and stories throughout this experience, even if they were a few weeks late. As you can probably tell, I am going to miss Brussels, and Belgium. It was a wonderful few months. But those few months are just a small fraction of my lifetime, and I’m sure that whatever lies ahead will be just as influential and enjoyable as these past 128 days have been. Looking forward to it. Cheers.
