April 7, 2009

It's been sunny out today, a lovely 12 degrees C or 54 degrees F, and its been one year. An entire year! Exactly one year ago to the day, I got an email confirming that I had been accepted into the University of Plymouth and that the next school year was, in fact, going to be spent in Plymouth, England.

How time flies. This past year has been incredible. I've met so many new people who have influenced my life tremendously. I have come to realize how much I appreciate my friends back home and how supportive my family is. I have learned so much about the ways of the world and so much about myself. I know I have changed a lot, even if other people don't notice. The true test will be in re-introducing myself to life at home. Those are the people who will look at me and say, "Wow, you've really changed." And whether or not they mean it in a good way is truly up to them. I feel I have changed in a lot of good ways and there is no doubt that I am still the same person who left Illinois last September.

This experience has been the best and hardest experience of my life. I've been having such an incredible time and I don't want to leave just yet, so it's a good thing that I still have a month or so left in this crazy amazing place. As to this experience being hard, it's true. But, who said it was going to be easy? I got jetlag, new colds, I had to make new friends, get along with new people, learn to fit into a new culture, and spend nine months away from my friends and family. It's by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life so far. But, it's been brilliant. If I had the choice to go back in time and do it again I'd be here in half a heartbeat. Without this experience, I would be a completely different person.