Towards the end of my trip in France, I felt an overwhelming want to return and a desire to hold on to the moment a little longer. The food, the travel and of course the friends are all things I loved about being there.

Though, as I make my way through suburbia I feel myself slipping into a comfort coma. I missed being able to drive, seeing my friends, and having access to a plethora of stores. Like a drug, comfort is addicting.

Headlights beam through my windshield as cars pass me by. Each flash lights up the interior as I drive through stagnant roads – unchanged, familiar. I feel myself slipping into a welcoming place that is warm and friendly. With open arms, I’m greeted from France. Yet something has changed. I have a feeling of something even bigger and more wild than ever before. Every time I notice it, it smiles back in its immensity.

Living abroad for only four months, which is a droplet in my lifetime, has provided me with a profound sense of motivation and know-how for handling life. In such as short amount of time, I was able to kick down many of my own fear based barriers about traveling and succeeding.  I had always known that if I wanted something I would need to work for it. This proved true for handling the application process to study abroad, to handling the documentation when there, to speaking the language.

Everyone should study abroad. It’s a chance to invent yourself and sharpen your skills. It’s liberating to to be in a foreign place. In the end, you truly see that life is entirely up to you. Where you go and  how you handle it is only a mindset away…