Back on Home Soil

My laptop died before I stored it in the Prague airport on May 22^nd. Just this morning I got the gumption to charge my laptop in order to write this blog. Since coming back to the states I’ve still been going at 100 miles per hour. The day after I returned home I quickly did laundry and packed up my life. The following day I moved all my belongings into my new house in Kearney. All these thoughts kept me preoccupied the last few weeks and made coming home a fairly easy transition. I’ve been confronted countless times about how it feels to be back, and each time I struggle to find the right answer.

Following our final class field trip across the Czech Republic I hopped on multiple planes squeezing in the final destinations on my must see list. First on the list was a quick stop in Brussels. We flew into Brussels late and the next day split our time between Brussels and then the afternoon in Bruges. The next morning we headed for Athens. A quick pit stop at the Acropolis and then back to the airport that night to Santorini. It was finally time to slow down with 3 days of beaching in Santorini. After soaking up some Santorini sun we ventured to the Greek island of Crete. Here I spent 6 more days of beaching and zooming around the island in our rental car. Soon enough my sunburnt skin and I were headed back to Italy to pay Milan and Bergamo a visit. The next night was spent sleeping on the ground in the Prague airport. I awoke early and continued my long journey back to the Good Life.

An unforgettable sunset dinner in Santorini

Conquered my fears and held a snake!!

One of the many beautiful beaches of Crete

As I attempt to look back on my last three months it’s hard to fathom what I have experienced. I casually talk about our weekend trips to Paris and Berlin like it’s just something out of the normal. This will no longer be the normal. Others scoff and laugh when I casually mention hopping on a $12 train for Berlin and I have to take a step back and really look at what I have experienced.

I was never home sick and thought I would dread leaving Europe. As my final days came to a close I was indifferent about leaving. I was surprised that I wasn’t sadder about leaving this magnificent continent. My experiences have been indescribable and nothing short of a life long dream. I thought to myself, how could I be ready to leave Europe? My conclusion has been that during my three months I was constantly traveling and looking forward to my big trip the upcoming weekend. Going home was just the next big trip on my itinerary.

We are constantly looking forward to the next big thing in our lives and I question if we ever stop and appreciate the times in between. Being conscious and aware is crucial so you never miss the importance of the small moments in your life. As I reflect on my past three months abroad, the small moments are the ones that mean the most. These small moments have turned into big memories.

Settling into this pace of life is going to take some time to get use to. I look forward to seeing how these past three months will change and shape the next years to come. I’ll do my best to describe and share this indescribable experience I have been blessed and grateful for.