Provincial Life Goes Global: My European Farewell, For Now

And snap, just like that it’s over…..To say the last 2.5 months have been a blur is an understatement, I feel like just yesterday I was landing in Prague for the first time anxious to experience this world I’ve never seen before but at the same time I feel like I’ve been here forever. 79 days is how long I’ve been in Europe. When you put it like that it seems so small in relation to everything and yet how can such a small sliver of my timeline impact me exponentially. This whirlwind life I have been living for 79 days has led to so many amazing experiences and they have shaped me into the person I am today. As corny as I think that statement is, it’s true. The Sheyenne from 79 days ago couldn’t even go to downtown Omaha alone and now I can confidently book last minute trips to foreign countries with limited resources and spotty data without batting an eyelash or thinking twice.

Jan, myself, Doug, and Martin

Words cannot express how thankful I am for this experience and the people that helped me along the way. Now I don’t want to make this blog all about thanking people but there are people who need to be recognized. So thank you to the 22 others who decided to embark on this crazy journey with me. Before I left not only was I not close to any of you but I only knew three of you and now we share an inexplicable bond that can only be made when you throw a group of strangers together in a foreign country and let them travel the world. I could not have asked for a better group. Next, I need to thank the adults that put up with us, starting with Jan and Martin, the amount of knowledge you both contain amazes me and I am so thankful in your willingness to sharing it with us as well as putting up with our crazy antics as you showed us so many amazing cities. I can’t wait to see you in Kearney come fall. Next is Mama T, without you, I would be lost. You were always there to answer questions, problem solve traveling logistics, translate a menu, coordinate amazing day trips, and so much more. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And of course, thank you to the man, the myth, the legend, Doug Biggs, not many people are crazy enough to sponsor 23 20-year-olds in Europe but you did and I am so thankful and blessed to have studied abroad with you as my sponsor. Your pure passion for learning is truly inspiring as well as your love of teaching. I have learned so much from you this past semester and I thank you greatly for the impact you have had on my life. And finally, thank you to my amazing family and boyfriend for the support from afar. You guys were always there when I needed you and I could not have done this without such a great support system back home.

Class photo

I get asked a lot if I’m ready to go home yet and that’s a hard question for me to answer because yes, I miss my family and friends and I miss driving and free water and not paying to use a public restroom not I’m not ready to go home there is so much I still have to explore. Will I be happy when I’m home? Yes, but as my time in Europe quickly dwindles down to a week I catch myself already planning future trips. What can I say? I’m a traveling soul with no signs of stopping.