Revisiting History

Reflecting on last semester's journey, many things come to mind. My most-treasured portion of the trip was the time spent in Scotland, acting not only as a vacation from schoolwork but also a renewal of my vigorous love for the nation. Observing general cultural and physical differences between peoples and nations was of great value to my continuing development as a worldly human; as, too, was the beneficial struggle of language immersion and a heavy work load. My time in Vienna, Edinburgh, and Berlin fostered both a comfort and a longing to live in a large city, and they were a welcome reminder that culture runs through all levels of a society. Lessons upon the return are just as valuable, even if they are harder to accept; relationships with people one used to know have changed, some forever, while others remain consistent and resilient despite the time apart. Sometimes friendships are destroyed and people one shared intense experiences with become unknown, unpredictable, and even undesirable; other times one rediscovers old friendships that have borne the passage of time well. For me, I bear the memories of the trip in a unique plastic bag I received in Edinburgh, a stash of hundreds of tickets, mementos, brochures, and drawings; my transcript bears similar reminders, albeit in a graded format. Now, armed with those mementos and armored by the memories, I can set about planning my return to Edinburgh, Dundee, Carnoustie; my re-experiencing of Vienna, Jena, Berlin; and my exploration of other places I have yet to see.