1. Whenever anyone asks me how the trip went, the adjective I jump to right away is "interesting." I then usually mention that only a few people suffered from gastrointestinal disturbances (too much sausage, perhaps), there was only one event of theft, and no one got human trafficked! After describing my trip like this to a friend, they said "So in other words- it wasn't much fun?" To this, I had to disagree. It was much different than most of the other European cities fellow DIS students traveled to on study tours, and there were precautions we all had to take because of this, but I never once felt unsafe, and I had so much fun getting to know my classmates, who included some of the funniest, nicest, and most interesting people.
2. Before leaving for the study tour, we had a legal analysis due in our War Crimes/Human Rights class. A lot of us struggled with this paper because it was so different than anything we were used to. When we discussed this with our teacher, he simply told us that challenging us and forcing us out of our comfort zone was the point. He and our other instructor wanted us to struggle, because once we struggled and had to reach beyond what we were used to, our comfort zone would expand and never return to its previous size. Not only did that paper do that for me, but so did traveling to Kosovo. It opened my eyes to real life, and once again showed me the importance of being aware of what's going on in the world.
3. The opportunity that I have to study abroad is incredible. Since freshman year of college, I always knew I would study abroad somewhere at some point even if I wasn't sure of details. That certainty is something that I didn't understand the value of until visiting Kosovo. Getting a passport/visa there is difficult, so many young people don't have the opportunity to travel for studying or for working. They want to get out and explore the world, but the lack of means to do so is obviously frustrating. It made me realize how lucky I am to have come from the US to study in Copenhagen, where I then had the chance to visit Kosovo. It reminded me that if conditions on the trip weren't ideal or completely comfortable, or if I'm dissatisfied with something, I need to remember to appreciate every moment of the opportunities that I have.
“ Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ”
4. Remember how one of my study abroad goals was to become a regular at a coffee shop? I think I achieved this in Kosovo!! On the first morning, my roommate Charlotte and I went down to breakfast. We were the first ones at the buffet, and you had to ask the waiter for coffee because he made it fresh behind the counter. (And it was delicious, by the way.) When we got to breakfast the second morning, I sat down at the table and before I knew it, my coffee was delivered to me without having to ask!! This continued everyday for the rest of the trip. You win the award for my favorite person ever, Waiter! Making my dreams come true.
:)
5. The day before leaving for Kosovo, I skyped with my parents. Despite the tension in Northern Kosovo, and despite the travel warning issued by the US for Kosovo, what my mom was most worried about was that she thought I had become a vegetarian. In retrospect, the food I mention on my blog does happen to be meatless, but this is unintentional. I reassured her that I am, in fact, getting enough protein; however, if I didn't manage to console her, let's remember the enormous plate of meat I consumed:
So, there you have it- not only did I "survive," I also expanded my horizons, stayed caffeinated, and proved once and for all that I am still an omnivore. No worries, Mom!
Love your quote in part 3. Reminds me of one I recently read: "It's not about how you weather the storm, it's about dancing in the rain." Luv Mom
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