I Miss Spain

So, I've been home for about a week and a half now... and I don't know if I'm glad or sad about being here. The first few days were great. Everything was the same, but at the same time, it all felt so new, so it was exciting to see everything and everyone.

While I was abroad, I was afraid that I would be missing out on a lot. A whole semester of missing campus life, my sorority sisters, classes, clubs and organizations. But coming back, I realized that they are all still here, waiting for me, and that I was fortunate and blessed to have been able to go abroad and experience a completely different life.

Now that I've been here for about two weeks, I'm starting to miss Spain. A lot. I miss the little things, like being able to walk everywhere, taking the metro to the city, having the beach a walk away, siestas, the food, and it goes on. I feel so trapped here, having to take the car if you want to pick something up from the grocery store, or having to drive three hours to the nearest beach.
Of course, there are things here that I am relieved to have again, such as diversity, my mom's Korean food, and of course my friends and family.

If I could, I would do this all over again. Going abroad seemed like such a dream to me, and only that. I never realized that it would be possible, for various obstacles and reasons that I had in my life. But now, being on the other side, it makes me realize how easy it is to travel. Just need a passport and motivation. Studying abroad was one of the best experiences ever. There's always the opportunity to travel later on in life, but being able to study there was unique. I was able to live in Spain for 4 1/2 months, and immerse myself with the culture. With the comforts of the support from UMD, the program, and my friends, I was able make this dream come true. This is truly an amazing opportunity to do something incredible with your life. I only wish I did this earlier, so I could have had more opportunities/semesters to study abroad longer.