Hello,
So as many of you know this is my last week abroad in this wonderful country. I recently had final exams which I did well on so that was a relief. I leave for the United States in two days, it's crazy how fast time flies. Let me share some of my pictures from my final week here abroad before I get into the sappy emotional stuff.
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| Train ride back to Madrid |
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| Callao! |
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| Plaza Mayor |
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| Dined at the oldest restaurant in the world! |
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| Being me! |
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| A chocolate hedgehog! |
Where do I even begin? Four years ago I was the princess of a small Connecticut town without a care in the world living the picture perfect life, never in a million years would I have thought that four years later I'd be spending my fall semester of my junior year at college across the world in Madrid, Spain. I was the goody-two-shoes who had no idea what else this world had to offer, stuck in my student-athelete ways without giving anything a second thought. It's amazing to think how things have changed. Still the good girl I've always been, I can now confidently say I'm not naive anymore. To say that this journey has changed me is a complete understatement, it has made me. Four years ago I never did anything without my parents permission or guidance, today, I have traveled across the world on my own without my dad holding my hand. If you knew me before college, you'll all say you never thought you'd see this day. The immense amount of knowledge that I have learned about myself in these past months is something short of a miracle. It's weird to think you know who you are and what you're supposed to do at such a young age, it's even weirder to realize you were wrong and that realize who you were is not who you are, and where you're planning on going isn't where you're going to go. Ask the high school Michelle and she'd say that she was going to go to college, get a job and move right back to the only place she's known as home, Connecticut. Now ask me and I'd tell you that staying put is something I can't even fathom anymore, I want to do so many big things, go so many places and do so much. A lot has happened to me in my time at college but my time across seas is incomparable. I've become so independent and strong words can't even do it justice. I could sit here and tell you about all the wonderful times I've had and I could also go into detail about some of the times I felt at my worst, but what I am going to tell you that this journey has been an emotional roller coaster that I was not prepared for. There were times I had never felt happier in my entire life, but then there were also those moments that all I wanted to do was cry. But you know what? I wouldn't change one single thing, all the emotions I felt have helped make me the person who is going to board the plane back to the Untied States, everything that happened needed to happened. Not only have I learned a lot about myself, but I've learned so much about the world, a world I never knew existed. I've been so many places and seen so many things. So much more is happening now than anyone one of you reading this could have ever imagined. As much as I'd like to live in the bubble of New England, after this I can't, there's so much to do, to see, to help, to change. I can't reiterate it enough but this has been the most powerful experience I've ever had, and it hasn't changed me, it has made me. I just want to really quickly thank everyone who has touched me in someway throughout this journey. I always knew I had a good bunch of people I was surrounded by at home and at school but this has just confirmed what I already knew. So thanks to my Stonehill friends, still on campus, who made the effort to keep in contact with me and just generally care for me, I could list the people I'm talking about but you guys already know who you are and for that I love you. Thanks also to the people I've met here in Madrid, as much as I hate to admit it, I'll miss the ones I got close with and I appreciate the memories we've made together. I'd also like to thank my good friends at home but also my very best friend Cailyn who has never stopped caring about me and believing in me and just being a best friend to me and so much more, I don't know what I'd do without you. To my friends who are also abroad, I love you guys more than you could ever know, having people to share this experience with, through the ups, downs, heartbreaks, etc is the greatest thing I could have ever asked for. This experience has truly shown me the meaning of love, whether it be an old love, love for friends, love for a place, love for family, I know that loving something is one of the most sacred things we have in this world. And lastly, I'd like to thank my family, the biggest support system a girl could have asked for. I want to thank MikeL for always making me smile and thank Melissa for doubling as a sister and best friend no matter what the distance between us. As for my mom, I never thought we'd get as close as we have but thanks for always being there. And last but not least, my dad, I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for me throughout my life and letting me have every opportunity I've ever wanted, a million thank you's won't ever be enough for my family. Sorry to make this so sappy, but the time has come for me to say goodbye. It's not goodbye though, I'll be back, for now, it's a see you on the other side.
And with that,
XOXO,
Michelle
