Living the dream.
by alyxeperry
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So
I can't even begin to express in words how much exchange has changed my
life, but I'm going to take the challenge and try. I came here as an 18
year old girl not knowing what to expect just hoping for the best ready
to learn. I had ideas about life, what I was going to do and where I
would live, the things everyone thinks about. I look back now and the
words that go through my head as think about those moments were "wow how
could my mind be so small" and I wasn't one with a "small mind" I
thought. I realize it's not that I wasn't thinking big enough, it's that
my imagination was controlled by what I knew and my previous life
experiences. As the months went by I began changing, in the best way
possible, I learned so much. Met friends from around the world and
started to understand how the once so BIG world is actually very small
and reachable. Anything is possible. I think my brain is different now. I
dream so much more than I ever did before. Not the dreams you have at
night, but life dreams, and goals. They are not just dreams, they can
easily become reality. Through this whole process I have learned how to
do that. Make connections with people, don't ever be afraid to talk to
someone. Everyone has something to offer in this world and who knows you
could be a part of that something, for the rest of your life. KEEP AN
OPEN MIND, a closed mind gets you no where. I have found that a lot of
people, and I think I was a bit like this before my exchange, don't take
in all thoughts. When minds work together they are one thousand times
stronger than minds that work separately. One person can't always be
right. Respect everyone, you never know when you will see them again or
what opportunities they could present you.
As
I approach the halfway mark of my exchange I have so much to reflect
on, and think about. I have never felt so many emotions in my entire
life. I am so grateful to have this opportunity. I never would have
thought that being so far away from your home can actually bring you so
much closer. I was thinking the other day about the word "home". We
always say it but what does it really mean. The place you were born? The
place you are currently living? The place your family lives? Throughout
our lives "homes" come and go. The phrase "home is where the heart is"
has never meant so much to me before because it defined the word home
for me. I AM at home here in Belgium. I have two homes here, two
families that have taken me in, provided for me, loved me, and nourished
me for the time that I stayed there. I will always love them and leave a
piece of my heart with them, therefore calling it my home. I also have a
home back in New York. What my real family likes to think of as my
"real home" where i grew up, and spent so much of my life. Where so much
of my heart is too. I have never loved that home more than I do now
being away from it. It is really hard to wrap your head around and
I apologize if you have to read this paragraph a few times. If you've
ever questioned where home is, don't. Whatever comes to your head and
you feel in your heart, is home, you can have more than one.
I
want you guys to feel inspired. Think about life and all that you have
done. It's honestly amazing. A truly beautiful thing. It's something
everyone has, but nobody's is the same. We all chose different paths
different ways of living. Through that we develop thoughts and ideas we
learn from. Everything you do is important, every decision you make has
an effect. Think about one day you were planing to go out, even if it
was just to the grocery store, but instead you decided to stay home or
do it tomorrow. That changes the people you see, the people you could
potentially meet, the opportunities you could have. Don't let those
opportunities wait until tomorrow, they may not be there.
I
think a really good word to describe myself right now is open. Open to
new things, open mind, open heart. This all leads me to who I have
become, something school could never teach me only I could find by
myself through exchange.
Live
like there's no tomorrow. Enjoy the little things in life. Slow down,
look around and take a deep breath. Put a smile on your face, even if
you're sad, life looks better when you smile. :) Be thankful.
Appreciate. LOVE. Make everything fun. Sing at the top of your lungs.
Dance like you just got new legs.
.......and
just enjoy life, it's not a chore, it's a gift. Pretend
it's Christmas and reopen the best gift you've ever gotten...today :)
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