After an eight-hour flight from Copenhagen to New York City, I was back in America!  It has been nice being back seeing my friends and family, but every once in a while I will think back to my time in France and think it is strange that we are not eating cheese after every dinner, or that every store is open on Sunday.

I am sure that studying abroad was the best decision I could have made and that it was the best way I could have spent my summer.  I have seen so many places and met so many different people.  I feel after traveling like the world is bigger and smaller at the same time.  Most importantly, I have learned a lot about myself.  Seeing firsthand the benefits of knowing a second language has motivated me even more to continue pursuing a double major in French.

One thing I have noticed about returning from travel is that it feels a lot like a dream.  Think about it: you are in an amazing place, where everything is new and different and sometimes strange.  Then you return back home where – boom – everything is back to normal: the same people you always knew, the same places you have always been.  On top of that, you can tell stories about your time away, but nobody else was there, sort of like a dream.  But I still have my memories… and souvenirs and photos and new Facebook friends!

What’s left now? Time to go back to University Park in just a few more weeks and continue my studies in French!  Hopefully in my next three years I will be able to study abroad again, this time for a full semester! (Fingers crossed!)

Location: Connecticut, USA