Coming Home
I think that this experience has been so meaningful and different that I don’t have just one stand out memory. It was a lot of things that made a difference and that I have taken back with me. Such as recognizing the importance of family, and slowing the pace of life. I appreciated the antiquity of the cathedral and learned to not be in such a rush, and to not take the beauty around me for granted. I think during this time I grew as a person; I became more independent by traveling and living in another culture but also I became stronger in standing up for what I believe in and in differentiating myself from others.
I think study abroad programs are very important. A book I read said that Allegheny College is one of those institutions where you come in as a freshman being one person and you graduate as someone else. This experience truly does change you. I think experiential learning is more important because you are fully engaged and participating in a culture which is more than just reading about people and places in a book. And for me this is where and how I learn the best. These programs should not only be encouraged but maybe even mandatory in some way. Whether it is an EL seminar during the summer or a full semester I think these experiences make us better students and people.