Europe Top Ten - the final post.

The time has come to wrap up this blog, and I've been putting it off. After this post has been finished, I have nothing else to write about and the blog will be officially done. Yes, it'll be fantastic to have a 'complete' work, but I have nothing else to look forward to writing about. But, you're not reading this to read my wishy-washy thoughts about my blog. So let's get on with it!

Here are my overall 'take-aways' from the entire study abroad experience. Hope you enjoy...

1) I love food. Now, this realization wasn't necessarily a completely new one, but I learned the true depth of my love for food while in Europe. Growing up I was a bit of a picky eater, not real high maintenance, but still, picky. But, I discovered throughout my various trips, the real excitement and adventure that lies in traditional, cultural food. I always looked forward to trying something new and no matter if I liked it or not, the experience of actually trying it was the point. You all have read about some of my favorite foods that I had over there, the most OBVIOUS being pastries. But other things I tried weren't ever documented on here - as at our 'family dinner' nights, friends of mine would cook their countries' traditional food. Some of those meals were the best I had over there, including my friend Farzin's amazing sauce - which had finely chopped cucumber, Greek yogurt (I think), dill and a few other ingredients mixed in. It's such a fun experience to have your palate expanded, and I think now I look forward to eating MORE, because I've come to enjoy the surprise of trying something new.

And, a whole other side to eating (with friends) is the conversation and stories that are shared over the food. Meals were rarely ever rushed on trips or at family dinner nights. It all was about spending time together, and I grew to love meal times for this aspect as well. One of the things I miss most about my time abroad were our family dinner nights, which started around 8:30 at night with cards, conversation and help to whomever the chef was. Dinner would last around an hour, with food getting passed amongst 10-18 people and compliments being handed out to the chef throughout the meal. After, dishes were done by the first to offer (I loved this task...as my cooking skills were far below my friends' and I wanted to contribute SOMEHOW) and that was usually a good time as well with bubbles and soap flying about the kitchen. After dinner, more cards, or other games and things usually wrapped up between 11 and midnight, unless we were all headed out for the night.

All in all - whether it be expanding my horizons with new foods or enjoying the company I had while consuming the food, eating in general was a wonderful part of my trip. (Add in that I just happen to love FOOD itself, and it's obvious why this is #1)

2) Crap Happens. Keeping the title of this one more PG, for some of my lovely readers out there, but you all get what I mean. I originally thought that by going to a different continent, everything would magically be fantastic. Naive, YES, but it's amazing how you feel immune to bad things happening. But, surprise, surprise, things still go wrong, people still screw up (including me) and life has to go on. I had my fair share of mishaps, nothing MAJOR, but mishaps nonetheless. I've discovered the true power of other people when things go wrong. I can easily panic sometimes (imagine that, right?) but my friends, and my family over Skype or Facebook were always there to soothe my anxiety or help me see a solution. No matter how far away from 'home' we go, life still happens. AND - that includes the not-so-great stuff too.

BUT - I've learned sometimes the little mishaps are part of the whole, glorious process. Some trips wouldn't have been the same without little things going wrong. I don't think many of my friendships would have been as strong without my or their mistakes or hard times. Working through the crap is what makes the good stuff worth it, and also makes the relationships we have a hell of a lot stronger. Corny, I know, but this was something I truly grasped for the first time while halfway around the world.

3) History is fascinating. I've always been a fan of history - the subject in school, the channel, you name it. But nothing prepared me for the goose-bump feeling of actually SEEING buildings or places that are truly ancient. I think this is more profound for Americans, seeing as nothing here is really THAT old. In Europe, there are old buildings everywhere, and some truly just astonish me with what they've witnessed or been a part of.

Examples of this would be Notre Dame in Paris. Stories have been told about that cathedral for centuries. So many things have happened in it's walls that are both a part of France's history, and the world. The architecture is just ridiculous - how were people able to build something so ornate and huge without the technology we have now? Another who's history, although not old, still gave me full body goosebumps was Auschwitz. The atrocities that happened in that place, and the people who endured things no one ever wants to think about, just encompasses you as you walk in. Yes, it's more a museum now, but all you have to do is close your eyes and you can feel these people from decades ago struggling and dying on the very ground you're now standing on with your headset and cell phone snug in your pocket. It's just crazy.

From all the travels I've had, I've come to not only appreciate learning about the history of people, places and structures, but am even more intrigued. I can't wait to visit more places - such as Athens - and just marvel at the place and the adventures it's seen. Knowing or appreciating the history or story of a place we went, made the trip leaps and bounds more exciting and interesting.

4) My biggest obstacle is myself. I mean this in the humblest way possible. We all know our strengths and weaknesses, and I think mine (before leaving) was that I let my fear of something stand in the way of attempting it. I don't know if that's because of fear of failure or the unknown. Maybe both? But I now know, that I can do things I didn't think I could. I know, I know, "good for you!" But well, this is my blog and my little summing up post, so I'm going to continue. You're welcome to skip to 5) if this is too dull. :)

The main part of going abroad I feared the most, was the initial trip to get there. I had never traveled alone (except by car, obviously) and was going to enter a foreign country with very little idea of how to get to my final destination. I also would have no way to communicate with anyone, as my U.S. cell would no longer work, and I wouldn't have a new European friendly one yet. I had to just suck it up, power through, ask questions and not allow ANY panic to set in. I was able to do just that, and when I got to my room that first day and shut the door, I felt more victorious than any sporting or academic event up until then had provided. "Success!" This philosophy carried on throughout the semester's adventures - whether it be finding the stores around the city, figuring out trips, trying to make it through classes or knowing how to right a wrong on a trip etc. I gained a lot of confidence, not necessarily in myself, but in the ability I now know I possess to make things happen. No more fear for this girl! (Well...for the most part.)

So mainly - just because something seems impossible, doesn't make it so. :)

5) Humor makes everything more fun. Yes, yes, "obvious Betsy". I know! But, I really found that the stupid things, the funny things, and the very dumb things I do myself, are more fun to experience than any trip. Over the years I have definitely loosened up and learned to laugh at myself more (for lets be honest, I do a lot of stupid things). This was extremely true while abroad. Sometimes I wouldn't even realize how funny something actually was until I was retelling the story later to my parents over Skype, or in a post. For instance...

I forget if I've already shared this, but oh well. When I first got to my room and needed to start cooking, I was NOT using my hot plate correctly. I had no idea how to work a hot plate, and didn't realize there's a top part that comes off to expose the ACTUAL hot plate. I, being an idiot, cooked on top of the TOP part for about a week before a friend kindly explained the right method. They thought it was hilarious and I was mortified. How embarrassing! But after I told my parents (who died with laughter) I realized how truly humorous my little mistake was. Ha, and I have no problem admitting this to all of you! The best part of this particular story...was that I was getting frustrated by how slowly my food was cooking and thought my hot plate was broken. I was almost about to ask for a repair guy to come take a look when I discovered it was I, not the hot plate, who was causing the problem.

And...you all know my funny little stories from the previous posts. Learning to laugh at myself was one of the best things I could have done. I had this ability before I left, but it just grew when I was there. I'm a goofball and a spaz, so you know there's bound to be humor with that combination. :)

6) Go big or go home. For me, I quickly realized that it's better to spend extra time, money, etc. than to regret not doing something later. My friends felt the same, as our semester went on, and we all made sure to put this phrase to good use on trip planning, going out or trying something new. My parents were great at reminding me of this too - "when else in your life will you be able to do [insert item here].". Touche parental units, touche. So - this was the philosophy that guided us. We always tried to do the things we all wanted to in every city - whether it was 'touristy' or not, if someone on the trip really wanted to do something, we all tried to make it happen. We all truly appreciated the opportunity we had, just being in Europe, and none of us were about to waste that experience. (Though, NOT seeing the Peter Pan statue in London was a bummer. But I already talked about this incessantly in the London post.)

So this kind of ties in appreciation for the opportunity and learning to then just DO things. For instance, going caving in Budapest. What a crazy thing?!? Would NOT have been legal in the U.S., and we were doing something none of us had any idea about. But what a fantastic adventure! We were stuck in crevices, banging our heads on rocks (well, that may have just been me), shimmying through little holes and cracks in the rock, and having to trust in our guide to NOT lead us to our deaths underneath Budapest. Such a great thing we did, seeking it out, deciding to do it, and we all (Carolyn, Theresia and me) were completely 'gung-ho' about the whole thing, the entire time. It was the most ballsy thing we did while in Europe, and I'm so glad we did.

7) Love your camera. This has double meaning, if you recall the death of my first camera on the beaches of Malaga. (But that's already been explained.) But really my point with this - the pictures I took while over there are more valuable than any thing I bought. Looking through pictures helps bring back all the little details of our adventure, no matter how poor the photograph actually is. The camera captured landmarks I was so excited about seeing, foods that I had to prove I ate, people I wanted to always remember and the adventures I actually had.

Once I got back, deciding which photos to frame or print was SO difficult, as every one, no matter how stupid it is, had some memory attached. Of everything from Europe, photos are what I look at the most. Yes the little things I bought are really cool, but nothing beats a photo.

8) The power of good shoes. Originally, Carolyn and I had discussed what kind of attire to wear on our trips. Did we want to look fashionable? European? I mean, with all the pictures we were going to take, was it worth wearing uncomfortable but cute shoes? Nope! We started off the first trip to Paris in our comfy tennis shoes, and only when it was sandal weather did we ever stray from that choice. We covered SO much more ground than we ever would have with uncomfortable shoes. Thus, my appreciation for GOOD shoes. My 'tennies' went through so much wear and tear that they came back worn out and full of holes. But man, they were GREAT for the semester!

The main point I'm trying to make - we didn't care about what we looked like, touristy or American, we wanted to be able to enjoy the experience. Sure if we wore 'European' shoes we could have blended in more, but we wouldn't have seen half the stuff we did, there would have been a LOT more complaining (probably by me, let's be honest) and it just wouldn't have made our trips as great as they were. I think we both realized the importance of being low-maintenance and how much more fun that can be. We're both that way most of the anyway I'd like the think, but we took it to a new level with our travel gear. We also had no problem re-wearing clothes, packing light, getting ready in about 11 minutes etc. All of our trip buddies were the same, well, some of the boys were a BIT slow in the morning, but we let it slide (most of the time.) So, my recommendation to anyone - who cares what you look like, wear what's comfortable and you'll have the best day. It is incredibly worth it.

9) The American way isn't always the best way. This is something that we learned VERY quickly as being the thought of most non-Americans. It's a great slam to the American ego when it's openly expressed that other countries not only think they're better, but actually are (in some ways - business or art etc.) I discovered this philosophy to come out most during classes. I was taking all business classes, and am used to at home, having American companies as the examples used in class. Yes, international companies are used sometimes back home as examples, but not often. In my classes at Maastricht, American companies were rarely brought up, and if so, as bad examples of what not to do. As usually the only American in my class, I had to suck up my pride and try to have an open mind to what they were saying. Though, a few times I did speak my personal opinion, or defend the American way of - doing business, thinking, family life etc. It was eye-opening though to listen to others talk about either how GREAT their country is, or how INFERIOR the U.S. is.

You start to realize that every country teaches it's youth in a very biased way. EVERY country does it, and it's not until you start to talk with others from other backgrounds that you can sift through the crap and get a better idea of what's true, and what's not. But, I rarely would make it obvious I was an American, especially when on certain trips. When traveling with our Canadian friends (who have maple leaves on every article of clothing) we would let others assume we were also from there. The stigma attached to the U.S. was more drastic than I realized.

But, stereotypes are meant to broken. I think the best example of this is my good friend Farzin. He's from Iran, and was one of the most friendly, outgoing guys I met on my entire trip. He would have candid conversations with those of us from the U.S. about certain things - some we could discuss openly while others we had to agree to disagree. But, he developed strong ties to us, and us to him. And this is a guy from a country which isn't the fondest of ours, and vice versa. Farzin even made a trip to come visit the U.S. this past Fall - and we had a great time introducing him to some parts of American culture (Wal-Mart for one). But the relationship we were able to form was possible because we had the ability to look past the stereotypes and learn to look at the person, not the nationality. And, many of my friendships made while in Europe were made possible due to changing people's perception of Americans and helping them realize we're not ALL like the media portrays us. And, I learned the same about them.

10) Technology is a beautiful thing. This is true for both my time there, and my time at home after. First, while there, technology made me feel like I was NOT halfway around the world, but a short 'email' or 'phone call' away. Skype is an amazing thing people - truly. I was able to stay in contact with so many people and with Skype, you feel like they're sitting across the table. It's nuts. Emails now are received as quickly as texts. I could be emailing back and forth with my dad while he was at work, and he'd be able to respond in minutes, and I to him. I 'watched' Greg graduate only a few minutes delayed, thanks to my dad's video he emailed as soon as Greg walked across the stage. And I was sitting in the Brussels airport. Just CRAZY!!

And, now that I'm home, technology helps me keep in touch with all the people I met over there. From facebook, to emails, to texting, to Skype...we all manage to keep each other updated with what's going on in each others lives. People are getting married, getting new jobs, moving etc. and all of that we can know instantly because of the ability we have to stay in touch.

The friends I made while in Europe are some of my closest friends now. Going through that experience with people - whether it's normal everyday life in Maastricht or traveling - you just get close on a whole different level. My friend Carolyn and I are now so close, that we just signed a lease to live together for 2 years, starting in May. She also knows more about me than almost anyone else. You end up sharing a LOT about yourself on train rides, over dinner, at night in the hostel room etc. And friends like that are always going to be there. THAT was one of the best parts of the whole experience - the people I met and now I'll always be close to.

We have a reunion cruise planned - for about four or five years out. We talk about it constantly and I know that it WILL indeed happen. There may be spouses along, or kids, but it will be wonderful to re-connect with our 'Maastricht family'. That's just it too - being with those people for only a few months made us all family. Hard to beat THAT.




I think that's it for me. I've covered all my bases. I didn't add pictures to this one - as it's not about the pictures in this post. A bit less exciting or entertaining to read, yes. But hopefully now, you get a sense of what I took away from Europe. Studying abroad for a semester was never something I was completely excited about, I was always very apprehensive. And I can honestly say it was something that changed ME - my perspective, my way of thinking, etc. Worth every minute I was there, and now I have this lovely blog to read again if I lose touch with any of these thoughts/memories.

Would love to hear anyone's comments or thoughts on this post, or the blog in general. If posting them is weird, just send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

All the best to all of you....CHEERS...and have a pastry for me. :)

Bets