Reflection

During my whole trip, it always amazed me how much I really talked with my kitchen and the friends I made. The environment and nature of the experience, (and weather in Denmark) welcomed conversation whether you were procrastinating from studying, chatting while making lunch, discussing your next trip, enjoying a common dinner, wandering the foreign streets or gathering just for the sole purpose of being able to talk and learn about these extremely interesting, unique, and incredibly kind people who became my friends. While I rave about Hong Kong and openly admit how much I enjoyed my time in Denmark, I continue to realize what an impact they had on me and how much I really appreciated being in both of these extremely different environments. I truly connected with the traditions, ways of life, shopping, food, experiences, weather (surprisingly both hot and cold) and friendships.

Both of my experiences abroad, and especially the people I’ve met, have changed my outlook on life, my views of what is important, and increased my love, of love. I believe that people make an experience. I’m so grateful to have met some of the best friends I have from these two trips and was ecstatic every time we were able to come together in one of these amazing and obscure locations. If you asked me before grad school if I thought the money, time, hard work and stress was worth it, I probably would have said yes. Now I would say, I honestly will never regret any of it and could not imagine a more perfect year and a half of my life. Not that it was all teddy bears and rainbows, but every person I met, food I tried, place I went, knowledge I gained, music I heard, skills I mastered, and languages I learned, have shaped me. They’ve encouraged me to be open minded, curious, loving, honest, questioning, grateful, driven, and just happy. Thank you to everyone who enriched my life during this amazing time, both from home and my two homes away from home.