..circumnavigate.with.me..

I’m very nervous to return home to the US. For so long (nearly a year!) I defined myself as a future world traveler and the itinerary that lie ahead of me as my goal. Every small pang of homesickness is now countered with a rush of panic. What am I going to do when I’m not flying around town in my mother’s Toyota trying to collect anything needed for a four month excursion on the high seas? Unfortunately, the answer is ‘work’… and a lot of it!

 The fleeting memories of Minnesota summers, Drake winters, and all weekend activities in between are now overshadowed by the impending drone of everyday life. Before, my life consisted of planning and packing and speaking only of the great adventures that Semester at Sea would soon bring. Though I will soon find myself in a more interesting position (one where I am able to tell all my tales of the world), the transition of the trip from future to present and then to past will be depressing, to say the least. Luckily, I am returning home with a few great gifts (other than the clothes and paintings I purchased in the Orient). I am bringing back a new outlook and appreciation for life on the global spectrum. The people I’ve met in foreign countries have passed on a sense of humility that I ought never to forget. Coming home I will recognize the monumental changes in attitude and perspective that I have gained in the last 4 months. Adjusting to new (old) surrounding may take some time though.