I had been counting down the day's the entire school year, waiting for the day my family and I would venture to Europe for a 10-day vacation of sightseeing, museum touring, and excursion loving. However, with each long plane ride, with each language barrier, and with each sightsee I learned more about myself than I could have learned on any excursion or museum tour.
1. Some things are out of your control.
"Patience." The word I heard over and over again from my mom through every TSA check, in every customs line, and through every flight delay. "If we would have gotten our bags faster, this line for customs would have been shorter and we would be through already." Except I am not in charge of when the Delta workers decide to put my bag on the belt to come out to me. So, "Breathe." I can't control the slow TSA checks, I can't control the creeping customs line and I can't control a single flight delay. I can control being patient, and let go of a situation that is out of my control.
2. Most other countries can speak a decent amount of English, but many Americans can't speak an ounce of foreign languages.
I learned that language barriers are commonly due to my American ignorance. Why should Italians be able to understand my language, Spaniards be able to comprehend what I am saying and French people be able to automatically switch their language depending on to which native speakers there talking too? Yet, most of the people I was traveling with could not make out a single word of the languages these people were speaking. America is a "touristic" place to visit, so why aren't we driven to help the foreigners feel better accustomed while there visiting. The Spanish class I wasn't going to take this upcoming semester, well I am taking it now.
3. This world is huge.
Yea, yea many of us learned this in sixth-grade geography. But, it doesn't matter how much time you spend looking at a map, it will never do justice to how big this world really is. How uniquely created this world is. You can be in Venice, Italy where the streets are literally water canals. The ambulance and police "cars" are boats, with sirens and lights. It is a city on water, and for the three days you spend there you will not spy a single car. You take a 1.45-hour plane ride to Monte Carlo, Monaco and you will see the craziest cars you have ever seen in your life. What is your preference: Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Maserati, Lamborgini, Ferrari? Don't worry you can see them all. In just a short hour plane ride, you arrive in Barcelona, Spain. Where the nightlife doesn't start until 2 a.m. and doesn't end until 6 a.m. All three are so close together but have their own language and their own distinct characteristics. There is so much to see in this life.
4. Sleeping till 10 a.m. is a waste.
I have to admit I don't agree with the saying "sleeping is for the dead," because I am not always a joy to be around when I have not had a decent nights sleep. Until this trip, I didn't realize how much there is to do, and how much there is to see. I would sleep until 10 a.m., or 11a.m. if I could. I would wake up 15 minutes before class and when I arrived the class most certainly knew I had just gotten out of bed. I would not attend workout classes with my friends because it interrupted my sleep. I have come to understand that sleeping in and wasting my day away is totally not worth it. Don't miss that 8:30 a.m. workout class because you need your "beauty sleep." Go to the class! Don't skip the tour, or class because it's "too early." Who knows, it might turn out to be the best tour or class you've ever been too.
5. Dresses are comfy too.
I have spent the majority of my 19 years in sweatpants, sweatshirts, leggings and sweaters. I rarely wear makeup or do my hair. Europeans are often known as being well-dressed and fashionable. I was prepared to "step-up" my game while abroad. I am used to looking nice a couple days a week, but I knew on this trip I would be looking nice every day of the week. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed it. Dresses really aren't bad, and the nicer I looked - the better I felt. I even felt more awake because I didn't feel like I was in my pajamas.
It might not seem like much, but to me I learned so much more than I anticipated. When you spend 10 days internationally and expect to learn about different cultures and traditions, then come back learning more about your own culture and traditions, it is quite an intriguing feeling.
