To my fellow homebodies/travel bug-less friends,
Compared to friends exploring Florence, Barcelona, Senegal and Australia, life is a tad boring. Friends from across the globe will ask, 'how's school?' and the truth is that it has been fantastic, but same old, same old. No groundbreaking discoveries have been made except the unwarranted bug I found in my kitchen. No new adventures have been embarked on except maybe making it home without rolling an ankle in my wedges. And no new sights have been seen, besides the construction site on main campus. So my life seems exciting, right!? I don't think I give myself enough credit.
Life really is great here, but the truth is, I would love to be able to catch the travel bug. I love the idea of traveling, but I hate the process. I hate the packing, I hate the length of time it takes to get somewhere, and I hate the airport. If teleporting was a current phenomenon, I would most definitely take advantage of it, but I am solely left with the decision to suck it up and travel or stay put where I am. The process of traveling is not the only thing limiting me, but also how much I love being close to home and my family. Being nine hours away from home is already tough on certain days, that I could not imagine being across the pond and enduring a six hour time difference. My desire to travel is all a big dream, but I truly do not think I could do it for three months and without my incredible family.
It may seem like the decision to not study abroad was hasty, but I can indeed tell you that my quick decision was thoughtful because I knew myself well enough. I did not try to pretend like I could handle it, because let's be honest, I'm far too emotional leaving home going back to school in North Carolina; how the heck could I handle leaving the country for an entire semester? Not possible. I knew that a Thanksgiving without my family was not ideal and that I valued my semester on campus a little too much to stray away for three months.
I have put myself first this semester, allowing myself to become more in tune with my feelings, my well-being, and my true wants and needs. I have reached out to people that I had very superficial relationships with and have made deeper connections and friendships. I have seen growth in myself and quickly realized that I did not regret my decision in the slightest. I have been able to make the most of my semester because I have come to the greatest realizations about who I am as a person.
One day I'll take time to travel the world for a little bit longer than the three week winter term trip I embarked on last year, and maybe I will finally step foot in Europe and take in all of its beauty. But for now, I will focus on what I need and what I am comfortable with in this very moment. Yes, it is always good to take that leap of faith and challenge your comfort zone, but it's even more important to stay in tune with who you are and where you need to be. For me this semester, it was right where I belonged, and I don't regret it one bit.
With love and dreams of one day traveling the world,
The Homebody
