I’ll admit, I always thought I was pretty good at being a spontaneous person. Finding new places to explore or fun events to attend was seemingly less of a search and more of a challenge that I accepted with open arms.

Like many of my fellow juniors, I took advantage of the opportunity to study abroad this past semester. For five beautiful months, I had the privilege of exploring Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as the chance to visit a few other European cities I’d always dreamed about. My time abroad was going to be the apex of my life thus far—a trip to beat all others.

As I established my new life in the UK, every day brought a different escapade as I adjusted to the culture, learned my way around town, and began to make friends with local students. I have so many funny memories of getting lost around Edinburgh during those first few weeks, when the sunlight was sparse (but the freezing rain was not). With only a few hours of class a week, my friends and I had ample time to explore the culinary diversity of the city—you haven’t truly lived until you’ve tried haggis, a delicious Scottish traditional delicacy made from sheep’s stomach. Watching the sunrise from Arthur’s Seat, a large hill that offers stunning 360-degree views of the city and the beach nearby, was worth the 4 a.m. wake-up that morning. And booking a last-minute trip to Budapest with my boyfriend felt like a dream when I found myself in the Szechenyi thermal baths three short weeks later, marveling at the unbelievable beauty that surrounded me.

Life was moving at hyper-speed, and there simply was not enough time to consider each and every step to be taken; I just had to jump feet first into the rush.

As I gathered these experiences, tucking away memories in saved ticket stubs and souvenirs, I assumed that they were the byproduct of my “adventurous spirit.” Yes, I thought to myself. This is the pinnacle of what it means to be “spur of the moment.” I truly believed that the gusto with which I approached every situation was responsible for the amazing time I was having and the meaningful relationships I was forming.

Flash forward to the end of May, when my semester straight out of a dream unfortunately had to come to an end. It was certainly bittersweet to leave the home I had found in Scotland, and I won’t deny shedding a few tears at the airport on that last day. Nevertheless, I was optimistic about the prospect of returning home to New York City and resuming my place in my “normal” world. Once the joyful reunions with my friends and my family were over and I entered into the 9-to-5 routine of a new internship, I couldn’t help but feel like I no longer had the same opportunities to explore—nothing like how it had been abroad. I blamed it on the fact that I knew New York too well, but I told myself that it was okay if I didn’t roam and romp with the same energy as before.

I resigned myself to this lackluster conclusion until a casual conversation at work with one of my new co-interns from Finland forced me to think harder about my outlook on my new, old surroundings. This summer is her first time in New York City, and I see in her the same passion for discovery that I had abroad. Every Monday, she tells me about the sights she saw that weekend, from visiting the Empire State Building to sampling different ice cream and donut shops in Brooklyn. To her, this famous new city is a playground of hidden treasures waiting to be found.

I realized that the journey I experienced abroad was not due to my bold spirit as I had thought. I quite literally had adventure handed to me; in a completely foreign environment, I couldn’t have avoided making memories, even if I tried. Anyone can find an adventure like that. The true challenge is to push yourself to explore, even when the circumstances seem familiar and uninspiring. I’m learning that joy and thrill can be found anywhere if you look hard enough, and with the right perspective. You don’t have to jet to an exotic destination to see breathtaking sights. You don’t have to uproot your life to avoid falling into routine. Most importantly, you don’t have to look very far to meet people that will change your life forever—they’re right there, if only you know where to look.

While a piece of my heart will always be in Edinburgh, I’m excited to get to know a new New York this summer, and continue building on the adventures I’ve been so grateful to stumble upon.