Waking up at 7:30 in the morning is never fun, especially when it’s to a storm. Don’t get me wrong, falling asleep to thunder can be soothing but when you’re supposed to catch a flight at 11:45 that’s not the particular sound you want to hear...especially because it made your Uber 80 dollars. Yeah, not fun. All in all, despite the extreme hit to my bank account and delay of the flight, the smile on my face did not fade once since sitting in the Zadar airport and here's why...

The past five months, I have been studying abroad in Maynooth, Ireland. During this time, I have undoubtedly felt real happiness over and over again. Being in Europe, I have seen so many amazing cities, all the while meeting the best people along the way. Trust me, I know how lucky I am to have had the experience I did, but while sitting in the Zadar airport, I was having trouble understanding how I’m supposed to say goodbye to this life.

This life I have in Europe right now is spontaneous and adventurous. It’s filled with endless new things and constantly forcing me out of my comfort zone. It being May 9th, yesterday marked my last ‘hoorah’ where I found myself in Zadar, Croatia. While on a day tour (huge fan of them), I was standing in front of the infamous waterfall in Krka National Park and I couldn’t help but think of a quote I heard earlier this week from a friend. The quote states: one of the most bittersweet feelings has to be when you realize how much you’re going to miss a moment while you’re still living it. Staring at the water drop into the lake, I began to realize that this quote managed to sum up the last five months of my life in one sentence.

In a few short weeks, I won't be able to travel to a new country with ease and won't wake up in Ireland with my favorite flatmates. I would be lying if I said the thought of such didn't make my heart sink, but then I remember to think about the sweetness. The sweetness of living in moments I know I'm going to miss is such a beautiful thing. It's a feeling that moves all clouds and let's the sun shine through- like some sort of proof that this life is real. It makes me see that happiness is a feeling and it lives in simplicity. It makes me know everything I have done in my life was worth it to get to where I am at right now. With sweetness brings appreciation and I have never been more grateful for such.

Being abroad has taught me living life to the fullest is not about how much you do, it's about how much you gain from doing. From here on out, appreciating moments and capturing how important they are will be my passion and what I seek. With that being said, I can only hope that when I leave Ireland, I take these bittersweet moments with me. I'll think about them on the bad days and use them to make the good days better. As bizarre as it may sound, I truly hope my life consists of these moments because it'll show how lucky I am to have something I miss.

Now, stop reading this attempt of understanding life and go have a moment of your own. Just make sure to remember it :)