Thank You, Odyssey: My Hiatus From Blogging...For Now

This is the last article I will be writing for Odyssey until the spring. This fall semester I will be studying abroad in Amman, Jordan with AMIDEAST, an American non-profit organization engaged in international education, training, and development activities in the Middle East and North Africa. During this time, I will be the official blog correspondent for AMIDEAST, documenting my adventures, reflections, and experiences in Amman.

I would like to thank Odyssey for giving me the platform to share my voice during the past two years. When I first discovered Odyssey while searching for blog posts, I applied to be a member of my university's team. At the time, I was just searching for "a place to rant". Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and for two years, Odyssey has been the perfect platform for me to channel my thoughts into writing.

There is something about writing that has always been self-empowering to me. I think it may be the fact that my voice is me--unique, individual, one-of-a-kind. A part of me appreciates the fact that my voice is constantly changing, evolving, and improving itself for the future. Each one of my articles speaks to a different fixation of my voice, and over time, it is comforting to watch that voice progress into the person I am and the person I aspire to be. And while all of this self-inspiration can be achieved the same in a personal journal, I would like to thank Odyssey for being a public outlet for me to share my voice with thousands of others.

I never expected many people to read let alone enjoy my articles, and nothing humbles me more than when someone tells me that they liked one of my articles. Such positivity and kind words have motivated me more than anything, and I could not be more appreciative.

Watching myself progress as not only a writer but as a person is one of the most thankful experiences I have ever given myself. Odyssey was a platform where I was able to undergo a series of self-growth and transformation. In this way, I am not the same person I was when I first started writing for Odyssey. My articles from two years ago do not speak for me now; rather, they show my growth as an individual and writer. The ability to read another's story or delve into another's perspective helped me carve out my own values and ideologies, and I can thank them for teaching me valuable lessons. Moreover, I could not be more thankful to be surrounded with such creative voices on the Villanova Odyssey team and the whole Odyssey community.

So thank you, Odyssey, for everything.

I do not know who I would be without writing.

Until the spring,

Juliana