So my title for this blogpost is totally soppy and definitely unorginal but sometimes that is just the way to go, or maybe not, but in any case this is going to be one big sentimental outpour of feelings so if anything, it is applicable.
Where to begin? I've put off writing a conclusion about my semester abroad because in all honesty a conclusion is not what I wanted. I think the title already explained it all, but these have genuinly been the best months I have ever had. They were filled with happiness, laughter, exploration and a stray essay here and there, but that definitely did not spoil the fun. I think the best way to describe it is like an extended vacation that also included studying? Like, imagine a trip to Paris but instead of going to museums you write essays..if that makes sense? It's like living in a little bubble outside of reality, with a heap of people who are living exactly the same, making it all feel normal.
However, these months have been anything but normal. For me, living in the country that I've always wanted to live in was a bit daunting. I must admit there was a part of me that feared that these few months were going to be the dealbreaker: what if England is not the country I imagined it to be after all? Luckily, this did not turn out to be true. There's definitely things in England that really require some getting used to: the astonishing amount of public drunkness, the horrible lack of proper bakeries, the ever changing weather (I've seen more rainbows in these 4 months than I have probably seen in my life), the fact that people stop to talk in the middle of the street and continually walk into you - RUDE MUCH - and the amazingly high cost of public transport. BUT if anything this experience has only made me love and appreciate England even more (which feels weird to say after this list of suckiness). The places I have been to, the lovely nature and weird but 'interesting' customs just make me want to stay, and everytime I go back to England it feels like coming home.
As for the whole Erasmus exchange, I am so thankful that it exists. It is really exciting to meet people from all over the world and share the same experience with them. I've met so many wonderful people that I've otherwise had never been able to come into contact with. I enjoyed proving stereotypes about the Netherlands wrong, or explaining to people that no, it is not called Holland, and yes, there is more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam. On the other hand it was nice to learn a bit more about other people's countries, and I enjoyed getting some of the stereotypes about those countries proved wrong - or right, depending on the subject.
I may have already talked about this before, but I am especially thankful that I got to study at the University of Exeter. It may not have been my first choice, but damn was it a pleasure. I almost feel like I have learned more than I have in two years in the Netherlands. The relaxed atmosphere during classes was really enjoyable, and the fact that we got to access some proper archival material was simply amazing. I loved flipping through Victorian periodicals and magazines, and it was awesome that we got to get creative with these sources when we had to do a project for our Imperial Encounters class. I especially enjoyed this class, to the point that I didn't even resent writing essays for it that much - eh?
One other thing that I really enjoyed doing these past few months was a sport: archery. I had never done this before, and considering it is a bit more accessible in the UK than in the Netherlands I just had to try it. Really happy I did it! I may not be an expert now but I am glad that I at least got to learn the basics, AND I have a certificate to prove it- ahyeah.
Not so surprisingly, it is incredibly hard to sum up four months in one post, and yeah, it might have helped if I had blogged more. But in those incredible moments it did not feel necessary, and I know that the best moments I will never forget, even if I don't have the blogposts to remind me. I am sad that it is over, but those feelings are definitely outweighed by gratitude and joy that I got to have these experiences to begin with. Furthermore, I KNOW that I will go back to England soon. It might not actually be my home, but it can be, and it will!
As I do want to share a bit more about my experience than just these general feelings, I decided to do a 2014 Favourites post - England edition. I encountered some great products across the pond, and I definitely want to share those with you, so look out for that :)
For now, it is back to reality (although maybe a slightly better one than before :)).
