To be able to study abroad is such an privilege, one I will be grateful for the rest of my life.
That being said, there is this sort of unspoken expectation to travel…all the time…every weekend.
Well, I might be a little dramatic, but sometimes it’s hard to separate what you would like to be doing versus what everyone else is doing in terms of “making the most of your study abroad”. I remember at the beginning of this all talking to a friend about avoiding being stuck in a state of comparison, and I feel that I have done my best, to prevent from falling into that state.
That being said, I traveled almost every weekend for the first two months of studying in Bilbao, and I have three main things to say on the matter. One: I feel I traveled more than enough and had some of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Two: I feel as if I could have traveled more and planned out which places I wanted to hit a little better. And three: to travel as much as much as we have takes a certain toll on your body that I have never experienced before. Scientifically, it’s not good for our bodies to be constantly on the go (I should know as someone who gets sick quite often from stress).
I’ve had the privilege of traveling to my dream city, Paris, London, Portugal, Malága, Madrid, and so many more cities around Spain. Halfway through November I noticed I was more tired than usual, more irritable, I knew my body needed a break.
Now, as we are nearing the end of our program, I decided to stay in the Basque country the past four weekends. Though I felt a little regret for not leaving the country as much as my peers, I realize that you can easily make the most of your study abroad experience by staying right where you are. For me, the past four weekends have helped engrain that sentiment. I’ve kept myself busy, visiting little cities around Bilbao, working on my drawings and having my first cat-cafe experience. I volunteered to paint a room for a deaf children’s facility and attended my first Athletic Club game. (So fun!)
It doesn’t matter where you study abroad, or how long you did, I’m sure we all feel a sense of “did I do enough?” The answer is always yes. If you feel happy, if you feel accomplished, then you did more than enough, even if you only traveled out of the country once or twelve times.
I’ve learned so much about gratitude over these three months in the beautiful Basque Country. Gratitude, and the art of being happy where you are, knowing the universe gives us people and places for a reason, right when we need them.
What a beautiful life.
Agur!
-GM ❤
DU Abroad 