The magic of living abroad has worn off. I've settled into a routine filled with the boring things students everywhere have to do-- cooking, cleaning, shopping, studying, etc. I don't carry my camera around to capture new sights and sounds anymore. The weather has gotten progressively more depressing, with darkness setting in ever sooner and sooner.
My first Thanksgiving without family is approaching. All the Americans here made an excellent Thanksgiving dinner last night to celebrate, but it's still not the same (especially since I can drink with dinner now!).
School isn't helping the situation either. My classes are not as challenging as back home, so my motivation to work and do well isn't where it should be. My peers are hard to understand and harder to befriend. My commute sucks up a few hours each week, and it occasionally sucks up a few euros, too. But school isn't easy enough where I can jump off to Prague and Vienna every weekend. Instead I'm tempted by Europe's wonders as I wonder about population genetics. Ugh.
The homesickness has led me to waste far too much time online. On the plus side, I've discovered some really interesting blogs about Detroit and Philadelphia. On the down side, reading about the economic situations in Detroit and Philadelphia just furthers my depression.
So why am I ranting about my personal feelings when I promised not to? Because I've realized this is an important part of the experience. I'm not the only JYM-er feeling this way. The distance, the adjustment creates ups and downs. Everyone has to go through these downs to appreciate the ups.
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