By Jimena
First, exchange was something to look forward to. Months of mental preparations, saying goodbye to family, packing my stuff and moving across the world. It was a lot. A whirlwind and an experience that is one of a kind, but now it’s coming to a close. Each person talks about their exchange through their own filter. The friends they’ve made, the experiences they’ve had and the places they’ve visited. It is so personal and made up of precious moments. And these precious moments create a life. A home away from home, and in the beginning of this experience, the end seemed so far away. A year was practically a lifetime but now that it’s coming to a close, a year seems to be no longer than a second. Preparing to say goodbye to everything that you have worked so hard to build is not easy. Prior to leaving, I went through various orientations to prepare to leave my home country and my blood family. But the reality of exchange is that it ends. The hardest is leaving your chosen family and newfound home. Everything you’ve worked so hard for to build. Every friend you’ve reached out to, the language you fought to learn, and the places you spent endless hours exploring.
This year has taught me that being open minded, both in mind and spirit, is the best way to live life. To live for yourself and not for others and most importantly not for the fear of what others might think of you. Before going on exchange, even though I did not realize it, I was living in fear of what others thought of me and public embarrassment was always in the forefront of my mind. Dancing in public, singing my heart out in front of others or simply tripping up the stairs, was my worst nightmare. But worst of all, I did not even know that I was keeping myself from experiencing things to the fullest. I would try things out of my comfort zone but always within a limit. I put myself in a cage. But thanks to living in a year of impermanence, I learned to care less and enjoy more. A memory that particularly stands out was on my Belgian senior trip, walking down the streets of Ljubljana singing my heart out to “Baby” by Justin Bieber with my two friends, without a care in the world. I learned to take life less seriously and to live it for myself and not in fear of the judgment of others.
Living through this year, I realized the importance of adaptability. When you are in a world that is constantly changing around you, learn to change with it because it is impossible to control the uncontrollable. Trying to control it will only make you go crazy. Obviously, it is important to make plans, but what this year in Belgium has taught me is that being able to adapt when the plan goes awry is the key to success. As an exchange student living in three different host families, it required constant adaptation. From the different ways of communication to the varying life styles, every three months I had to readapt to a new environment. When I had difficulties during these transitions, life taught me to always look for the solution and not wallow in the negativity. Because in the end, life never really goes as planned.
Finally, the hardest lesson I have learned to date is saying goodbye. When I arrived in August, I only had myself, my two suitcases and an idea of what this was going to be like. I left the US with so much space in my heart and in my suitcases but now I am going back with an entire family that started out as strangers. And now that I am packing up my things, I realized that it’s not only my suitcases that are so full that the zipper will not close but my heart as well. I remember that when I left home I was so excited for this new adventure that leaving home was not that difficult. But now that the adventure is over, the most difficult thing is saying goodbye to the people who made it special. Who less than a year ago were simply strangers.
I am extremely grateful that I got to live this year. I am so thankful for the people that I’ve met, the experiences I’ve lived and the places I’ve visited. I fear that nothing can prepare you for the pain that comes with saying goodbye because even though I know I will come back to visit, the experience will never truly be the same. But in the end, that is what makes an exchange year so magical. Although it is difficult now, I have no regrets. I have learned so much about myself and about life that I am forever changed.
Thank you to my host families, to my friends, to my family back home and to Belgium for this unforgettable year.
