Things that I learned about myself are important. But telling you would not make much sense, because well, you are not me, are you? But I wanted to share with all of you a great lesson that I learned while being abroad. It is a lesson on beauty, inner and outer. I learned this lesson while traveling in Italy. A wise world traveler stayed in the same hostel that I did. We were in the same room, and we had several chats about life while we were there. Patsy (a friend that I was traveling with) would back me up when I say that Sam was wise in many ways, even though she had some rough edges that we weren't used to, she shared some of her wisdom with us while we were roommates.
She spoke about the beauty of places and people. I can't quote her exactly, but I feel like I can try and explain it to you. As we reminisced about Rome and the places that we went around the city, she said that the city and everything in it was beautiful. It was true, Rome was amazing. Full of beautiful places and beautiful people. We talked about how they reflected each other. Soaking each other up and letting out pieces of what they saw and where they lived. People reflect what they see.
That brings me to an important point. Some people have the ability to make you a better person. They have to ability to reflect a light and a beauty on your life. It wasn't just the city of Rome, but other cities as well, that reflected on the people. The beautiful sights that were full of character made the people full of character. The people dressed with more character, they acted more fully, and lived life more enthusiastically.
While living and blending with their surroundings the visitors or tourists, like me, would also soak in the beauty and the character. I gained a sense of 'going with the flow' and simply enjoying life.
Walking slowly to see the city move around me, was my favorite part of the days I spent abroad.
We, as humans, have this strange power to impact others. We can change their day with a simple grin. We can make other people beautiful by the character we convey. Beauty can be reflected from us and others can soak it up. It may seem like an easy lesson to learn, but sometimes we don't realize how we affecting people. I made mistakes in Wales, mistakes that I have already and will continue to learn from. I look back at my experience hoping that I was a person that others wanted to reflect off of. Although, I feel as though many times I was the one soaking up the reflections. I think that is a large part of studying abroad. You can find your true self, you can see how you are when there are no people holding you accountable. You can realize just how weak you are when you fall, and also how strong you are when you pull yourself up.
Being here and living in Wales has made me soak up a much simpler life. A life of enjoying my time, soaking up the beauty of places and people, walking slower and watching as others lives move around you. Sometimes it has been hard, difficult, frustrating. I have had to learn how to block out some things and soak in others. I am not sure how I will be going home. I am not sure how I have changed since being here. I am excited to take the things that I have learned here and move home with them.
Bangor will always have a place in my heart, and the friends that I met there will stay in the photo-book of my mind forever.
And although this story will never be over for me, it seems like it is the last chapter for you. Thanks for sticking through my writing, and pictures. I hope that you already have or eventually will have an experience similar to mine.
Go and be the person that someone else wants to reflect...
