by Lilly Wilson | Fall 2023 |
I like to think of myself as a collector of many different things—pictures, stories, memories—all that makes me who I am today and will define me throughout my life, in one year, 10 years, or 50 years. I am the result of my experiences in life. I am my stories. During my time abroad, I have collected so many of them, and these stories are so close to my heart.
As my time abroad comes to a close, I look back at the stories I have collected. As they play through my mind, I watch myself grow and change little by little through every story, learning from them every day. I see myself making memories that will last forever.
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can think of no other opportunity that would allow me to truly immerse myself in the culture of a different country as freely and completely as that of being a student. I hear my mother talk about it as the highlight of her life. My friends and family agree, and they all talk about “The Times That I….”
“The Time That I.” We all have memories that begin with those words, memories that come with goofy smiles and crinkled eyes, memories that make us who we are, that impact us to our core, and allow us to discover more about ourselves.
They are experiences that are incredible—incredibly unfortunate times that you laugh about later or just indescribably incredible. They allow you to see sides of yourself that you never knew existed. I have seen my happiest side, my most exhausted side, and my most carefree side through “The Times That I….” And I am a better person for it. Seeing your best sides makes you realize your potential and gives you a glimpse into the future of what you could be, the person you want to be.
To say I have grown as a person is just the beginning of what has happened while I have been in Leipzig. I have not just grown as a person; I am becoming the person I have always wished to be. I have experienced so many things that it seems impossible to be the person I was before coming here. I am a girl who wants to see the world and collect all the stories and experiences I can.
As I have lived these last few months abroad, I have many new stories, like “The Time That I” hiked 12 hours in below-freezing weather, “The Time That I” got to explore the whole country of Norway by campervan, and “The Time That I” dived into the Greecian ocean. I collect “The Times That I” in a special place in my heart that I will hold onto forever. I will call them—
“The Times That I” will never forget.
