When I was about 10 or 12, I decided to spend a week at Girl Scout camp. The way it worked out, I wasn't going to be going with anyone that I knew; my sister was going the same week, but she would be in a completely different age group. I told myself that I would be okay - it was supposed to be a better experience if you didn't take a friend along to cling to, and I would make new friends.
It was miserable. I was lonely and homesick, and I spent most of the week on the verge of tears, but I was stubborn enough to stick it out until the end of the week. Needless to say, I never went back to Girl Scout camp.
The last few weeks of my time in Greece have brought this long-ago experience to mind. Now, I don't want to give the impression that I've been miserable my entire time abroad - I've had amazing experiences. But whether it was the visit from my parents that reminded me what I'd been missing, or whether I've simply run out of plucky resilience, my time in Greece is winding down, and the only thing I can think of is... I'm ready to go. All in all, this could be seen as a positive thing - maybe I won't regret leaving when the time comes. But, I'm not ready to go because I feel I've gotten all I can out of the experience, or I've seen all that Greece has to offer, or even that I'm simply ready for a change. I'm ready to leave because I'm lonely, and my biggest regret is all the things that I still want to do here - I just don't want to do them alone.
I've never had an easy time making friends - meeting new people can be an anxiety-filled experience for me. To me, moving abroad is nothing compared to putting myself out there on a daily basis. My roommates and I didn't click, personality-wise, and I found myself at a loss. Instead of taking the more challenging route of making friends, I decided I could do things on my own. And for a long while, I did. I've realized that even if I don't need someone else to do something, I still want someone to share the experience with me. What fun is it to discover something new if there's no one to share the excitement with?
I did make a friend at Girl Scout camp, though I can't remember her name now. It's good to know that even unhappy experiences are never entirely unhappy. But I've learned something important: people are what make things worthwhile.
It was miserable. I was lonely and homesick, and I spent most of the week on the verge of tears, but I was stubborn enough to stick it out until the end of the week. Needless to say, I never went back to Girl Scout camp.
The last few weeks of my time in Greece have brought this long-ago experience to mind. Now, I don't want to give the impression that I've been miserable my entire time abroad - I've had amazing experiences. But whether it was the visit from my parents that reminded me what I'd been missing, or whether I've simply run out of plucky resilience, my time in Greece is winding down, and the only thing I can think of is... I'm ready to go. All in all, this could be seen as a positive thing - maybe I won't regret leaving when the time comes. But, I'm not ready to go because I feel I've gotten all I can out of the experience, or I've seen all that Greece has to offer, or even that I'm simply ready for a change. I'm ready to leave because I'm lonely, and my biggest regret is all the things that I still want to do here - I just don't want to do them alone.
I've never had an easy time making friends - meeting new people can be an anxiety-filled experience for me. To me, moving abroad is nothing compared to putting myself out there on a daily basis. My roommates and I didn't click, personality-wise, and I found myself at a loss. Instead of taking the more challenging route of making friends, I decided I could do things on my own. And for a long while, I did. I've realized that even if I don't need someone else to do something, I still want someone to share the experience with me. What fun is it to discover something new if there's no one to share the excitement with?
I did make a friend at Girl Scout camp, though I can't remember her name now. It's good to know that even unhappy experiences are never entirely unhappy. But I've learned something important: people are what make things worthwhile.
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