This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land

It has been one full week since I have returned from studying abroad in Europe. It's amazing how five weeks of my life can flash by, and in an instant I am back in the flow of my everyday life. The trip, the people, the experiences, all seem too far away. There has been more than one occasion where I have woken up smelling the fresh dough from the Italian restaurant below the second apartment in Heidelberg, or hearing the whir of my bicycle wheels racing alongside the Neckar. I miss it terribly.

Right before I left America, I scheduled one last haircut with the same hairdresser that has been cutting my hair since I was five years old. Upon wishing me safe travels, my hairdresser carefully stepped back, looked at me, and said reflectively, "You aren't going to be the same person when you come back". I agreed, but her words did not sink in. Not until over a month and a half later, when I woke up in my own bed for the first time since returning to The States.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but she was absolutely right. Aside from the occasional language slip up when thanking various cashiers and the never-ending craving for Nutella filled crescents, my time in Europe really has changed me. I find myself longing for long walks in the fresh air, and missing using nothing but bicycles, public buses, and trains to get me wherever I need. I have somehow acquired the desire to take a step back and look at the things I surround myself with, and ask myself is this really necessary?

 I was able to live out of a single suitcase for five weeks, and still did not use everything I packed. I was able to use my own body as a means of transportation, instead of relying on my car. I was even able to separate myself, albeit forcefully, from constant access to technology, and found myself enjoying the little things that much more. I think that American culture attempts to do things in the fastest, most efficient way possible. But that is not what life is about. We aren't always meant to be busy bodies. It's okay to relax along the Neckar every so often, and to grocery shop once a week so as to eat fresher food. And to hang clothes up outside instead of wasting energy using a dryer. Little things like that go a long way for the mind, body, and spirit, even though it may require a little extra time and effort. I was absolutely content with the mere fact that the fastest way isn't always the best way.

Even though I am very thankful that I received an excellent education, my study abroad trip was so much more than learning about music therapy. I learned how to be happy, in the most simplest terms. I cannot wait to go back.