Well, it’s official. We are now over the hump and past the halfway point in the semester and in our time here in York. In just under two months we will be back in Manchester, boarding a plane that will take us back home to Calvin. It feels crazy to think how quickly time has flown by. As clichéd as it sounds, it feels like just yesterday that we arrived in a new country with 22 relative strangers. Yet so much has happened, as the other blog posts will attest. We have endured three-hour bus rides together to a magic island only accessible when the tide is low. We have embraced the British weather and all the twists and turns it has to offer. But beyond that, we have stood by and supported each other through the ups and downs of the past couple of months. Through the good and the bad I am constantly in awe of the community we have built here in York and the unconditional love and support exhibited by everyone.
Prior to going abroad, you can only prepare so much. No matter how much advice you get from your friends or family –both welcome and unwelcome—you will be faced with situations you won’t know how to handle. No matter how many packing lists you read on Pinterest, you will forget something. No matter how prepared you think you are, the second you step off the plane, you will be hit with the reality that you are in a new place with a whole new set of rules. It is incredibly daunting. But then you look around at the people surrounding you. You may be in a new country, but you are not alone. Staring back at you are 22 other people, all equally terrified and just as sleep-deprived as you.
Being here in York has taught me the importance of living in community. It is so easy to fall into the temptation of holing up in your flat watching Netflix. Just as easy is to get stuck in your head. thinking about how much you miss home. There are days where I find myself falling into these traps and I feel lonely and isolated. I get caught up in the reality that my support system is an ocean away. But then I have to remind myself that I’m not the only one feeling this way. Our little Calvin community in York is so important because we are each other’s closest connection to home and can best relate to what we are all feeling during our semester abroad.
I came to York not really knowing anyone. I am a senior who found herself feeling like a freshman all over again. I had to reteach myself to be open and willing to forge new bonds and friendships with others on the trip. I had to force myself out of my comfort zone in order to make the most of every day, and I am so glad I did. If I had fallen into the trap of isolating myself, I would have missed spontaneous trips to Newcastle or a weekend getaway to
Switzerland. I would have missed getting to know the incredible people here with me and making memories that will last a lifetime. I often think back to one of our first weeks in York and our class trip to the Minster. We stumbled upon a postcard sat at the foot of Constantine’s statue. It read: “Who is the happier person? He who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who stayed on the shore and merely existed?” I’d like to think we are all living like the former and are challenging ourselves to step out of our comfort zones. For me, that meant opening up and saying yes to opportunities for incredible memories and even greater friendships.
So, come May 17th we will be back where we started at Manchester airport getting ready to go home. But now I’m rethinking what exactly is home. I feel at home in York, and can’t possibly begin to imagine leaving this beautiful place. Home isn’t necessarily defined by a place but rather by a feeling. Home is being surrounded by people who build you up and challenge you. It is living every day to the fullest and plugging into the community of support you find yourself in. In that sense, York has become my home because of my people. I can’t wait to see what adventures these last few weeks hold.