After flying through a whirlwind of new people and places, my semester in Leuven, Belgium is coming to a close. This was a unique experience for many reasons, it was my first time visiting Europe, the first time living on my own and most importantly the first time I was responsible for handling my work and mindfulness. I arrived in Europe anxious as I did not know very much about Belgium or the town I'd be living in. I was also the only person from my University participating in this program. While there were bumps on the trail, I can reflect on what I've learned these past few months and feel proud that I have pushed my own boundaries and became a more well-rounded person.
The biggest challenge I faced was finding a new community of friends and other reliable people. Thankfully, one of the benefits of living in a university town like Leuven is that many students are also travelers. We all have different life experiences and are spread across the whole world giving us a diverse amount of perspectives to learn from. My favorite memories of my experience in Europe were spent with the friends I met here in Leuven as we explored our new town together.
Another new challenge I experienced here was balancing my work schedule and taking care of myself physically.
