The Gilman Scholarship and Fund for Education Abroad helped make my semester in Prague possible, and Brussels presented even more opportunities.
Remember that shed we started with? My education has been a little like that. I returned to college thinking I was building one opportunity, only to discover another room, another hallway and another door I never knew existed. Five years ago, I was managing a kitchen. Last week, I was sitting inside the European Commission discussing agricultural policy. I still don't have all the answers, but I've learned that you don't have to know everything, or even feel comfortable, to belong somewhere. Sometimes you just need the courage to pull up a chair. After all, I've spent more than 20 years feeding people at tables. It's about time I started taking a seat at one myself.
Now, I have a question for you: Have you ever been somewhere you felt completely out of place but ended up having a great time? What made you stay?
