Life Achievement: Cavanaugh
"You'll come back changed"
Whenever I talked to students who had already completed their study abroad programs the response was unvarying. My response was much the same: raised eyebrows. After all, I would hope that in the process of spending 6 months in a different country I would learn new things, adapting my world view as needed to encompass these new facts and ideas. I would be more worried if I returned exactly the same as when I departed.What they didn't tell me but I figured out:
"Everyone else is moving forward as well"
This last week I gained a life achievement: I became an aunt.
I knew when I applied for this program that I would be away from my elder sister during this time. At Christmas I will return to a 3 month old nephew, Cavanaugh. It is strange to think that my parents became grandparents, that my sister and brother-in-law are now parents.
My sister will have changed in an obvious way, but I wonder about the other people in my life. Everyone will have changed in the six months that I was away from home - will I be able to spot the differences? The prospect is both sad and exciting at the same time.
I will continue learning and exploring, making the most of my time abroad, and I look forward to meeting the newest addition to my family when I return home.
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