A Symphony of Change: From Comfortable Beginnings to Bittersweet Endings
Who am I? There are many answers to this question, and what sets them apart is one thing: time. As I reach the end of this journey, I must bid farewell to everything I've worked so hard to make familiar, to make home. Never did I imagine that by leaving here, I would be leaving my comfort zone. Yes, you heard it right – this foreign country is now my comfort zone. Going back home is as hard as it was leaving it, from the strong friendships I've built here to the culture I've grown accustomed to. It's funny how everything I once found weird has now become a habit of mine. The tea that I disliked a lot is now a part of my daily life, the local expressions have become second nature to me, and even the hand gestures that used to seem amusing are now ingrained in me.
If we look beyond the physical changes, we'll notice a shift in mentality that has led me to question my life decisions. I came here with many expectations, but I never imagined that every minute spent here would leave such a permanent mark on me. I am undoubtedly a different person now – perhaps more mature, but it's more than that. It's like taking off sunglasses for the first time; it stings at first, but then you see the true colors of life. This kind of vision, this understanding, and maturity can never be taught in books or podcasts – it's only learned through the school called life, through your personal experiences.
The idea that I've broken my own boundaries by my own hand is an insane challenge that only a small number of people are lucky enough to experience. I never dreamed of this. I never knew that my own mentality was so narrow. I would never have believed that in just two months, I would change 80% of my opinions, that I would find myself siding with the opposite team on so many things. But now I know that one situation can have so many different stories and experiences, and most of the time, all versions are true – no one is lying. Your perspective can be your biggest enemy, so make sure to keep it positive and try to see through some other lenses too.
Friends they can light up your world or darken it to pitch black, and finding them is challenging. But let me tell you about mine. I stayed in a dorm with locals whom I didn't understand at first. I relied on one person who understood their language to form my opinion, and let's just say it wasn't positive at all. But at some point, I had to try to communicate alone, and they turned out to be the most cherished and beautiful thing about this journey. The love and bond we formed together will forever be engraved in my heart. I saw life differently when they were by my side. Solidarity was shown at these moments. My teammates, my roommates also known as my second family were my new lens, a lens I will forever keep in mind, stored in my heart as my mind.
To everyone who was a part of this journey, to every person who spent hours planning it, and to every random stranger I met in times when I was lost, I will never forget you. I will always remember you as one of the reasons I became a new person. Thank you. And I hope that one day, every young adult will go through this and have a comfort zone breaker moment in life from which a new, mature personality will emerge.
