How was your semester?

[chezshay]

Today, a friend from the States asked me how my time in Australia was, and I responded with "Great." The last three months has been whittled down to one benign word: great. Great was the best I could muster; great doesn't describe the ups and downs of my time here nor the quirks and surprising similarities of Australia nor how I've grown as a

Comments

[_monday_]

and that's the same response i've been giving.

because i'm home now.... and what else can i really say? even the pictures don't explain - although for some, they help illuminate the thousands of stories i try to tell to expand upon 'great'

[lomsak]

god damn, chris. you're starting to sound like my school's study abroad coordinator in those terribly pre-study abroad orientation meetings.

we studied abroad for our own sake. it is a completely self-obsorbed experience, which you shouldn't expect to share with anybody. You study abroad for your own (supposed) benefit, worrying about how to explain it to other people is unimportant.

but please, please...please stop with all the no way to explain my experience bullshit. Studying in Sri Lanka, China, Australia, or the United States is all just about the same with only some minor detail changes at the fringes. It's not an experience that will boggle and confuse anyone who didn't study abroad.

[anonymous]

I've been thinking about this question myself. I've come to the conclusion that I don't really care whether or not I can come up with succinct, accurate, representative, witty, nor intelligent words to describe my time. It's all stilted nonetheless.

Sounds a little extreme, but it seems to me the true legacy of study abroad is the assemblage of subtle, semi-subconscious ways you look at life differently. No use mining for answers right away; memories will come back when they do. "Great" (or "incredible," "amazing," etc.; I prefer "fun") is good enough for me.

Patrick

a bit of zen... or a rain drop if you will

[eggmen]

Sometimes it hurts to heal. It can hurt to recover from pain as well as growth. Which one you choose to recover from is up to you.

-Buddha... lol j/k just Andrew