Culmination

Earlier today I was sitting in the gardens of Versailles, and it hit me that while I may be having lunch in the once great palace of the Kings, that the next day I will be consuming dinner on the couch of my parents.

And then I thought about it some more. I have been in Europe for over 4 months now. While I feel like I saw a lot, it is really important to understand that I saw nothing. There is so much to learn from a society and culture that has existed much longer than the familiarity and comfort  in the United States.

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

This quote, once stated by arguably one of the most important english language writers of the 20th century, T.S. Eliot, sums up almost completely what I am feeling now. This can only really be the beginning for me, not really an end of my experience here. My education from this semester will continue on throughout my life. 

Tomorrow I will kiss the ground of United States soil at 2:45pm. I will see you guys soon.

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