It is the beginning of my final week in Europe. It is a bitter sweet feeling; I am excited to return to my home, friends, and family. However, I also know I will miss certain aspects of Europe and the friends I have grown close to along the way. Since I come from the plains of the mid west I will miss the rolling hills and green mountains of France and Spain. I appreciate the variety of plants and trees in the southern European region. I enjoy taking in the architecture and admiring history in the places where it took place.

Most of what I have learned from this journey is from personal experience. Priceless life lessons that other wise would not have been learned. I have learned a lot about people and how they react in different situations; at times this may be difficult to deal with. I feel like being forced to deal with different personalities in group settings is preparing me for my future career.

I spent this past weekend in Barcelona. It was magnificent. I went with one other girl and we had a ball. Every other trip was with a large group. I felt those trips wasted a lot of time figuring out what to do. This one was simpler, we did what we wanted to when we wanted to and didn’t feel obligated to wait on others. I definitely relaxed more than I would have if we were large in number.

Barcelona was beautiful. The Spanish people were warmer and more welcoming than the people of the other places I have visited. I received considerably better service at restaurants and felt like I mattered to the waiters. The food was great. But what I loved most was the combination of palm trees, mountains, and blue skies. I was in paradise. Despite the fact that Air France lost my suit case on the return flight, I still had an amazing experience.

~ Kanisha Childs