My semester abroad is over. During my last weeks in Austria, I was asked many times whether I was happy to leaving or not. "I have mixed feelings" was always my answer. And now that I'm back at Harvard, my mixed feelings are even stronger. I'm happy to be in the company of my friends, of people who care about me, social justice, and overly-intellectualized radicalism; excited about my classes (even if I'm not excited about the amount of reading); and loving the perks of campus life, like a gorgeous, spacious single bedroom and a chocolate fountain for Sunday brunch. But at the same time, I miss the Austrian customs to which I've grown accustomed. I greet everyone I pass by in Kirkland House. I make eye contact with strangers on the street -- especially important as we both try to navigate the very tiny paths between the four-foot piles of snow covering the streets of Boston this week. I really just like eating grilled vegetables. When entering a room, I immediately take off my shoes and put on Hausschuhe. I go to bed at midnight and wake up at eight.
On Saturday night, I was explaining how I felt like I prioritized relationships during my semester in Austria, and that I was able to lead a more balanced and fulfilling life there because I wasn't so damn busy all the time. "Well," she asked me, "how are you going to bring Austria back to Harvard?" And that's the question. I do feel that I've grown a lot as a person during my semester abroad, and I want to transfer those lessons back to my life here. I don't want to be the college freshman who slept until 11am, then threw on sweatpants before running to class, and stayed up half the night finishing her papers. I want to lead a more balanced life here at Harvard, too. Let's see if it's possible.
