Classes are officially over. Everyone here is overwhelmed with emotions. We all survived the semester and our group projects and papers are done, which is a huge relief and exciting. However, the mindset that "this thing is all over soon" is hitting us all...hard. I still have four finals and a quick trip to Vietnam standing in my way of finishing off the semester, but for the most part it is done. Finals are all spread out over two weeks so my friends and I will be on different study schedules and will be cramming a few last trips in between finals as well. It is so strange to think about our final goodbyes, but everyone's starting to do it.
A few weeks back, I was talking to a friend from America and she said "It is going to be so weird when you come back. You are going to be so different." I laughed at the moment and just said "Yeah, I guess I will be." I don't feel any different but I was talking to my friends here about it and we all agreed that this trip has completely changed us.
I spent the past four months living an entirely different life from the one that I have always known. I became a jet-setter and an adventure-seeker. I lost my comfort zone for good and just started to take every single opportunity, even if it seems scary. I rough it now (shocker). I don't care if it is 100 degrees outside and there is no central air. I lived out of the smallest backpack for nine days and definitely could have done more. It's all about the experience.
I have made new friends from around the world and America and I can speak words of Cantonese, Mandarin, German, French and Portuguese. Sometimes I find myself thinking in another language, which is seriously weird.
While I have definitely learned things in classes this past semester, they are honestly things that I could have learned in America. On the first day of classes here, my Human Resources professor gave us one of those cliche papers to fill out--"What do you expect to learn this semester?" and I answered that I wanted to learn about HR in various parts of the world so that I could compare it to America. She responded to my answer and said "HR is HR. What you learn here is exactly the same as around the world." I wasn't happy with her response at the time, but it is true. I have learned the importance of brand imaging and how to calculate RevPar and why understanding consumer behavior/ knowing the customer/human resources is so important. It sounds pretty generic because it is. All my most meaningful learning moments were acquired outside of the classroom.
I am a walking dictionary on Asia. I know about Asian currencies and geography and history and I know so many fun facts (at least I find them to be fun). I can look at an Asian and identify which country they are from.
Today my friends and I spent the whole day at the beach. By the time we left, it had gotten dark outside. I was sitting in the bus on the way home, looking out the window and I saw the oceans and mountains across from me and beautiful little houses and shops lit up by the water. I can't describe how beautiful and peaceful it felt but it hit me in that moment. I love this place. I love Hong Kong more than I ever imagined I would or could. This place changed me. It changed my mindset and it changed my life. I will never forget a second of this experience and it will be with me for my entire life. I am so blessed for having the opportunity and meeting these people. I will never be more thankful that I had this chance to HK and that I took it.
Well, enough of me being sappy (I am sure that will happen so much more in the next two months) for now.
A few weeks back, I was talking to a friend from America and she said "It is going to be so weird when you come back. You are going to be so different." I laughed at the moment and just said "Yeah, I guess I will be." I don't feel any different but I was talking to my friends here about it and we all agreed that this trip has completely changed us.
I spent the past four months living an entirely different life from the one that I have always known. I became a jet-setter and an adventure-seeker. I lost my comfort zone for good and just started to take every single opportunity, even if it seems scary. I rough it now (shocker). I don't care if it is 100 degrees outside and there is no central air. I lived out of the smallest backpack for nine days and definitely could have done more. It's all about the experience.
I have made new friends from around the world and America and I can speak words of Cantonese, Mandarin, German, French and Portuguese. Sometimes I find myself thinking in another language, which is seriously weird.
While I have definitely learned things in classes this past semester, they are honestly things that I could have learned in America. On the first day of classes here, my Human Resources professor gave us one of those cliche papers to fill out--"What do you expect to learn this semester?" and I answered that I wanted to learn about HR in various parts of the world so that I could compare it to America. She responded to my answer and said "HR is HR. What you learn here is exactly the same as around the world." I wasn't happy with her response at the time, but it is true. I have learned the importance of brand imaging and how to calculate RevPar and why understanding consumer behavior/ knowing the customer/human resources is so important. It sounds pretty generic because it is. All my most meaningful learning moments were acquired outside of the classroom.
I am a walking dictionary on Asia. I know about Asian currencies and geography and history and I know so many fun facts (at least I find them to be fun). I can look at an Asian and identify which country they are from.
Today my friends and I spent the whole day at the beach. By the time we left, it had gotten dark outside. I was sitting in the bus on the way home, looking out the window and I saw the oceans and mountains across from me and beautiful little houses and shops lit up by the water. I can't describe how beautiful and peaceful it felt but it hit me in that moment. I love this place. I love Hong Kong more than I ever imagined I would or could. This place changed me. It changed my mindset and it changed my life. I will never forget a second of this experience and it will be with me for my entire life. I am so blessed for having the opportunity and meeting these people. I will never be more thankful that I had this chance to HK and that I took it.
Well, enough of me being sappy (I am sure that will happen so much more in the next two months) for now.