By shannonfitzz
I have just returned home from two weeks of traveling in Europe and Iceland, and currently sit at my computer with a huge mug of green tea and a snowy view outside my bedroom window in upstate New York. In just a couple of weeks, I will begin my study abroad program in Shanghai, China. Since Chinese Universities do not resume classes until following Chinese New Year in February, I have had an extended winter break, thus providing me with the opportunity to travel a bit before I leave.
I decided to travel to Europe and prior to departing, my future adventures and experiences were largely unknown. I had a one-way ticket to London and plans with a volunteer organization in Greece, but other than that, the future was sort of a black box. I intended to spend a week exploring the city of London prior to heading to Serres, Greece, where I would volunteer with Refugees from Iraq, teaching yoga to women and children. Upon arriving in England, I met up with a friend with whom I was staying, and began ironing out the details of my arrival to Greece. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a mishap with the volunteer organization where I was scheduled to work, and my exciting service plans fell through. Life has a funny way of throwing little curve balls into your world and seeing how you respond- almost like some sort of game set up by the universe to see how you react in different situations. I knew I had to make the best out of my situation. After all, I had never been to England and was excited to be in a new place.
So, I was in London, without much of a plan. As bummed as I was that I couldn't spread my love for yoga to others, I used my time in Europe to explore different experiences and cultures, and to see things I had never seen before. From bustling market places, to ancient Catholic churches, to sacred Buddhist statues, I made it my adventure and task to explore new sights, sounds, peoples, and cultures with the goal of expanding my perspective beyond what it had been when I left New York . From London, I was even able to plan a trip to Iceland on my journey back to the States and experience the magic of this Nordic island country.
Traveling implants such feelings of independence, freedom, and wanderlust within me. While I was gone, I felt that things around me were changing with every passing moment. I would discover what felt like a million new things each day and by the time I went to sleep, I had so many things that I wanted to journal about so that I could remember them for the future. With so much change in my day to day life while I was away, it was almost surprising when I came home to find my life just as I had left it. My books were still stacked on my night stand the way I left them, my yoga mat was still rolled out where it was placed prior to my departure, and my desk was as slightly messy as usual. All of this served to remind me that there is static comfort in one's home base. The way the stairs creek in the night when I carefully tiptoe down them for a midnight snack, the way my dog hops into bed with me when everyone else is asleep, and how the sun peeks out from under my curtains in the morning- these are among the little things that make my home feel so comfortable and familiar each time I return.
What I am doing now is preparing to study abroad for a few months in Shanghai, China and leave all of this behind. I am a part of the Global Bachelor's Program, through which I will be studying abroad three different times in the next two years. In a little bit less than 2 weeks, I will be packed up and headed to China, where I don't speak the language, have never been before, and truthfully don't really know what to expect. I will be leaving my creaky stairs, friendly dog, and white curtains for the unknown mystery of a life China.
I have been asked over and over again something along the lines of "Are you nervous?" or "Aren't you scared to go somewhere so different?". To be honesty, I am not all that nervous or scared for my unknown future. I understand the importance of just accepting the idea that I don't know exactly what will happen in China, and that many factors are out of my hands and therefore not worth losing sleep over. At my core, I know that my experience will be all about going with the flow, giving my 110%, seizing every opportunity that I can, and being resilient. Don't get me wrong, I have done my fair share of "research" and definitely have things that I am looking forward to. I am excited to discover volunteer opportunities in the city, to meet people who will show me how they choose to live their lives, to discover hidden outdoorsy things to do around such a massive city, and of course, to explore different Shanghainese foods. But for now, after an amazing short journey to Europe and Iceland which included so many unknowns, I am just excited for the unknown that lies in my future. In my time abroad, there is no doubt that I will become much more of a Shanghai expert, but until then, you can find me dancing on the brink of an unknown future.