For all these lessons learned and more, my time in Brussels has been an amazing learning and growing experience. Of course, I've learned about local life here and the other places that I've visited. I've engaged with new cultures and languages, which I've learned over time and felt more at home for it. These have been more concrete areas of growth. Speaking more abstractly, I think the change and growth have been more subtle. I was reflecting on this recently during a conversation with my mom, and I remember telling her that there's something - some change - there. It just all feels subtle, and I think that it's something my parents observed when they visited, too. From moving to California after college and feeling more lonely out there away from family and friends to moving to Europe where I've made an active effort to stay in touch with the people who make any space feel like home, I feel more confident now and more easily at home in unfamiliar spaces. I'm excited to take this mindset to Berlin during the next period of transition, but until then, I'm headed home to Memphis, TN for the holidays! Some time at home sounds good before I embark on the next six months of my Fulbright grant in Europe.
