Something new with the same ole'(well matured) me

Something new with the same ole’ (well matured) me
At the beginning of The Art of Travel by Alain De Bottom, he deeply describes every moment and feeling he has travelling abroad. Towards the end of chapter, he has already arrived at his destination and his feelings are now in complete control of his mind. He makes the statement on page 20, “A momentous but until then overlooked fact was making its first appearance: that I had inadvertently brought myself with me to the island. It is easy to forget ourselves when we contemplate pictorial and verbal descriptions of places. At home, as my eyes had panned over photographs of Barbados, there were no reminders that those eyes were intimately tied to a body and mind which would travel with me wherever I went and that might, over time, assert their presence in ways that would threaten or even negate the purpose of what the eyes had come there to see.”

This passage spoke to me because I found myself thinking the exact same thing for weeks. Preparing for my first study abroad trip was stressful. As previously mentioned, I had to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually mature, while entering the “real grown up world” as my dear sister, Loretta Cain would say to me. Back in Maryland, I would research the Chateau and make countless lists of things I wanted to do while I was in Europe, like I was never coming back. I wanted to see it all because chances like this don’t come often. I planned to travel everywhere all in 4 months, visit all of my other friends studying abroad in Europe and make new European and American friends.
 Those that know me well know, I’m very introverted person to new environments. I like to call myself a “slow to warm up “girl, very quiet and observant. Back at WVU, although the school has over 30,000 students I think I could count on all 20 fingers and toes all of the people I would actually have a conversation with without getting nervous or feeling awkward. (But, this does not mean that I don’t “know” a lot of people at WVU) However, when I was making my lists of things I wanted to do and people I wanted to meet, it never crossed my mind that this minor detail of my shyness could get in the way of doing what my mind wanted to do and my eyes wanted to see.  I’m not sure why this is, I guess I was just excited and expected everything to be the same.
Now that I am here in France, I can honestly say that everything is different. I have to come out of my shell and do new things but not just with talking to people but with exploring the food, friendships, location, language, and new churches. (Yes, going to an English speaking- church today for the first time was an experience, but so worth it even if we got lost and arrived late.) I have noticed that a few people also on this trip with me are still in that old world, where high school and other American cities are their highlights.  This mindset could very well “negate the purpose of what the eyes had come there to see”.  I hope that my mental and emotional growth continues to expand so that my body and mind are completely able to enjoy everything in France and not hinder my growth. With this being said, I hope to reach out to other people so that no one on this trip is left behind in this journey, even if it takes me being ignored or rudely spoken about.  I understand that people are different and adjust to new situations uniquely, so with patience and peace within my heart I think I could tackle new friendships, cooking new food, visiting different locations, and learning a new language without a doubt. After praying about the challenges I may face, I think that God has spoken to me and placed the determination within me for a reason and I have to use this gift wisely.  My old quiet self may sneak up on me at times but the new matured me is ready to face everything on this path.