Ever since I have come back to the States, people have been asking about how my experience abroad was. It is almost like every time I am asked, my brain plays a 10 second fast flashback montage of everything that went well in Prague. Instead of telling them about the montage in my head, I usually answer with it was good. Now I have disappointed the person expecting an amazing well thought out answer. I wish I could tell them more, but I feel awkward doing so. My relationship with those 2 months is special, and something I want to keep just to myself. That maybe selfish. I would like to tell them it felt like I entered a portal and found myself back in my hometown. Something that did not really happen, and I can just chalk it up to a dream that I had one night. My hometown has the same houses, my friends have the same names, and the same potholes line the street. What has changed the most is myself. I have more freckles on my nose, my hair has gotten lighter, and my skin tanner. Well, my bank account has no money left either, but every penny was spent well. My heart is healed and I have found a new beauty in myself that I did not know before.

I hope every single second, every single person’s name I have met, and every single step I took has been saved in my long-term memory, the part of my brain. I remember learning in my high school anatomy class (because I had ambitions to be a nurse at the time), my teacher said that you need sleep for information to be properly processed into the hippocampus (memory). My wish of everything being saved may not come true, due to the lack of sleep.

I am so lucky and forever grateful to have a summer filled with nights lit by orange street lights. My week days filled with learning more about where I want to do career-wise and improving my own skills. My weekends filled with exploring new cities, and my only stressor of not having enough sunscreen when I am out in the sun all day. When I flew to Europe, with tears in my eyes due to missing my family and friends I would have never thought on the way back I would be crying because I want to stay in Prague.

As I adjusted my life back to America, I realized how much I missed out on the American Summer. Being away for the summer allowed me to appreciate my hometown and also created a fear of the future to leave my hometown. There is nothing like an American Summer outside the city and being an hour and a half from the beach. What I missed the most was the sunsets of orange, pink, and blue are reflected on translucent clouds. Driving on a road as the car reflects orange from the sunset. I missed the Pennsylvanian humidity choking you and making you profusely sweat anytime you step out of the house. It feels like entering a hot yoga class anytime you want to do something outside. I missed eating ice cream with your friends next to the bay, talking about what our future wedding flowers will be. I missed the streets being filled with people wearing backwards baseball caps and shorts that are too short. I missed the random smiles you will get from strangers because it is embedded in the culture.

I really had the best summer of my life.