As I am writing this, currently it’s April 22, and we have just about a month left on Aardvark. It’s a crazy thought that soon enough I’ll be on a plane to go home, and I’ll be saying goodbye to all the friends that have become a family to me so quickly. Before I came on Aardvark, I read people’s great experiences, and while I knew I would have a great time, I didn’t realize how much of an impact this program would have on me.
When I started in January, I seriously needed help with everything. Even at 21 years old, and having two years of college under my belt, I still struggle with figuring things out sometimes because well, I’m still growing. For the first month, I couldn’t figure out the bus. No one came and took the bus with me, they shouldn’t have, I had to do it myself. After being so frustrated, I finally figured it out one day. After that, I never needed help with it again, and I actually was so proud of myself!
This is just one of many examples of how I’ve grown. I feel that being taken away from everyone I know and being placed in a new environment has only made me a stronger and more mature person. I also need to mention the fact that I’ve lived with 8 girls this entire semester! I am used to living with one other person from college, but this was a new experience with its challenges! This has made me grow so much as well. We also have mandatory meetings each week where the apartment is checked for cleanliness and this has made me be held accountable.
The lessons I’ve learned in this just short amount of time have really changed me as a person for the better. I will always remember my experiences here and I have friends for life, but more than that, it’s time to go home and apply everything I’ve learned.
