Worlds Away from Home

Well, I guess this is goodbye. In a few hours I will be on a plane that is bound for Germany, then I'll be on a plane to fly back to Illinois. As I leave this great city I have much to take away from it. My three months here have been short but it has been a great learning experience for me.
My life I've always have sheltered myself, being inexperienced on how to live my life and what choices to make. Being in Moscow has changed that: it has made me want to do things that I want to do, not that someone else wants to do and I just roll along with it. This trip has taught me, more than anything, that I need to live my life for myself; not for anyone else.
I am interested to see how my family and friends will react to me being abroad for such an extended period of time, I am also excited to analyze how different American culture is from the Russian culture. I have been exposed to American life my entire existence, but I've never acknowledged the sort of qwerks that Americans possess. What I see may not be what I want to see and understand, but it's a learning experience that we all must acknowledge.
My biggest lesson on this study abroad: there are worlds elsewhere. America isn't the center of the world, a state isn't where you have to be raised and die in. There is more out there than just a land with imaginary borders that keep us confined in a non-existent bubble. More people, more cultures, more lifestyles exist all over the 510.1 million km² of area that covers Earth. We have the possibility to explore those different places and experiences through programs such as study abroad, which I have been so thankful to be apart of, along with other ways of traveling and different programs.
I would suggest to everyone: travel. Travel when you can and are able to, it's an opportunity that doesn't come along everyday like the daily newspaper. And I'm not talking about traveling to a different state, I'm talking about traveling to a different country! People breath and eat and sleep all over the world; they have history deeper than the United States. We shouldn't ignore such wondrous places away from home.
My time in Russia is up. Maybe I'll come back, I wouldn't mind visiting as a tourist. That would be fun. I'll let everyone know when I get back to American soil. See you soon!