Ordinary Moments - Powerful Revelations

I had one of those moments today, where I was able to just revel in where I was as who I am right now. As a human being, I often take for granted the blessings that I have been given. However, today as I stood on the roof of Oslo’s Opera House and looked out on the beautiful city that I have found myself in, I was taken aback by the simplicity of the moment. There were not large monuments standing out, big lights, or fancy buildings; rather a simple white building which had been built in a way that accentuated the aesthetics of its surroundings. Rain trickled down slowly, and I found myself lost in a moment; a moment which stamped Oslo on my heart forever. You see, traveling, like all things in life, is often challenging. We find ourselves in situations which stretch and challenge our minds, pushing us out of our comfort zone and into something new. Now, those nostalgic moments like the one I experienced today come in many different ways and vary from person to person, but the effect it has is often very similar, and those situations are often the ones that shape us when we return to our home countries. No matter how many times I study abroad, I will never grow accustomed to how much changes by the time I return ‘home’.

The nostalgia I experience today made me hyper aware of how thankful I am for my experience in London for so many reasons; but one of the main reasons is because I have experienced being abroad in a completely different light. Rather than falling in love with the people in a place, I fell in love with the city of London itself. That is not to say that the people I met along the way did not have a huge impact on my time abroad, but when I left I was not crying the same way I cried when I got on the plane to head back to Texas after my year in Belgium. It was not crying for people and the relationships that I had built that would change with time, I was crying because the city, London, had molded and formed itself in my heart in ways that I had never experienced before. Having lived in different cities and having relationships with people around the world, there are pieces of my heart in every corner of the world. However, London had been home for two months and it somehow felt more like home than anywhere else in the world. I heard somebody mention the other day that London is home to more than 300 nationalities, and the reason so many people are able to call London home is because of its diversity. I was welcomed and loved so well by everyone that I came into contact with, and it was absolutely life changing. For the first time since I left for Belgium, I felt like I was becoming what I was made to be, and the growth that came from that is priceless.

I hope to return a changed person, one that approaches everyday with joy and hope, and looks at every situation as an opportunity to learn. More than anything though, I hope to never lose my sense of wonder and that I am able to appreciate every second of everyday, regardless of where I stand in the world. 

Internship Update

First weekend in London!

Just under two months have passed since I stepped off the plane to begin my next journey. I arrived with the expectation that I would grow in my understanding of business abroad, broaden my network, and enhance my cultural understanding. However, I have done so much more than just worked during my time abroad. As with any experience abroad, I have lived life here. It is not simply just a vacation or a break from reality, it is my reality. With that being said, I now have one more day at my internship, and I wanted to provide you with a brief overview of my internship abroad.

The Hounslow Chamber of Commerce has put on many smaller networking events including the Chiswick Park Business Breakfast, Hounslow Business Lunch, Business Breakfast at the Bulldog (which has amazing English breakfast), and the Chiswick Business Lunch in my time here, as well as bigger events like the Summer Celebration where we had upwards of eighty people, and the International Trade Summit where SMEs gathered to hear from trade experts. I had the opportunity to help administrate and run the events mentioned above, as well as partake in networking with attendees. 

As I reflect over the past two months, I am made aware of the growth that has taken place in me. As I mentioned above, I am more confident in professional settings, but more than that, I am aware of the importance that relationships bring to the business world. I have become more prone to asking those I work with for advice and guidance as I prepare to embark on the journey ahead of me, and I have been met with encouragement and honesty from those that I have asked. They have approached me with a willingness to teach, but also a willingness to learn from my own experiences and opinions. However, with willingness comes accountability and authenticity as I continue to strengthen the relationships that I have built. Business, in its nature, is very driven and purposeful, however the people that conduct the business, are often just as prone to engaging in life events with the people around them as they are with other non-related companies and people. 

My boss has spoken often of generational gaps. He has observed the difference as two things; strategists and techies. Strategists plan the path that a company or business will take, and techies find more productive and innovative ways to achieve the same end goal. Stephen is working closely with businesses in the surrounding boroughs to bring forth opportunities for strategists and techies to work together to achieve an end goal, and has in turn created a sort of productivity that could not have otherwise been achieved.

While I cannot say that my internship will directly impact my major, however I will say that my experience here has enriched my knowledge and growth as a young adult and future businesswoman. I truly feel as though I am able to walk into any professional setting with confidence, and I hope that I will one day be able to return to England to do business as a permanent resident in the UK. I also hope to be able to use the connections I have made on the journey to project my career abroad and to continue building upon the ground work that I have laid and the relationships that I have made during my time here. I might not have learned what I thought I needed to learn, but I have no doubt that what I did learned is a step forward in my journey.

Sally Smith, Stephen Fry, and I at one of the Chamber meet ups

A view from my daily commute to work

Independence Day with the Chamber at Jackson + Rye

London Bound

Two years have passed since I left Belgium at the end of my exchange year, but the travel bug has kept a strong grip on my heart. Today, I have found myself headed on my next adventure abroad to London, England. For the next two months, I will be interning at a Chamber of Commerce near London where I will be working closely with a number of the surrounding businesses. One of my focus’ through this internship will be to gain a better understanding on the international workplace, and to expand my knowledge and understanding of international businesses. I believe that this is something that can only be learned with experience, and I look forward to gaining a hands-on experience with international business. With that being said, I would like to shed a little light on what the past two years have looked like since I last wrote to you all.

After I got back from studying abroad, I attended South Plains College, a community college near my home-town in Texas. I studied general business, worked a few jobs, and attempted to adapt back to life in Texas. After a lot of soul searching and asking myself what I wanted to do with my life, I decided to move up to Seattle, Washington to attend school in pursuit of a degree in International Business and Economics. I have just finished my first year in Seattle, and look forward to studying in Washington for another two-years in order to finish out my undergrad before entering the workforce and/or attending grad school.

As I write this, I am currently sitting on a plane reflecting on a few of the most pivotal years of my life and I am finding myself reminded of the people in my life that have impacted and pushed me to be who I am today. My goals and aspirations have changed a lot over the past few years, but my love of travel and different cultures has remained prominent. I have also been lucky enough to learn the value that comes with change and to enjoy being pushed out of my comfort zone. I have found comfort in knowing that life is always changing and evolving into something new.

The main purpose of this blog will be to let my friends, family, and readers of where in the world I am and what I am learning at any given time, however I recognize that with life changes also come goal changes, so it will be changing with me as I learn and grow more throughout my travels. As I mentioned earlier, traveling is one way of pushing people out of their comfort zones, but what most people don’t realize is that it comes with many ups and downs just like normal life. When your comfort zone is no longer a part of your daily life, growth and development accelerates, and that is what is so invigorating and enjoyable about traveling, and why I cannot stop my heart from wondering what else is out there. With that being said, I look forward to taking you on this amazing journey with me!  

Bisous,

Kaitlyn

The Final Countdown - 24 Hours

24 hours left... What a crazy realization. The thought of having spent 337 days in Belgium. The thought of leaving my friends and families here. It's all rather overwhelming....

Over the past 48 weeks I have adapted and molded into the culture around me. So I'm going to give a run down on what I've learned during my year abroad:

• It's ok to stand out

• Say what's on your mind and speak up. If you don't, you'll never be able to stand up for yourself

• It's ok to be silent as well

• Family is the most important 

• People aren't who you think they are

• Not everybody is for you. Not everybody wants to see you succeed 

• "Those people" are everywhere 

• My mom was right

• So was my dad... (but shhh don't tell them)

• Friends come and go

• Nobody's cooking compares to Granny's cookin'

• It's ok to move on

• Life is beautiful no matter what the situation

So the time has come, my bags are packed, and my heart is breaking for the second time. 

Timeless

Seeing family makes time realistic. It puts into perspective the change, and the rapidity of life. It is hard, and lovely - all at the same time.

Spending three days with my cousins in Amsterdam was one of the most amusing and incredible experiences, however my favorite part of the trip was being able to show my family "my country" here in Belgium. I was shocked at the beginning when my cousin gave me a hug - I didn't know what to do! After 10 months of bisous (cheek kisses), I had forgotten that Americans hug after not seeing each other for awhile... Needless to say, hugs were rather awkward and weird at the beginning, but I readapted haha! It was also really odd saying goodbye... It became an overwhelming reality that I have 34 days left before I am emersed into a society that I don't know anymore. 

I've tried to find the words to explain my exchange for a while now, but have been unsuccessful. How can somebody explain a whole year of learning and living life, in words? No matter what the language is, I don't know if it's possible. There are no words to describe my year. Difficult, fantastic, adventurous, overwhelming, lovely, eye-opening, confrontational, and incredible are just a few words that only begin to describe the feelings that have been felt and the life that has been lived on this journey. But what even makes this year different than a normal year? The fact that I became fluent in a foreign language? Or that I now have a family of exchange students on every continent of the world? Isn't that possible back in the U.S.? Yes. Of course it is. I didn't have to come on exchange to meet people from around the world, grow a family in Belgium, or learn a different language. But I did have to come here to have experienced the pain and happiness that comes from that accomplishment. People have this idea that exchange is easy, like a walk in the park. Yet those people have never lived through the lonely nights of not speaking or understanding any language, and the anguish of not knowing who you are for months on end. They've never felt the happiness that comes from finally being able to be a part of a group conversation in a different language or accurately communicating tore than just "I would like", or "I'm tired". It's the feeling of accomplishment. It's the feeling of pursuit. It's the feeling of grace. I've learned the feeling of regret and loss, and I've learned the meaning of family.  

As I've lived my life for a year abroad, I have found my faith tested beyond what it's been tested before. I've walked on the waters like Peter, doubting that Jesus would keep me afloat, and fallen under the waves multiple times. However I have found that Jesus is much more substantial than I ever could've imagined before. There are many days of silence and loneliness, however I've seen the Lords faithfulness more than ever. I have learned that it's not always best to listen to your heart because listening to your heart means listening to sin. Keeping faith is one of the biggest struggles of exchange, but I have found that it is worth the fight. I'm excited to see where the Lord takes me on our next adventure together and who He brings into my path next. 

As July 20th approaches, I begin to appreciate the little things more often. Picking cherries with my host family, listening to my host brother sing and dance to every song known to man, walking to the waffle shop after eating pitas every Wednesday, sitting through class with my Belgian friends, learning how to cook from my host mom, taking the train one hour to the capital of Europe, learning words in every language from my multicultural family, and Thursday night meetings with Rotary are going to be just a few of the things that I will miss the most... I have begun to wonder; how will I be able to go back to the way things were before? The answer is, I won't. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have grown and learned more in a year than I could've in four years at college. I love every tear shed out of frustration or exhaustion. I learned so much at every lunch I had during school, some silent and some full of laughter. I'm thankful for the ability to express myself in multiple languages. For the moments of peace with my family after dinner. For the shock that crosses my Belgian friends face as I speak quickly in English, even though they speak that fast with me in French. I couldn't imagine my life now had I not come to Belgium, and every person I have run across on my exchange has made a difference. 

Alors pour vous qui lissez en français, je suppose que vous êtes mes amis belges. Je veux dire encore merci pour tous que vous avez fait pour moi. Vous avez eu une grande impact sur moi, et je vous aime. 

You build a life for 18 years and you leave it for 11 months. You build a life for 11 months and you leave it forever. Which one is harder? 

Halfway?

Five months ago today I got on a plane to leave everything I'd ever known and loved, and come to a country that I knew little about and understood even less with people I'd never met. If you had asked me that day who I would be five months later, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. I would never have been able to imagine what I've experienced, the adventures I've been on, and everything that I've learned about myself, the language, and this culture. Over the past week I have been preparing for my presentation of Texas and I'm not gonna lie, it makes me a little home sick when I explain where I come from to my peers. But when I stop to actually think about it, I realize that I wouldn't be happy back home right now. That when I go back, it's going to be there hardest thing I've ever done. And that when I go back, a part of my heart will stay here and I will never again be the person I was before. It makes me wonder, "will I be able to be friends with the same people?" "Will I do the same things?" "Will I ever be able to explain who I am now?" They're impossible questions to answer, but I've found myself almost panicking when I think about the day I go back. Yes there are still six months left, but I'm almost half way through my exchange, and things will never be the same again. Will I loose the language? Will I be able to keep in contact with my family and friends here? Will I ever see my exchange friends again? These questions keep me up at night, and I can't help but wish my year didn't have to end. As I watched my Oldie go through security to return to Australia, it hit me that things change so fast and opportunities are lost when you aren't paying attention. I've also realized that so many opportunities are passed up when we get caught up in the past. The first two months all I could think about was home and how much I missed this or that, but once I got a grasp on the language time flew by. School is still ridiculously hard and I'm still learning things about myself everyday, but I'm realizing now more than ever how valuable this year is, how much I've already learned, and how much more I'm going to learn. Thank you all for your love and support, and thank you for showing me what truly matters in life. When the day comes for me to get on that airplane and come home, I will be leaving my old self here and coming home a new person, I will be leaving everything that has shaped me into who I am now, and I will have to figure out who I am back in Texas. No matter how hard it is to leave amazing Belgium, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. 

December in a Box

This month has been full of uncomfortable situations and growth. As I look back over December, I can literally see a transformation: one that makes me wonder who I will be by the end of my exchange. December went from hard, to blessed, to even harder, to even more blessed. Here's why:

At outbound camp they warned us that the holidays and birthdays are the hardest times of your exchange (except coming and leaving) and that after Christmas things get so much better and time flies. As I experienced both my birthday and Christmas this month, I realized that what they said couldn't be more true. As my birthday got closer, all I could think about was the traditions that would be broken with my family - the hardest was not being with my grandma. The day of my birthday came along and it ended up being one of the most memorable days I've had in Belgium. Starting out with praising the Lord at my church, having 40+ people sing happy birthday in French to me, and ending with my family and friends at my host families house for hot dogs and cake (teremisue is my favorite and my host moms the best cook). I found my heart overflowing with all the blessings that were poured over me that day. I found myself comfortable. 

A week later I went bowling with my friends for my birthday and in the midst of it all, I found out that my dog had to be put down. As I sat on the other side of the bowling alley talking to my dog and realizing that she didn't even remember my voice, I broke. I got hit, in an instant, with a massive wall of homesickness. One that left me sobbing in front of everyone I love and care about here. I thank the Lord that my friends were there to comfort and hug me in that moment, to carry me when I couldn't carry myself, because I wouldn't have been able to pull myself out of the homesickness I had begun to drown in without them. 

That day started one of the hardest seasons of my exchange, but also the season that led to the greatest breakthrough. I found myself longing to be home, unable to enjoy what was right in front of me. I longed to be hugged by my mom, watch my dad as he worked, cook macaroni with my grandma, and go to Starbucks with my friends. I longed for the comfort that my heart had grown up with. I longed to get in my car and just drive with the music blaring. But I also realized that in all of that, there was also the beauty of the unknown. I had to fight daily to keep trying to converse with my friends and family here, to keep putting myself out there, and to not let myself fall too far. I relied on the Lords strength so completely in that time. But I also found myself walking into one of the roughest patches with the Lord in that time. I found Him silent, and it killed me. If there is anything that made that time the hardest, it would be that. I felt guilty because I couldn't hear the Lord. I felt like I had failed in the only thing that really mattered; my relationship with the Lord. I fell into temptation, went through the motions, and shut my heart down. It wasn't until I had verbally confessed everything that had been burdening my heart to my bestfriend that I felt the Lord speak again. And praise the Lord because He did speak! Boldly! Endlessly! And everything changed. 

The 24th I went with my family to celebrate with my host moms side of the family. I got to experience my family in a way that I hadn't before. I was able to partake in traditions, see them in ways I'd never seen before, and spend my first Christmas with a real family. One that had accepted me though my failures and awful French. One that had taught me and walked with me through some of the hardest times of my life. 

The 25th we celebrated with my host dads side of the family. I was able to (successfully) stay away and talk to everyone there. Ironically, we ate the same thing at both Christmas' but It was good. I managed to not miss anything about Texas except for my favorite Christmas dish (cheesy potato casserole). My heart was full. I had successfully survived my first Christmas away from my parents. Not only had I survived, but I had thrived (with a few glitches here and there).

I think in a way, experiencing such an amazing Christmas here made me slightly scared for what the next one will be like. One where it's just me and my little family. One where the brokenness is brutally honest. But experiencing that also gave me hope. Hope that family is true, is real. That it's not just a myth. So if there is one thing that I have learned over the past month, it's that family is true. 

Today is New Year's Eve and I'll be spending it with my friends from church, dancing the night away, New Years I'll be with my host family, Rotary is going to Bruge on the 2nd, and I change to my second host family on the 4th. Where did the time go? Life's about to fly. 

I pray the Lord blessed and watches each and every one of you as you go through the next month. 

Until next time,

KP