Well
I'm almost halfway through my trip, and a lot of things have happened. I
have found myself settling in perfectly. There are some things that my
time in Arkansas had prepared me for; such as living with 15 people and
sharing a kitchen with them. (I give thanks to living in a sorority
house for two years for that one!) Public transportation is something
that I really had to get used to. I am amazed at how easy it is to take
the bus into town to do your weekly shopping or to take the train to
some far off city for the weekend!
When I left for England I didn't think that I would be spending most of my afternoons in the gym. Fitness is something that I loved in high school, but once I hit college I started going to the gym less and less. I found that I was insecure and loosing my confidence. I lost my love for fitness, and I lost my love for my body. As of a few weeks ago I found that love again. I've only been going to the gym for a couple weeks now, but I can already see results. I find myself happy and bubbly again. I have this new found love for myself,. and I'm growing more and more confident by the day. I just find myself trying to be the best version of me that I can be.
Thanks to the help of a friend at one of my lowest points during this
trip I was able to conquer my insecurities. She had me write down
everything that I loved about my self and why. I have come to find that
your biggest enemy is yourself. As soon as you conquer yourself you can
conquer anything. So now I find myself in the biggest battle of my life.
I'm fighting for myself because I'm worth fighting for. This trip has
opened my eyes and my heart to a new me and I'm loving her! This really
is the trip of a lifetime!
Two
days ago I conquered a fear and I climbed my first tree. This is just
one of the amazing things that are happening this term!
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Read more from Madison at http://travelsofawonderingstudent.weebly.com/blog
To find out more about the Exchange program with University of Essex, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/essex