As
my time here comes to a close I look at the approaching week. With
papers, exams, and the stress of traveling with my massive load of
luggage I cant help but feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.
The pressure to succeed never fails to amaze me and It always tends to
put me in my place.
With the pressure and the term coming closer and
closer to the end one thing is a constant in my mind. These words were
brought to my attention recently by someone I have grown very close to
this term. Just three simple words: Keep Moving Forward.
No matter the
battle or the pressure the world put on you simply keep your head up and
keep moving forward. Its okay to freak out. Its okay to have a melt
down. Trust me I know I've been there many times (just ask my mom). The
point is that we have to get up and keep moving forward. The world
doesn't stop for us so why should we stop for it. The pain you are
feeling now will eventually go away. Everything takes hard work and
time.
This trip didn't come easy to me. It took a strong desire to see
the world and not taking no for an answer. I never gave up on it even
when people told me that there was a good chance it wouldn't happen. I
had to prepare for what ever came my way, but then like a dream I got
everything I had prayed for.
Words can not express how grateful I am for
this trip. It has given me a new found freedom. The courage to say the
things that need to be said in the moment they need to be said. The
freedom know that you can survive thousands of miles away from your
family. It gives you a new sense of freedom knowing that you have seen a
part of the world only people can only dream of going. It has lit a
fire under me. A fire to do things that I thought I wasn't capable of
doing, but this trip has thought me that I'm capable of doing whatever I
set my mind to.
Nothing in this world can stop me from following hard
after my dreams. I refuse to fail. i know that I will stumble or get
lost along the way, but that is bound to happen. Everything that happens
in this life happens for a reason, and all of it eventually leads you
to your goal. Don't ever lose sight of your dreams. GET LOST if you have
to. Its the journey back that is the story worth telling. You truly
find yourself when you lose yourself. This trip has changed me forever.
I'm so grateful for the chance to see a little part of this big
beautiful world. This truly was the trip of lifetime.
Photo:http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/b3/ce/eb/b3ceeb121ab8486485a30202429ef5d6.jpg
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Read more from Madison at http://travelsofawonderingstudent.weebly.com/blog
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
