The Last Post...

December 18, 2009
I thought it would be fitting to end this blog the same way that it started back on September 22—in the Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris. The day today started with catching a bus to the Athens airport at 4 am and we’ve been going non-stop since. Our flight from Athens to Paris was delayed an hour which we thought was actually ok considering we got a free breakfast out of it and it would cut down on our 8 hour layover in Paris. Unfortunately our flight back to the states was delayed 3 hours. Normally, I’d be ticked, but I’ve come to realize these things and the delay was fitting as it has become kind of a theme for the trip….expect the unexpected.
I am insanely sleep deprived, but thought I would drop one last blog post just to wrap things up…
This past week was great. Stressful, but great. Berlin was fantastic and it was great to catch up with Ben and Kristy and just share some great times together. I really am lucky to have people like them in my life and this past weekend was a great reminder of that. Following the Berlin weekend was a few days of finals, shopping, cleaning, and packing. It was really busy, but realizing that it was the end of the trip allowed me to enjoy the everyday things in Athens that I had come to take for granted a little bit. Brad Woodend, one of my best friends from home told me to “drink in the city” the last few days and I tried to do that as we just spent time together with friends in Athens.
Last night (it feels like weeks ago because I haven’t slept in over 24 hours) we went to one last dinner as a group at one of our favorite restaurants with a great view of the Acropolis and shared some memories and laughs that we won’t soon forget. Then a few of us went up to Mars Hill and just hung out one last time with the city of Athens sparkling in the night sky as a perfect backdrop.
I really wish I could find the words to describe this experience as a whole. Overall, it has been phenomenal. Sure, there were some tough times and some days I felt like getting on the next plane home, but I wouldn’t have traded any of these past few months for anything. I really consider myself blessed to have taken part in this semester abroad. I feel that God’s used this semester to teach me so much on so many levels. I’ve learned about God’s faithfulness, His might, His power, and just how amazing the gift of His son Jesus to the entire world is. I’ve learned about myself. I’ve learned about others. And of course, I’ve learned about cultures and the world in general.
I’ve met some great people, made some great friends, and shared some fantastic memories. I feel that I’ve grown personally so much this semester and gained experience that will be very beneficial to me in the future. God really has taught some powerful lessons to me in ways that I never thought I would learn them. It’s crazy to think that just one year ago this time, the thought of studying abroad had never crossed my mind seriously and I never expected to be sitting here, in the Paris airport reflecting on three of the best months of my life.
I was talking to my Dad last night on Skype in preparation for my homecoming and just couldn’t seem to sum up the whole experience. It definitely is a bittersweet feeling. In a way, I can’t wait to return to the places and most of all, the people that I love the most in the world. However, I’ll miss this place. The one way I could summarize this semester is this. I am blessed. I am blessed more than I ever deserve to be and feel fortunate to be put in a situation where I’ve been able to experience and see things that the vast majority of people will never be able to see or experience in their lifetime. For that, I’m so, so grateful.
I’m also thankful for the people that have held me up in prayer the past three months. I know for sure that those tough days would have been much tougher without your support. Thank you. I can’t overstate how grateful I am for you who have supported me from thousands of miles away. You know who you are. My only regret here was not being able to share in these unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences with you.
Well, we are boarding our last flight in about half an hour and I should get ready for that. I hope that this blog was a good way for you to have an idea of what I’ve been up to. I hope that it has been a blessing to you in the same way writing it has been a blessing to me. I hope to be able to share with you in the future in more detail of just how great this time has been. Thanks for reading.
Yasas,
Ryan