We spent our last days in Bucharest touring the Palace of Parliament and a really cool outdoor museum. As the hours passed the realization of returning to the United States became more and more vivid. One whole semester submerged in a different life. Different friends, different family, different world; yet, there were similarities.

The friends were just as caring as back in the states, my family just as loving, and the world was still connected to the same reality of life. The more I thought about the semester, the more I looked for a purpose. I don’t know why I was able to partake in this Romanian Semester, but I do know it has changed my life forever. Actions are the repercussions of thought, and this semester has indeed changed my thought.

I have learned about the Eastern Orthodox Church, Experiential Education in school and in the community, Romanian Language History and Culture, and finally Sustainable Development. All of these classes have pushed me to new realizations which have brought about new responsibilities to the different communities surrounding me.

All of these new thoughts help create a better, more well rounded, education; but more importantly then the education, is the life experience. I lived in Romania! I lived with a family and shared that life; I walked down the Romanian streets and talked (very poorly) to the men and woman I met. The Romanian semester does teach you important scholastic information, but the true jewel of the program is living the Romanian life.

The Romanian semester will always be apart of my life, and there is nothing I can do to change that. I know I will return someday, and I know I will never forget the adventures, the faces, the love I found. To close I want to quote a famous C.S. Lewis book; “Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king queen in Narnia.” The Romania Semester Abroad will always be part of my life no matter where I travel, no matter how my thoughts change, I will always have this experience to remember.