Europe throws us cell-phone crazed millennials into a time warp as we turn our data off and have to rely on our phones
for emergencies only, something we're far from used to back in the United States. The first couple days of the trip I'd find myself reaching for my phone to check a game score or scroll Twitter, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the not-so-forgiving "unable to load" notification.
As much as we joke about the connection to our phones, the opportunity to remove ourselves from the cloud and focus on one another has taught me so much about the importance of presence. Being present in every conversation, activity and experience we're thrown into has quickly created a sense of family surrounding this study abroad.
I look to the people around me and feel thankful to know them and understand that they are going to be changing my outlook on the world for far longer than five weeks in Europe. Cheesy, I know, but for so long I have surrounded myself with very similar types of people. Roommates, coworkers, friends from school ... While I love them all and can't imagine life without them, this is a very different experience that I know will strengthen my ability to quickly build relationships, something I hope to carry with me when I move to Los Angeles in August.
A quiet hum carries over our living room as we return to our apartment and connect to wifi, but, when I look up at each person, I can see so much more than a face scrolling Instagram. Presence is key in everything you do in life. Shut the phone off, put it away and look to the ones around you, for they could change your life in a matter of Instagram scrolls.
for emergencies only, something we're far from used to back in the United States. The first couple days of the trip I'd find myself reaching for my phone to check a game score or scroll Twitter, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the not-so-forgiving "unable to load" notification.
As much as we joke about the connection to our phones, the opportunity to remove ourselves from the cloud and focus on one another has taught me so much about the importance of presence. Being present in every conversation, activity and experience we're thrown into has quickly created a sense of family surrounding this study abroad.
I look to the people around me and feel thankful to know them and understand that they are going to be changing my outlook on the world for far longer than five weeks in Europe. Cheesy, I know, but for so long I have surrounded myself with very similar types of people. Roommates, coworkers, friends from school ... While I love them all and can't imagine life without them, this is a very different experience that I know will strengthen my ability to quickly build relationships, something I hope to carry with me when I move to Los Angeles in August.
A quiet hum carries over our living room as we return to our apartment and connect to wifi, but, when I look up at each person, I can see so much more than a face scrolling Instagram. Presence is key in everything you do in life. Shut the phone off, put it away and look to the ones around you, for they could change your life in a matter of Instagram scrolls.