Hello again! My name is Rhoslyn, and I participated in the Plus3 trip to The Netherlands where we traveled to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, as well as many cities in between. I had many new experiences throughout this opportunity, and I think my biggest “aha” moment was that I didn’t really have one.

Now, this is not to say that I experienced no differences in the culture or that I perfectly integrated myself, as I most certainly did not. There were natural struggles with being in a new country and not knowing the language. However, what I mean to say is that there is so much buildup and anticipation of some major culture shock and feeling like you are in a whole new world that I think I missed it entirely.

While I never noticed a major “aha” moment, there were many instances, often when I was taking a picture, where for a brief second I thought “Wow, I am in a different country”. Now I could not explain to you exactly why these were the realization moments, but maybe it was because I realized I was documenting my memories for the future. And yet, in such a small act I was able to snap myself out of the daze I was in.

I have dreamed of going to Europe for so many years, and finally, that dream was my reality. I think this partially played a role, as I could not believe that I was finally here and never found myself pausing to snap myself back into reality. I do not mean that I was not present for this opportunity, as I soaked in every moment that I could. But a part of me, as I said, just did not believe that I was across the world in a country I had only ever imagined myself visiting.

I think this says something about our society, that we often live inside of our heads instead of our realities. What I mean by this is that we have preconceived notions about the world and our surroundings, and sometimes, it is hard to break free from the expectations that come along with that. With this opportunity, there were so many things that I anticipated and planned on experiencing, and while I did for most of them, I think I may have missed out on more spontaneous adventures that would have presented themselves had I just let it happen.

In this sense, I think that this opportunity has been more educational than just the information we gained regarding sustainability. It has taught me to be more present in my surroundings and to allow for natural moments to occur instead of planning every second. This, especially, is hard for my brain to grasp as I have always been an avid planner. But in allowing time to breathe and experience the unknown, I think my future endeavors will be that much more meaningful and well-rounded.