Surprise! The end of my adventures

Surprise, I'm home early!! After much back and forth about deciding whether or not to change my ticket to an earlier date, due to being kicked out of my apartment earlier than expected, my parents and I decided to go for it! I was so pleased about going home the 19th instead of my original date of the 26th--after all, it had been an amazing time but I also felt, since my travels were ended, papers turned in, and many friends already left, it was time for me to leave Sunderland and Clanny House.

Unfortunately, the 19th was just not in the cards!! The day before England was hit with some SERIOUS winter storms and crazy weather, and it looked doubtful that I would fly...and, lo and behold, I didn't! Instead, I spent the 19th doing some serious retail therapy with my dear friend Eike :)
Well, with the 19th knocked out of the equation I tried again for the 20th. All systems go! I was greeted at 4 am by my lovely, caring flat mates who all stayed up and said goodbye :) I was really touched by all the good byes I got that morning and the night before...you never know how much your connections with people matter until you're ready to leave! I took the 4am taxi and then smoothly made my Newcastle to London flight.
 Little did I know how much of a MESS Heathrow would be!! I was greeted by the announcement of the cancellation of my connecting flight. Ah well, I got in line and waited my 3.5 hour wait to rebook my flight...only to be told that Baltimore flights were being cancelled right and left, and the only flights to the East Coast were going to Dulles. Whatever, I decided I'd take it. After a few pricey calls home and some serious back-patting (the girl behind me in line was sobbing about the cancellation of her flight to Paris), I had a one-hour wait to see if my Dulles flight would actually fly out and a bunch of free food provided by British Airways. One thing I can say, they were the kindest, calmest people amidst chaos. I give them five stars. :)

After meeting some really interesting people in the airport, I finally boarded the plane....only to have them close up the plane, start the motor...and then turn it back off and tell us that there was an indeterminable wait ahead to de-ice the plane.
Okay, cool.
By now I knew better than to think that I was going anywhere, anyway.

At this point, in all honesty, I didn't even care. I was just so relieved that we were (eventually) really going, that I sat back and watched the entirety of Anna Karenina before takeoff.

So, after about a 30 hour day...I ARRIVED HOME! Thrilled and exhausted, and at the end of my European adventures. About which I have a few things to say.

Studying abroad teaches you a lot....about life, about other people, about the world and other cultures, and about yourself. I've got a little list of just a few things I learned:
1) Always, always, ALWAYS, be generous and kind. With anything.
2) There are many, many ways to have a successful life--and success is determined by the happiness of the person who lives it, not by your standards or anyone else's
3) There are many ways to God, and those from whom you expect the least may teach you the most.
4) Be humble. You don't know everything. And don't judge everyone by your standards: they're YOURS for a reason.
5) Be open-minded and always be critical of what you think you know.
6) Be glad of what you've been blessed with, but don't keep it to yourself: share it.
7) Living smaller/simpler often feels better. Do you really need that? Perspective is key.
8) Resilience, and inner happiness and contentment with yourself is something that no one else can give you--and which make you a strong, happy person anywhere and in any situation.
9) BE FLEXIBLE-if something goes wrong....should it really upset you?
10) Above all, live life to the fullest, try (almost) everything and anything, and soak it all in. Life is too short to not completely live it-and it's beautiful, terrible and crazy!

Thanks to everyone who made my trip possible, who encouraged me, kept in touch with me, or thought of me from afar :) And thanks above all to the people who made my experience amazing--even some people who I only met for a moment. You made these experiences worthwhile: some of you I know I will see again one day, and some I know I will be friends with for the rest of my life. :)