One must live it to truly appreciate it
My dream was always to live in the UK, and I can say I've achieved it!!! I'm living my dream of living here while studying for a master's degree. It's something I never imagined would happen, but dreams do exist, and here I am, writing these lines from my room in Edinburgh.
Studying a master's degree here is an inexplicable experience; one must live it to truly appreciate it. My words aren't enough to express everything I've experienced. Time flew by; you experience so many things that time is lost. My academic life was incredible. I really enjoyed going to classes, meeting people from all over the world, people with specific dreams and goals, all of whom met in the same classroom. I met a Spanish girl who's been living here for 10 years, an Englishman who came with his girlfriend and both studied for a master's degree, a girl from India, a girl from Turkey who just moved to Edinburgh from Manchester, and a girl who's half Greek and half Scottish. In short, we all came from different countries with different backgrounds and stories, and we found ourselves on this path. Life brought us together, and wow, I can't believe we're about to graduate!
Regardless of your academic achievements, you learn a lot as a person. You discover parts of yourself you didn't know existed. You learn to be strong, capable, and brave. But above all, you mature in a way that wouldn't happen if you stayed in your own country. It's a way of seeing life differently, of opening your mind and heart.
Sometimes the distance can feel overwhelming, but in truth, thanks to technology, this distance is greatly shortened. You'll miss the hugs and cuddles of family and friends, but a video call resets everything.
What I like about traveling and this experience is that you learn about other cultures, a different mentality, and a completely different pace of life. Everything is different, but after a while, it becomes familiar. You're no longer a stranger, you're part of the place. You no longer feel like a visitor, you're moving around like a resident.
Obviously, I'll take with me all the academic lessons, but the life lessons will stay with me forever. Every time I experienced something extraordinary, I thought, "I'm going to tell my children about this," and that excited me even more. I'm living experiences that I'll tell my children as bedtime stories.
What would I have liked to have known before arriving? Oddly enough, nothing. I love the adventure of the unknown and learning about what I didn't know and now know.
- Maria Fernanda