Final Reflections

21612 So now that im a few weeks out i have had time to think about the whole trip. life isnt a series of experiences, its the sum of our experiences. and this trip has contributed significantly to the summation of my life. seeing all the different people and places, experiencing all of the different histories and cultures (and foods) was great. and this entire venture was similar enough to my trip last year, and in line with my studies enough to make t all the richer. pointing out similarities, and discussing the contrasts; both throughout the blog, and in class, with the Balkans helped me to better understand the effect of history on both places. the dialogue has cemented my hopes of putting my education to use, in Eastern and Central Europe, just as the region was the focal point for conflict in the last century, i think it will be throughout this century, and i hope to be engaged in the middle of it. on top of all the scholastic stuff i inevitably made friends over the course of the dialogue, and i hope that despite me being done with Northeastern, i hope that some sort of relationship survives between myself and the regulars i hung out with. considering i still, even only 2 weeks out, continue to regularly talk to a handful of them, i think this is a realistic hope.