It’s the home stretch of Spring 2017, and as our ADALife bloggers prepare to head back to the USA, they are reflecting this week on what they will miss about life abroad and at the ADA. Check out what Elena and Mekala have to say!

Elena Morris: Physical Theatre, Boston University MA

I think that one of the things that I will miss most about living abroad is the communal living style of the villa. I appreciate that the students have a role in keeping the villa running smoothly, so that we all pull our own weight. Living under the same roof with forty other people and attending classes in the same building is difficult, but I think that it’s teaching me how I can take care of myself while still being a kind person and housemate to others. It’s special to know that this program is the only time that these specific people will all be living together at the same time, so as we finish the semester, I feel like I just want to soak up each moment of community that we have left.

Mekala Sridhar: Physical Theatre, Sarah Lawrence University NY

Coming from the American culture of always looking ahead and rushing forward, I know I often forget to be present and enjoy the moment. Sometimes I find my mind wandering off to a million different things, none of which have anything to do with what I’m doing at that time. But here, because of the sheer beauty of everything around me, I find it so much easier, and even necessary, to take in and appreciate everything fully without being consumed by thinking about the future. The ease of this is something I’ll miss a lot about living here, but I also know that it’s a shift in perspective that I’ve learned from my time here, and it’s something that I can take with me no matter where I go.