Hello Everyone, I had a great week and I hope you all did as well. I would like to start this week’s post by expressing how happy I am with my decision to study abroad. This has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. Living abroad for a year on my own is much harder than I anticipated but I do not regret a single second of it. This experience has made me more confident in my intellectual capabilities and myself. Before coming to Israel, I was not in love with my International Affairs major and was considering changing it. Studying in Israel has ignited a passion in me for this field of work and I cannot wait to start a career in it. Living first-hand with people who are directly affected by policies that take place on the international stage has inspired me to continue my studies in this field. On Sunday, my Terrorism and Responses class went on a field trip to the Lebanese and Syrian border with Israel. This has been my favorite trip of the semester because it tied everything that we learned in class together and showed us the real-life implications of it. Seeing the United Nations Peacekeeping Tropes was a surreal experience, to say the least. Below I will share some pictures of the borders. Moreover, I have learned to start putting myself first and doing what is best for me. Often, I would take the stress of my friends and their problems and put them on to myself. Once I let this go, I felt free and ready to improve myself. It is important not to surround yourself with people who are constantly filled with drama and negative energies. Instead by surrounding yourself with positive people you will feel uplifted and happy. This is especially important to do while you are abroad because it is easier to get down on yourself when all of your family and friends are thousands of miles apart. I recommend building a support system around you of people that you can trust whether it be your study abroad advisor or friends that you met during your program. Additionally, I have found that taking a little time out of my day to do something that I enjoy such as watching one episode of an anime show or watching a couple of music videos on YouTube can make all the difference. Sometimes even going to the gym, grabbing a bite to eat or drinking a glass of tea by myself is key to feeling content in my new environment. I would like to thank you all for reading this week and I look forward to sharing my new experiences with you all!
Syrian Border with Israel
Brendan's Study Abroad Blog 