It’s easy to become complacent with everyday life. At least that’s what it felt like for me. My alarm would ring at six-thirty each morning and I would be up. Up for back-to-back shifts at work or for a full day of classes, I had my routine down pat. And that was becoming a problem. I suddenly realized I had become a little too comfortable in my daily routine. As the youngest of a large Irish family it was incredibly easy to define myself by the roles I have always played. The baby of the family, the sheltered little sister, the one who never followed a path that wasn’t already neatly smoothed over by the footsteps of the parents and six older siblings that went before. So, when the opportunity to journey into uncharted territories was flashing in front of my eyes, I had to walk towards the light. I had no idea what this trip had in store for me; all I knew was that I needed to fall out of place in order to find where I belong.
I have always done what has been expected of me, and rightly so. I have been taught that if you follow the rules, obey the guidelines you will possess the key to success. Although that’s partially true, success can be achieved in more ways than one. For the first time in my life I truly left home. Left family, friends, and every sense of security I know behind, to travel to a foreign country. I was ready (more like anxious) to see what the world had in store for me. I was no longer Tara McNulty, Temple University student and the youngest sibling and daughter of the McNulty family, rather an unknown 22 year old girl standing on a precipice with nothing but endless possibilities ahead.
For the first time in my life I am trudging through on my own path. Although there were times when I doubted whether or not this trip would be a mistake I realized that it was necessary to break the mold I had created for myself. Unfortunate to say, but like most people, I needed to leave to appreciate what I already had. These past six weeks were enlightening, helping me realize how much I had taken the things I have and the people I love for granted. I have been humbled by this experience and whether I had traveled to one of the other amazing international programs Temple had to offer, I have a feeling that this realization would have surfaced all the same. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will always be thankful for, and now as I sit here looking back on the trip, I realize that the people I met, the places we visited and the personal accomplishments I achieved in these six weeks have changed me forever. I can’t express anything but gratitude to those who contributed to making this experience one that I will always carry with me.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”-Robert Frost The Road Not Taken
-Tara McNulty