The aftermath

The taxi picked me up from my apartment in Stockholm and I climbed in the back seat feeling slightly numb. I had just closed the door to my apartment for the last time and dropped my keys in the mail slot. I felt like someone had slammed the door in my face and evicted me from my home. Yep, I sure felt like a little orphan with my suitcases I had been living out of for three months. But I wasn't an orphan. I had a perfectly good home to return to, and after three months abroad, it was time to go. I peered out the window of the cab like a small child looking through the storefront of a pet shop. Stockholm had never looked so beautiful, yet I had never felt so sad. The buildings and cityscape blurred into a sea of colors as tears welled up in my eyes. It seemed cruel and impossible to leave this city and the life I had been living. Melodramatically I pulled out my iPod and chose Kings of Leon's, "The End" as my parting song to this great chapter of my life. Because, really, that's what Sweden has been: a chapter. I could probably write a book about all my experiences and travels during the past three months, but when I put it all into perspective, it was only a short time out of my whole life. Three months out of maybe 75 years on this Earth doesn't sound like much. But things happen every day that steer us in different directions or change our decisions. A day can bring huge change; an hour, a minute, a second. Everything can change in an instant. I now know that three months can change your life and who you are completely. At my core I am the person I've always been. I still recognize myself, but some of the fears and insecurities are a little more faint, almost erased. I like myself more now and that's a good thing. I feel more confident in who I am and that's a good thing. I tapped into my adventurous and spontaneous side and that's a good thing. I succeeded in a job, in a foreign country, living on my own and those are good things. Praise God for the good things.