MORGAN BOWERS writes:
It's 3:00 on Saturday morning and my flight back to the states leaves in about nine hours. I contemplated sleeping, but found that every time I lay my head down on my pillow my mind is filled to the brim with thoughts and memories from the past five weeks. To say that this experience has been a trip would be a severe understatement.
I don't think any of the students had any idea what to expect from this experience. If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that we are all coming back with a lot more then we came with. I'm not talking about gifts for friends and family or a new pair of boots I bought in Berlin. I'm talking about relationships. I came to Prague not knowing any of the students I would be studying with, and as I sit here looking at pictures on my computer, I realize that I'm not just leaving with a new group of amazing friends and future colleagues, I'm leaving with an extended family. It seems as though someone hand picked the students who came to Prague this summer. I could not imagine a better chemistry between 14 complete strangers if I tried.
It hit me tonight during our farewell dinner that it's really over and that this wasn't all a dream. There were lots of pictures taken, tears shed, numbers exchanged, and reassuring hugs given. I can't believe how fast five weeks flew by. It's surreal to think about how much we've overcome in the past five weeks. From figuring out the local currency and navigating the trams and busses to developing a marketing campaign to launch a new product in a market we barely know has not only forced us to grow up and open our minds, it's taught us what we are capable of when the pressure is on. I've gained a new sense of independence and confidence that I never thought was possible. I can't help but be a little proud of myself and the rest of the students.
I don't know how to explain exactly what I'm feeling right now. As I sit here and try to find the words to explain how much this experience has meant to me, I realize that maybe there aren't any words; there are only memories. The only thing I know for sure is that we're all leaving pieces of ourselves in this beautiful city.
Well, I think I will head out soon. I want to watch the sun rise over the Charles Bridge one last time before I leave.
Morgan Bowers is a senior Marketing major.
