..and then came the assessment

It's been over a month since I returned home.

To be honest, my return turned out exactly as I planned and hoped it would.

A series of rapidly unfolding events, surrounded by people I love, a bit of catharsis, and of course, some slowing down and taking stock — everything I wanted.

In a cold and (once again) flooded apartment. But, well, nothing can be perfect, I guess.

Most of these issues have been resolved in the meantime, just like my biggest problem left behind in Malta: my bike.

This gave me a good reason to sit down and gather my thoughts about my six-month journey and its impact.

If I had to sum up my first thought on this briefly, it would be:

"Nothing has changed, yet everything has changed."

I’m probably the same person, but in the meantime, I’ve experienced countless things I never had before. So, inevitably, I’ve changed.

Many people refer to my six months as "a six-month holiday in Malta."

My perspective is somewhat different, but hey, they must know better.

If I try to look at it objectively—and since I often reflect on my feelings—I’d say this was one of the hardest, most emotionally challenging, and most exhausting periods of my life. I could name two similarly tough times, though this six months was essentially the closing part of one of them.

There’s probably no point in unpacking this further. Those who know, know what I mean.

To understand or empathize at this level, it’s probably worth moving abroad alone for a short period. Go for it—I’m rooting for you! 🙂

Returning to the six months and my reflections: I concluded that the most telling aspects of an assessment are the numbers, even if they’re just rough estimates:

Language learning, social network, exploration:

• I had conversations with roughly 100 different people in a language that isn’t my native tongue.
• 15 friends, acquaintances, or family members visited me.
• Only one weekend passed without activities or social interactions, and that was the one following my accident.
• I missed just one place I wanted to visit: St. Peter’s Pool.
• On average, I swam in the sea at least three times a week.

Work:

• I dealt with seven different areas across four projects, each distinct in industry and scope.
• I managed to leave the office before 6 p.m. without needing to return only three times. Of course, I know, this is my fault too.
• I wrote 24 posts for this blog—consider that an eighth area, if you will.

Sports:

• I prepared for one rowing race, during which I:
  • Climbed 30,000 meters on my bike,
  • Over 101 hours,
  • Covering 2,155 km.
• Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the coastal rowing club due to logistical and distance challenges.
• I visited the gym next door once a week on average over six months.
• Running also happened about once a week, if not less often.

Daily life, finances, travel, and other notes:

• This six months cost around €15,000, most of which I had to earn myself. The Erasmus scholarship barely covered my accommodation/room.
• Many weeks, after the weekend grocery shopping, my weekday budget was €1.10, which bought a sliced Maltese bread at the Convenience Shop. I don't think I lived extravagantly.
• I flew eight times during the six months.
• I developed a daily routine of cooking, sports, learning English, and meditating.
• I ate at least one ice cream daily to balance my newfound super-healthy lifestyle.
• I had one accident.
• I was happy many times and sad and lonely even more often.

These are just a few things that come to mind when I think about my life abroad.

Perhaps it’s not worth comparing it to what I came for—I’ve already written about that before.

Instead, I’ll just circle back to my third blog post.

So the question is:

• Was it worth it?

The answer remains a resounding "Yes!"

As for whether I’ll write more for this blog or another, I don’t know yet. The truth is, I find great joy in writing, but it also requires a lot of energy, and inspiration doesn’t come on demand.

So, I’ll close this question—and this chapter of my blog—with a definitive "Maybe!"

Thanks for reading my thoughts and feelings. It means a lot! =)