Things are coming to a close.

I had never been more excited for an opportunity then when I left for Denmark.

It was Europe. It was the unknown. It was the summation of everything I wanted in a photojournalism education.

I came here far better prepared than I anticipated. Those first weeks were euphoric. Everything was new. I was engulfed.

And like every other study abroad experience, it has had its ups and downs.

The Danes are reserved people. They avoid eye contact on the street. But then, you actually meet them, and they are so kind and helpful. They are humble, talented people.

I have had a few really rewarding and unique assignments, and some that I couldn't get motivated to love.

Now, we're starting our final project and in 3 days I'm on my way to India. I'm leaving "home" to go to my family, and to work diligently on a photo story. I desperately want it to be meaningful and rich.

I feel like I am already saying goodbye to Denmark. In total, I only have 10 days left in this apartment. It breaks my heart to leave my classmates, knowing that we may never be in the same place at the same time again. Immersed in discussions of photos, men, food, tradition, and culture - we have developed a symbiotic relationship where we share everything. When someone's assignment goes to shit, I feel hurt also. When someone is gone, the apartment feels off balance.

When I return to packed classrooms at Mizzou with the whole lecture hall mindlessly shifting through pages of Facebook, I will long for the intimate all-day photo critiques with 8 other people in the room, max. I will miss the freedom of vision that is encouraged here. I don't know how I'll cope without the element of surprise associated with starting a new workshop in this school. Things are always moving. We are always getting better.

The school, the atmosphere, has made me so hopeful and confident in my own future. I think I can really make it, doing what I love.