A little over three months ago, I found myself on a short flight back to Washington D.C., for the first time since last summer after spending my fall semester abroad in Turkey. Whether I had fully admitted it to myself or not, I was nervous. Ever the drama queen, I had convinced myself that coming back would feel like freshman year all over again, minus the (over)enthusiasm of NSO, the long (and loud) hallways of New South and the perennial supply of new people to meet. I was completely and totally wrong.

That’s not to say that this semester hasn’t been filled with a healthy dose of culture shock. First, there were the little things: leaving my GoCard in my Lau cubicle during an afternoon Wisey’s runs, thus barring myself from re-entry (embarrassing); relearning how to most efficiently navigate the halls of ICC (a true art); forgetting my key and getting locked out of my apartment. (Although as this has become a continuing trend, it may have nothing to do with my campus re-adjustment process.)

There were other adaptions, too: catching up with old friends and making new ones, getting myself motivated for classes in the “real world,” readjusting to the weather changes from Istanbul to D.C. and figuring out something called “time management” (still working on that one). But I think the weirdest shock of all was realizing that Georgetown had not changed, but me.

I don’t mean to sound cliche, and I’m certainly not claiming that some kind of divine, pseudo-European experience had enlightened me in any way. It’s just that after missing out on a semester on campus, I had reshuffled all of my priorities without really realizing it. I didn’t think that I would be able to sit still in the library long enough to finish a book, but I didn’t know that what I was interested in reading could have shifted so much. I was initially worried about re-adjusting to the food at Leo’s, Wisey’s and other Georgetown staples, but I hadn’t even thought of the fact that the faces I wanted to see across the table from me might have changed. Now I’m just telling myself not to worry so much.

I think we hear the phrase “That’s so Georgetown” thrown around a lot, often sarcastically, sometimes hashtagged for those inclined to Twitter, and maybe somewhat unnecessarily. This semester, though, I think I’ve gotten to experience and better appreciate these kinds of moments, from my first glimpse of Healy from the plane window to the view from center court at Verizon Center after watching the Hoyas beat Syracuse (and the sadder scene from behind my computer screen after watching them lose to FGCU — though I have to admit FGCU did an awesome job thereafter) to the first spring day on Healy Lawn. I’ve gotten off campus. I’ve taken great classes and had great conversations and even skipped out on obligations to see a famous speaker or two.

You see, you really don’t have to go abroad to experience culture shock right here on campus. Take a class you’ve come this close to registering for the last six semesters. Drop your work for an afternoon and go do something fun. Meet someone new. Try a bacon cupcake at Leo’s. (I did see these the other day, so on second thought, don’t.) In all seriousness, it’s not that difficult to spice things up.

As I prepare for senior year, I’m feeling a familiar twinge of nerves. Maybe I should just listen to one of my friends, who maintains that our junior year doesn’t actually end until convocation. Or maybe I should just heed my own advice and not worry so much. Well, back to my finals to-do list #sogeorgetown.

Audrey Wilson is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. This is the last appearance of CULTURE SHOCKthis semester.