This past week was the one-year anniversary of my study abroad trip, and, yes, I was that girl with a slightly sappy post on Instagram talking about how it was the best three months of my life. And you know what? I stand by that sappy post. It 100% was the best three months of my life. Here’s why.
The night before I hopped on a plane to Dublin, Ireland, I was sitting in my parents’ room talking to my dad. We were just chatting about packing and making new friends, and my dad looks over at me and says, “You’re really brave. I don’t think I would have done this at your age.”
That kind of caught me off guard. To tell you the truth, I was totally terrified, but I realized that, yeah, I was also brave. I was about to move to a foreign country all by myself for three months. But I knew I could do it, so I did.
When you go thousands of miles outside your comfort zone, outside the bubble of people, places and experiences that have shaped your whole life, you get to discover who you are as your own person in a totally new world. You learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of.
Personally, I learned that even though I am about as directionally-challenged as they come, I can get lost in Paris by myself at night and not end up like the girl in Taken. I learned that I can cook all of my meals on a stove (because full-disclosure – the food in Dublin is not great). I learned that I can adapt to life in totally different cultures and see the world completely differently because of it.
Most importantly, I learned how to be entirely self-sufficient and independent even when I was 3,921 miles from home, and, let me tell you, that is a very empowering realization. I realized that I’m so much stronger and capable of so much more than I ever dreamed. At the same time, I learned that it’s okay to lean on the people around you.
I met many of my closest friends while I was abroad. These are people who I literally trust with my life, and they’re located all across the globe.
The world is really big and beautiful, and it’s filled with the most amazing people. The first person to talk to me at my first day of Irish school is a student from Zimbabwe. The man who basically saved my life in Paris is a deputy director in the defense department in France. The man who let me ride his horse on the beach rom-com style is a fisherman from Morocco.
All of this to say that studying abroad is one of the best things you can do for yourself. The Study Abroad Office makes the process way less intimidating, and many of the programs they offer are comparable to in-state tuition.
College is a time to learn about yourself and others. It’s a time when you’re pretty much independent, but you’re not tied down with a job. Now is the time you have the freedom to travel, and if you study abroad, you can get class credits while you’re at it.
So go see the world. Go meet new people. Go live boldly.