Doing a study exchange can be one of the best parts of university. The experience of living abroad, living beyond your comfort zone, and meeting new people is not always one you can find at home. When I listened to other people talk about their time abroad or about the exchange semester changing them, I couldn’t wait to go. I listened to what their exchanges taught them, with now being my turn to pass what happens at the end of exchange.
The number one thing is that the exchange changes you. When I used to hear this from others, I thought they were crazy. It’s just another study semester, how can it be this life changing experience? I traveled alone, experienced different cultures, tried different foods, and lived thousands of miles away from everything and everyone I was comfortable with. I became more independent, more self-sufficient and more intuitive. It taught me a lot about myself and yes, I do feel like I’ve developed in ways I never could back home.
The next post-exchange realization depends on the person. For some people, it can make them want to travel more and more. They love the excitement of seeing the world and all it has to offer. For some people, it can make them never want to travel again. They don’t like the hassle or discomfort of traveling. I’m more of the former characterization; a month after my exchange, all I want to do is jump on a plane back to Europe. I loved traveling more than anything and am kind of sad to be rooted to one place again.
Following my exchange semester, I have managed to keep in touch with my friends from Europe. We created a WhatsApp group and send messages in it a few times a week (usually about the weather or about current events). It’s a great way of never letting go of those friends you made and always having a couch to crash on (because my dear exchange friends, I’m definitely coming to visit). It’s hard to sum up the feelings of four months flying by. While I’m glad to be home, I miss my independence in another country so much. There are so many reasons why I wish I could hop a flight back to Denmark (my exchange destination) and settle right back in there. I know that with time, I’ll go back to my everyday life in Ottawa. For now though, I’ll continue to reminisce on what was my favourite semester of my studies so far. For anyone else considering exchange, I would definitely recommend doing it. It is the chance of the lifetime! You learn so much, see so much, and eat so much.
Sources: All photos were provided by Alessandra Pasquale.
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