For many of us juniors here at DU, we are all returning to normal life after being abroad for 4-5 months, and that is a hard adjustment in itself, but it seems excessively hard to adjust when you’re surrounded by all of your friends retelling their life changing experiences and you just didn’t experience that same feeling. Maybe it was the location, the city, the school you were at, or the friends you didn’t or potentially didn’t make, but there was something about your study abroad that just didn’t make it “the best experience of your life” like all your friends and classmates seem to claim. It’s okay to feel guilty or sad, but don’t let those feelings linger. Ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Maybe you were so far out of your comfort zone that it was hard to branch out and make new friends like you had to do freshman year, maybe you were in a country that spoke a foreign language and you weren’t totally confident in that language so you stayed introverted instead of exploring and taking risks: that’s all okay! Maybe you regret not traveling as much as you could have; I know that can be a big conflict for many people who are restricted by money. But think of it this way, you traveled more than you ever would have just by going. Or maybe you don’t know why you feel so negative about your experience because you weren’t an introvert, you went out and explored and traveled, you made new friends and you put yourself out there but it still just doesn’t seem like the best experience of your life…
No matter what, you didn’t do anything wrong- study abroad is something unique for everyone and no two experiences will ever be the same. For so many of us, study abroad is like nothing we have ever done before. It’s a step or maybe a jump off a cliff, so big that we can never be fully prepared for it before we go. But it’s over, you did it, and now you’re home. Readjusting can be hard, you’ve changed, your friends have changed, and life didn’t stop while you were gone, so you may feel left out or behind in certain things, but we are all in the same boat! Try to focus on the good things about study abroad; perhaps you learned things about yourself, reflect on how the experience (good or bad) changed you and taught you things about the world and yourself. There are many ways to come to peace with your experience after coming home, and most likely your feelings will change the longer you are home. Think about how you’ll feel when you’re 35 and looking back: even if it wasn’t the best thing ever, you’ll definitely remember your study abroad experience, I know I will.
XOXO Molly