It seems as if absolutely everyone is doing it this year: The travel pictures of your friends studying abroad are probably taking up about half of your Instagram feed. But how many over- edited photos of someone having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower does it take for you to pack up your things and leave the country already? For me, it didn’t take so many.
I took a voyage to Italy with my school a few semesters ago… before it became insanely popular. I do admit how nervous I was during the final month of my departure partly because I didn’t have so many friends or Instagram followers to refer to for advice and travel tips. All I had was my study abroad counselor, Google, and a series of “Rick Steve’s Europe” episodes to turn to for help.
Leaving your own friends, family, and culture to spend three months abroad is not an easy thing to do. Might I add, it’s even more difficult when the longest time you’ve ever been away from home was for a five day horse-back riding camp in which you left three days in because you were homesick. Yes, the “you” that I was referring to in that sentence was 6th grade me. I was also preparing to leave for Italy when there were a series of Isis attacks throughout the European continent. Not only did that get inside of my head at the time, but it was also a frequent topic of discussion amongst my family and friends as well. These were all things that added to my pre-departure nerves, but I wasn’t going to let any of that hold me back. I knew that I needed this for myself, and I knew how badly I wanted to do it.
If only I knew how much my life would change from this experience, I would have given myself a huge hug and said a genuine goodbye to my old self before I stepped on the plane to leave. What I’m about to say is the most cliche and basic statement of all study abroad quotes, but studying abroad truly does change your life forever. If I had to pay twice the amount of money a hundred more times to do it all again, I most certainly would.
So if you’ve been thinking of scoring some college credits in a beautiful foreign country, by all means, I urge you to do it. Not only would it be the experience of a lifetime, but you’ll grow and open your mind up to things you wouldn’t be able to encounter through anything else. However, I am letting you know that not everything is what you see on Instagram and not everything you’ll encounter is easy. Yet, the things that were the most difficult were what made my trip so extraordinary.
If you’ve been debating whether or not studying abroad is for you… try taking these three thoughts into consideration:
You should study abroad if….
You’ve Always Had the Desire to Travel
I honestly blame Disney Channel movies for my tenacious travel admiration. Who didn’t want to live a Roman double-life and fall in love with an Italian superstar like Lizzie McGuire did? I’m pretty sure I’ve imagined my girlfriends and I singing and strutting our way through Barcelona a gazillion times too. Maybe my juvenile fantasies are a bit dramatic, but the fascination with exploring the foreign ways of life and architecture has been such a keen thought of mine since I was younger.
When you’ve always had the desire to travel, your heart and mind is already opened wide to experience all there is to offer. Whether you’re walking through the magical cobblestone streets, admiring ancient ruins, or even sitting down in class, everyday will seem like a total dream to
you. This feeling, now known as the SAH (study abroad high) is the feeling of constant disbelief while you’re on your journey. Trust me….it is real. If you’ve envisioned yourself roaming through different countries for your whole life, it will take forever for you to finally realize that it’s all a reality—making your experience even more worth while.
You Can Easily Adapt in Different Living Environments
One of the most spontaneous parts about studying abroad is that you have no clue what your living situation would be like. Whether you’re in a dorm, an apartment, or staying with a host family, residing as a student in a foreign country is a once in a lifetime opportunity (in most cases). With that being said, it sure is different. Ways of living in foreign countries differ from ours, and you’ll soon realize this within your first hour of arriving at your destination. Unless you’re throwing crazy money on living arrangements, where you’re staying will be a lot smaller than what you’re used to. Things that we take for granted in America, like long showers and a bunch of closet space, are not topics of importance for many people in other countries.
If you plan on doing some weekend traveling to other countries during your time there too, hotels can be rather expensive. Hostels, mainly, will be the most wallet-friendly option for your weekend trips. Staying in the same room as a bunch of strangers does sound iffy and quite gypsy-esque, but in most cases, the people residing with you are on similar journeys as you are! These things do become a culture shock to a lot of students, but it’s something you will easily get used to. In fact, you’ll be going on so many adventures that the only time you’ll be at your new home will be to sleep!
You find pleasure in submerging yourself into new things
When describing my time abroad, I’ve realized how people all over the world are so similarly different. In a simpler sense, the people you meet will love the same things that you do—having fun, eating food, and enjoying different hobbies. Even so, the way in which they do these things will differ than your own.
One of the best things about studying abroad is by far the food, and depending on how foreign of a country you spend your time in, the food will be unlike anything you’ve tried in America. Foreign dishes that you’ve never heard of will soon become your favorite and most fluent words to say (Like Italy’s stracciatella gelato…omg.) Eating times will be different—some cultures don’t focus on eating a breakfast but only eat a lunch and a big late-night dinner. Some other cultures prefer a breakfast and dinner without a lunch. It all depends on where you go! Obviously, only eating at certain times in the day is not a law, so you can eat whenever you’d like. Yet, submerging yourself into their schedules and way of life will benefit your experience greatly. The same goes for other opportunities, like watching sports games that you’d never tune in on at home, going out dancing to foreign music, or even wearing their style clothes that you wouldn’t be caught dead in back home. Submerging and blending in with the culture will make your time even more amusing. After all, when you are studying abroad, you’re no longer a tourist after your first week or so—it’s now your home!.
If you’re still unsure about heading overseas, that it totally understandable and there is absolutely no rush! You have your entire life to travel and it is never too late to start. If you want to have the best time possible, you have to make sure you’re ready for all of the changes. To those that I have persuaded, get ready for everything to change. I wish that I was in your shoes just to re-live everything that you are about to encounter. My final words of advice are to please
take risks, savor every bite of food, and enjoy every single moment. Also… invest in a portable charger. Your bomb Instagram photos will be thanking you.
–Bethany Cercone