If you had told me two years ago that I would have spent part of the summer before my senior year living and learning among the streets of Italy, I would have laughed at you. If you had told me that I would do it apart from my family, friends, and everything I knew, I would have laughed at myself — I had never been away from Miami or my family for more than a week.
And yet, that is precisely the situation I found myself in this past summer. I was strolling the cobblestone streets of Rome, Florence, Siena, Venice, and more, on the absolute trip of a lifetime. I had a lot of gelato — there is no such thing as “too much” gelato — and had all the pizza and pasta my heart desired. I visited St. Marks Basilica, jumped off of a cliff into the Mediterranean sea, climbed the 551 steps of the Vatican, and almost cried watching the sun set over the city of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo.
My intention here isn’t necessarily to gloat (though, yes, Study Abroad Syndrome is absolutely a real thing and I will never stop talking about it, don’t try me), but to convince you to do it. Yes, you. Study abroad was perhaps the best choice I could have ever made as an undergrad, and through it I have made memories and friendships that I know will last a lifetime. But if that somehow wasn’t enough to convince you, give me a second, I’m sure I’ll have you feeling differently by the end of this article.
Photo by JW Bailly CC BY 4.0
1) Embracing a different point of view
Here in the U.S we are so used to our quickly paced lives, it’s almost unfathomable that it’s not like this everywhere else in the world. The truth is, wherever you go, the culture and lifestyle are probably going to be quite different from what you’re used to. Going to another country and truly immersing yourself in that culture won’t just diversify your point of view, but give you an inside look into how other cultures do what you do — and sometimes do it better.
I went from walking less than a mile a day to almost ten; from driving every day to relying on public transportation and my own two feet to carry me around; to accepting uncertainties and truly learning to live on my own. These are things I simply wouldn’t have learned without the experiences study abroad gave me — the good, the bad, and the downright hilarious.
2) Making friendships that last
When you embark on a study abroad trip, you have two choices: wallow in being away from the people you know, or embrace the newness of the relationships you are able to cultivate while you’re away in this incredibly unique city or country. Traveling with people allows you to get to know them on a different level as you navigate the language, culture, and city… maybe even getting a little lost together on the way.
The friendships I made during my study abroad trips are ones that I maintain even today, and that I know are stronger because of the trip. When you travel together, you truly get to know each other, and that makes the friendships you create all the more meaningful.
3) If not now, when?
College is indistinguishably one of the best times in our life to be selfish. We are mostly free from the restrictions placed on us when we’re minors in high school, but usually aren’t yet tied to things like full time jobs, mortgages, and other adult-y stuff. Our version of adulting is grocery shopping and errand running (which, I’m going to add, is so much fun in another country). There will never be a more suitable time to do something like study abroad. You can travel for the rest of your life, sure, but study abroad is so uniquely different from just traveling. When you go on these trips, you are learning, living, and experiencing it all with great people by your side as you all navigate this new world together. That’s something that you just can’t get anywhere else.
So, take a chance. Embark on that journey. Make those priceless memories. And then gloat endlessly once you get back home — you deserve it.
Arrivederci!