As I’m writing this, “For Good” from the musical Wicked is playing. I could not have found a song that better describes this time in my life as I write this sobbing. My time abroad is a time that I will forever treasure and I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve been able to undergo and the people I have met. As tough as it was to narrow down this learning experience, here are 5 things that I’ve learnt this year…
(Warning: this may get soppy!)1. Be open
Prior to my year abroad, I rarely stepped outside my comfort zone. I’d been so focused on trying to get a first at uni and worrying about my future that I often forgot to live in the present. This year taught me to be more open without being so worried all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still pretty paranoid about everything that I do but I’ve done things this year that I wouldn’t have done had I stayed at home. I took my first flight alone, planned holidays by myself, ate fried Oreos (it sounds disgusting but trust me, it will change your life) and immersed myself in cultures that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity of experiencing otherwise.2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help once in awhile
I’ve always thought myself to be an independent person and I hated asking people for help. Now, I realise that it’s okay to ask for help once in awhile. We can’t know everything about everything and what we think we know isn’t always the reality. Things won’t always work out as you planned. Before I came here, I made a bucket list of all the things I wanted to do here in America: I wanted to go down South, see a country music artist and see the Grand Canyon. I did some of the things on my list but there’s a bunch that I haven’t been able to do. I’m not upset about it, it’s just another reason for me to come back! Be flexible and adapt to the climate that you’re living in.
3. It’s okay to be scared
I stepped into the unknown when I got on the plane in August. I had high expectations when I first got to uni and not all of them were met, so I was a little more wary to head into this land of the free. I was scared that I wasn’t going to make friends, that I was putting so much money into something that I wasn’t going to enjoy, that I was going to miss out on things at home. But all of these fears are what made my year. I pushed myself to try new things and made sure that I wasn’t wasting my time. Being scared meant that I cared. Welcome the fear: you never know what it will bring!4. Who you really are may not be who you think you are
That sentence sounds more philosophical than it actually is, but one thing I’ve learnt this year is that if you’re put in a whole new environment, you might see yourself change. I like to think that I’m not someone who lets other people’s perceptions of me dictate the way I act but the truth is, I’ve always cared what people thought of me. Being abroad and going to a place where no one really knew who I was allowed me to figure out who I really am and embrace it. Excuse the cheesiness!5. Being friends doesn’t mean being constantly in contact
We’re now at the stage in our lives where it seems as though everyone is always busy and it makes it harder to stay in contact with family and friends. One thing I’ve learnt this year is that you don’t have to be in constant contact with your friends to know that your friendship is real. I went weeks not talking to my best friends at home as they wrote their dissertations and stressed about exams, but I knew that once I needed them I could count them. This is probably one of the most important lessons I learnt simply because I’ve made so many new friends; I know I won’t always be in contact with them, what with different time zones and hectic lives. Nevertheless, this lesson has taught me to have faith in the friendships we’ve made.
Edited by Naomi Upton
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