Well, it’s that time of the year again. We are all getting excited for summer, and maybe even a little nervous by how quickly the semester seems to be flying by! For many of us Waves, anticipating the end of the semester is often due to our excitement over attending an international program. Let’s face it, most of us are aware of our ‘so blessed’ status. We get to attend a school where the Pacific is our backyard, but also one that deems studying abroad an incredibly important experience for students. In fact, with 86.5% of students having studied abroad in the 2013-2014 academic year, Pepperdine has the highest rate of students who study abroad out of all American universities. This definitely gives us grounds to feel so blessed.
In light of the recent IP orientations, I’ve been thinking about my past abroad experiences more than usual. As someone who has particpated in two international programs, and is preparing for a third, I know the IP process all too well. I know that any international program is completely and utterly life changing. I know that no matter how much we try, as returning students, we can never explain our abroad experiences to the full extent of what they were, no matter how much we try or how long others are willing to listen to us talk about them. I know that the first IP experience is entirely different than the ones that follow. I know the emotional struggles we can face while studying abroad because we miss home. And I know the emotional struggles we can often face while being back in Malibu because we miss being abroad.
The opportunities we recieve as Pepperdine students are unlike any others when it comes to international programs. We are able to study in vastly different locations of the world with a group of friends, and more often than not, on Pepperdine property. It is definitely comforting to have that safety net when everything else seems to be pushing you outside of your comfort zone. However, the encouragement we receive to get out of our respective comfort zones is just as incredible, if not moreso. Living abroad can often be trying, but those same moments that seem the most difficult at the time often end up being the most valuable.
My first time studying abroad was in Lausanne, Switzerland. I went for a full academic year, and I had the time of my life. I learned so much that year, both in and out of the classroom. I made incredible friends, visited amazing places, and grew so much as a person. People ask me about my experience abroad, and I automatically smile widely and say something along the lines of: “It was so amazing!” I look back at my time abroad, and I miss every moment. I miss waking up and seeing Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). I miss walking down to the common areas and bumping into the program staff and faculty. I miss walking down the hallway or up the stairs to my friends’ rooms. I miss being able to walk everywhere in the city. I miss struggling to communicate with the locals when they refused to speak English, and I also miss having the opportunity to practice my French.
I get so caught up reminiscing and thinking of all of the good things about studying abroad. I look back at the experience, and it seems nothing short of a dream come true. It is a chapter in my life that can validly begin with: “Once upon a time, in a far off land…” And then I remember. That is most definitely not what it always was. Being abroad sometimes meant feeling lonelier than I had ever felt before. Being abroad sometimes meant feeling completely lost and uncertain. Being abroad often meant being uncomfortable and intimidated. It meant calling my parents and sisters to cheer me up (they have always been such an incredible support system). I even distinctly remember my mom telling me that I could come home. It was about a month into the program and I felt as if I was never going to make new friends, no matter how much I tried, and she told me that if I was really sad then I could always buy a plane ticket back to the States. I told her I didn’t want to do that, and she then told me to try harder. She told me to stop complaining and to enjoy my time. She reminded me of other times I had felt lonely and sad, and she reminded me that I made the decision to study abroad all by myself. So that’s what I did. I kept trying to put myself out there and meet new people, and soon enough I did.
Looking back, I never think of how tough it was at first because it turned into something so great that the difficult parts of it all seem completely worth it. And it’s funny how that works. With most of my experiences, I often remember the good over the bad. So remember this as you prepare to go abroad; remember that all of those amazing adventures we hear about and great times we see captured in photographs or videos are not the full story. Recognize that the full story involves some hardships too; but also recognize that those hardships will probably make you better in the end. And most importantly, remember that at the end of it all, you will very likely look back at it all with an embarrassingly large grin. All you have to do is give yourself the chance.