Why Studying Abroad Was the Best Decision

I had no clue what I was in for when I left for Barcelona this January. I had never traveled on my own, let alone flown across the continent to live in a new country for three months. I felt a mix of excitement and nausea simultaneously. While I was ecstatic to explore and immerse myself in a new culture, I was terrified. How I would handle missing a semester with my best friends at Pitt and go months without living in the same time zone as my family?

The first week was nerve-racking—being in a completely different country isn’t comparable to just going out of state for college. In Barcelona, people cross the street in a different place, speak another language, eat dinner ridiculously late, and leave for the bars no earlier than 1 a.m. In general, Barcelonans live with entirely different mindsets than Americans. Yet, after the normal acclimation period (1-2 weeks), I fell in love and decided I would never come back to America. The foodie in me was constantly stimulated—with pastries, breads, cheeses, and the most delicious ham I will ever taste—but even more, I was captivated by the city’s atmosphere.

The one thing that I just could not shake was how the locals went about their day. Here in America we are always on the go. We eat, talk, read, and even put our make-up on while we rush to get anywhere and everywhere. What are we hurrying for? To spend our day working exhausting hours that do not even give us a sufficient income to live comfortably? In Barcelona, it’s about enjoying every moment with loved ones. Why get coffee to go when you can sit down and enjoy some conversation with a café con leche?

Barcelona was like no other, with its clean streets, the art and architecture—even my walk to school was mesmerizing. Every day I could walk along the streets to find something new and beautiful. Not to mention places like Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia and Park Guell that people study for their entire lives. You may not get the history as you would if you studied in Rome, but you get buildings that are art. Buildings so breathtaking you go home and Google search how they were designed with such intricate detail.

I could go on and on telling you about every day, every meal, and every country I traveled to, but I wouldn’t do my experiences justice. Europe needs to be explored, not read about. Studying abroad changed my perspective about the world and other cultures, and even inspired me to take on a Spanish minor. I’ve always said that Long Island, (where I’m from) is a bubble, yet America as a whole is a bubble. Having the opportunity to live in a totally different country teaches you things about yourself that you would’ve never learned in your comfort zone.

If studying abroad ever crosses your mind, DO IT! You won’t just take classes in a foreign country—you’ll learn about its culture, political issues, economy, history, and lifestyle all through experience.

All photos credited to the author.