It’s about that time of year again… study abroad applications are due and Penn State students anticipate the arrival of June 15, the day acceptance emails are administered to all prospective hopefuls. Here’s a look at how 3 Her Campus girls chose their travel destinations:
Sydney, Australia (Rachel)
For years, it has been a dream of mine to study abroad for a semester in a foreign country. To soak in the culture, try new things, meet fascinating people, taste strange foods… a once in a lifetime experience. My biggest dilemma: deciding on a destination. Luckily, I am fortunate enough to have already visited many countries, from the cobbled streets of Paris to the crystal blue waters of Greece. I knew I wanted to go somewhere exotic I have never been before: Sydney, Australia.
Although studying in Sydney may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of education abroad, it is the city I have chosen to call home for the spring 2014 semester. While many of my friends have decided on a handful of European locations, my heart was set on the land Down Under.
One of the greatest things about living on the polar opposite of the world (besides Liam Hemsworth, naturally) will be reverse seasons. While it is winter in the United States, it will be warm and sunny in Australia upon my arrival. Right after the snowy holiday season, I am looking forward to soaking up the sun after classes at Sydney’s own Bondi Beach. On breaks and holidays throughout the semester, I plan on traveling to nearby countries such as New Zealand and Fiji.
When I am not busy studying at the University of Sydney, I will be scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, learning to surf and cruising the Sydney Harbour. I can certainly see why they call Australia the Land of Oz and I cannot wait to begin my adventure.
Florence, Italy (Morgan)
Where to go abroad? When ruminating about this question I realized I have a completely open map with endless options and possibilities. I have never been to Europe or any foreign countries across the globe for that matter. Going into college, I wasn’t sure if studying abroad would be for me. I wouldn’t call myself a ‘homebody’, but I love to feel comfortable, wearing my sweatpants and cozying up in my bed with my mom’s homemade cooking. Plus, I love my home in Happy Valley, it almost seems like there’s no reason to leave it (besides the unbearable winters, of course.) But, recently, my mind completely changed as I watched some of my older friends bid farewell to America and go across the pond to various places in Europe, such as Italy, Spain, and Prague.
Being a typical college student, Facebook is an ultimate distraction and abroad pictures provide great entertainment. However, they also provide great insight into the abroad experience. I thought to myself, “This is the one time in my life I will be able to enjoy an adventure like this – I need to truly go for the abroad experience.” Then, for some reason, pictures of Florence, Italy, gave me a warm sensation of butterflies inside. The pictures of pizza were just as beautiful as the landscapes of Ponte Vecchio. I could see myself there – it just felt right. After talking to some of my older friends my decision was made. Florence, for me, will provide the complete abroad experience: food, travel, a semi-small neighborhood (I won’t get super lost), and a chance to learn a new language and culture. Viva Italia!
Barcelona, Spain (Natasha)
Fast forward to a setting across the ocean in a city thousands of miles away from home. I’m walking around town on the cobblestone streets and can’t decide whether or not the shirt I’m about to buy screams “she’s American.” Shifting back to the present where it’s the annual study abroad application season, I come to ask myself: Where can I see myself this time next year?
Coming from a small town, the idea of walking through a big city that coined art history, where high fashion is the norm, and soccer is the obsession, (although, I wouldn’t mind cozying up to Cristiano Ronaldo), I am absolutely terrified. Though, it can’t be worse than New York City, right? When I realize that in just less than a year, I’ll be touring Gaudi’s grand designs just for fun during the day and eating dinner at home with my host mom at night, the terror seeps away. Of course, I’m nervous, but the thrill and excitement that trickles my mind is enough to overpower the nerves.
So, where do I see myself this time next year? That is the scariest question of them all. I’ll be more than halfway through my junior year at Penn State, getting ready to buckle down to take the LSATs and figure out what schools I want to apply to. After that, I won’t have time to daydream of anything in a distant land far away. The greatest thing about being young is that this is the only time we will have to just pick up and leave everything behind to experience the world – it’s much larger than State College, Pa., believe it or not. It’s the only time we have to be carefree and walk through museums, or eat delicate deserts and fresh seafood by the Mediterranean Sea.
You know what they say… the grass is always greener on the other side, so when it came time to pick a country to study abroad in, I knew Barcelona, Spain was my greener pasture.