As many UMaine students have already taken to their cubicles in Fogler Library a mere 2 weeks into school, many of you may find your mind wandering to a place far away from same old routine you find yourself in year after year. I know this because I found myself in the same position last fall.
As I sleepily left my early morning Spanish class last Fall and headed to the same cubicle on the second floor of the library for another entire day of studying Fogler, I thought to myself, “There has got to be more out there for me.” As I carried this thought in the back of my mind, study abroad vouchers seemed to be popping off bulletin boards around campus and practically slapping me in the face telling me to act on this feeling. I finally headed to Winslow Hall and collected as many study abroad pamphlets as possible. I soon found myself drowning in a sea of possibilities. After a short meeting with the enthusiastic study abroad advisors at UMaine, my journey began.
I struggled for weeks to come to a final conclusion on where my study abroad destination would be. I decided that I wanted to put my years of studying Spanish to the test- it would be either Central/South America or Spain. I chose Spain because of its close proximity to the other European countries I wanted to visit. Lastly, I chose the historic city of Alicante in southern Spain because of its warm climate and great beach. This seemingly simple process of evaluation took quite a bit of researching and asking around. I discovered my best source of advice came from students who had previously studied abroad. The most common piece of advice I heard when stressing my concern to find a location that best suited me; “Wherever you go, you will have the time of your life.”
In my six months of living in Europe, I learned more about the world around me and myself than I had in my previous 21 years of life. Academically, my semester was a huge success. I completed 2 years worth of Spanish courses in one semester, nearly completing my minor. An intense two and a half hour Spanish class every morning was incredibly intimidating since I had arrived with minimal vocabulary and could barely form a sentence. When I told friends and family back in the states that my teacher didn’t speak a word of English, they cringed and wished me the best of luck. The language barrier was quickly knocked down as our class became more like a family and less like a room full of strangers. We all experienced the same highs and lows of living in a foreign country and we constantly supported and encouraged one another’s personal growth.
Nearly every weekend I would pack my backpack and jet off to a new place. Thankfully, transportation is outrageously cheap through European airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet and you can find a decent hostel for around 20 Euros a night. This allowed me to travel to places I had only dreamt of. I was able to see everything from Fashion Week in Milan to the ceremonies of the beautification of Pope John Paul II in Rome. I rode camels on the beaches of Morocco and drank champagne at the Eiffel Tower.
I embarked on my journey abroad by landing in a foreign country not knowing a single soul, the language, or what to expect. This was just as horrifying as it was exciting. I found myself standing in this exact spot only six months later as I prepared to fly home, a completely different person. I left with invaluable memories, a greater knowledge of the world around me, friendships that will span a lifetime, and a better understanding of myself and what I am capable of.
I encourage all of you Her Campus readers to explore all of the possibilities you have to see the world. The study abroad advisors at UMaine are not only a wealth of knowledge but incredibly helpful in assisting you as you begin to plan your travel.
You are young, smart and adventurous, so get out there and make your mark around globe!
For more Information on Studying Abroad at UMaine visit:
http://umaine.edu/international/study-abroad-programs-and-university-exc…