Around this time two years ago, I got an email from the University of Oxford which stated that I had been accepted to one of their summer school programs. Growing up, I had never traveled outside the country, so upon reading this email I instantly grew excited—and overwhelmed. The idea of studying abroad had always seemed daunting, a type of independence that I hadn’t experienced thus far in my college years. The only solo trip I’d ever taken up to that point was to visit family in New York. I’d never flown across the ocean before, let alone by myself. But every bit of nervous energy that I felt was matched with a sense of determination. I had to take the leap of faith.
My trip did not start off on the right foot. After arriving at Detroit Metro Airport, my passport didn’t scan properly, I found out that my suitcase weighed nearly seventy pounds, and it was becoming painfully clear that being independent was a lot easier said than done. I was supposed to meet up with a girl I’d connected with, over WhatsApp, in the London Heathrow Airport, but once I got there I was severely sleep deprived, lost, and sore from dragging around the heavy suitcase. I knew my confidence was being tested—and it was then that I made the conscious decision to not give up. I knew I had five whole weeks ahead of me, new friends to meet, classes to take, cities to explore. I wanted to live out my dream with open arms. So, I took a deep breath, found my new friend, and got on the bus to Oxford.
I didn’t know it at the time, but those five weeks would turn out to be the best trip I’ve taken in my life. The members of my cohort were vivacious, intelligent, and good-humored people who were just as nervous as I was to be trying something new. Together we worked through days of heavy class filled with reading and seminars, frequented the local mall, watched soccer matches at the pubs, dressed up for guest lectures and fancy dinners, and traveled to a new city every week. Our most notable trip was a four-day guided tour of Wales, during which we explored old castles and churches, climbed mountains, took walks on the beach, and shared stories for hours on our bus as it wound its way through the countryside. It wasn’t fancy, nor was it glamorous, but it was a beautiful, real experience. I will never forget the feeling of hiking in the pouring rain, surrounded by rocks and hills and streams, with only my new friends and nature as company. It was like something out of a movie. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly alive.
All of this being said, you can probably predict what my advice will be: take the trip! But my advice is more than just that. The idea of studying abroad is daunting. It is challenging. I had never experienced anything as intellectually rigorous as the Oxford curriculum, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Being abroad unlocks a part of yourself that you wouldn’t otherwise know exists. It is a means through which you can try new things, build your own schedule, experience a new culture, and learn more about the beauty of our world. The girl that I met in the Heathrow Airport has become one of my dear friends. The stories from my time abroad live on in my memory and make me laugh and cry whenever they come to mind. Oxford isn’t just a separate place across the globe anymore: it’s a corner of my heart that will always be with me. I hope that wherever you choose to travel will also become a part of yours.