To study abroad was to fail.
During the fall semester of my sophomore year, I began to believe this sentiment was unequivocally true. I found myself in a slew of business clubs where members were utilizing prestigious sophomore summer internships to get ahead. One of my club mentors, whom I greatly admired, told me, “Well, Ella, if you can’t get an internship, then you’ll just have to study abroad for your resume.”Â
When did wanting to explore the world and open my mind to new cultures automatically become less valuable than an office cubicle?
Since elementary school, I had been the girl who kept pictures of Italy and France on her dream board, and studying abroad was an opportunity that I couldn’t wait to take hold of. Yet, two years into college, I couldn’t help but feel like my initial plan to go abroad was incongruent with the professional trajectories of peers I aspired to emulate.
But with the deposit paid, I went to study in Switzerland, wondering if I should’ve taken a different path. I knew this was something I always wanted, yet it was hard to escape the feeling that every experience only had value if it was tied to direct professional growth.Â
Over the course of the experience, however, I began to understand that some of the most valuable lessons have little to do with traditional methods of “getting ahead”.
Discovering a Different Pace of Life
I was fortunate to visit six Central European countries during my study abroad, and one observation permeated them all. Whether it was watching an elderly man replicate a classic painting on a canvas on his arm, listening to hour-long coffee chats at coffeehouses in Vienna, or sipping prosecco idly on a boat in Budapest, the people I saw didn’t simply move through life as modern Americans do. Instead, they engage with it and take pride in being in the present. Time isn’t something that’s rushed, but rather a pocket that is sat in, often quietly. It’s the soundless public transportation in Zurich, the shutdown of restaurants and businesses in Slovakia on Sunday, the still air on the rolling green hills in Salzburg. Ultimately, I learned that the speed at which a place moves can greatly reveal its values. Central European cultures, for example, see time as something to inhabit in order to build community or improve quality of life, rather than to conquer for productivity and ambition.
Reestablishing Curiosity
Another lesson I learned came from interviewing Andres Buhr of Vergolder Buhr (1898), a gold-gilding shop in Vienna, with my group for World Comms. Speaking with Andres about his family’s history with Vergolder was greatly inspiring. He was so eager to talk about his craft. He went above and beyond to share details with us, from letting us hold a sliver of gold leaf to taking us back into his workstation to look at his restoration pieces. My group walked away from his store feeling happy and fulfilled by his kindness. However, a part of me walked away with some regret. Not for the amazing interview we just had, but for my prior travel experiences within the states, and how, not once, did I think to dig deeper with the people I’d met on my prior travels. How many stories did I miss? How much genuine connection did I pass by? I walked away from this class realizing that the skills of journalism hold so much value beyond people who become reporters. I hope to take the curiosity of a journalist in my day-to-day life and travels, intentionally using thoughtful questions to truly engage with the people around me.
Shared Experiences
One other aspect that had a lasting impact on me wasn’t necessarily where I went, but who I went there with. Seeing Central Europe through the eyes of my newfound friends became even more meaningful than my own perspective. I’ll never forget one friend’s glee as we watched her favorite soccer team, Bayern, play in a Swiss Pub. Witnessing another friend absolutely glow in Salzburg, as she relived old memories from a prior visit, was genuinely heartwarming. The enthusiasm of my friends for different reasons made me appreciate elements abroad that I wouldn’t have noticed before. Ultimately, sharing each other’s joy brought us together, and I look forward to continuing to find a deeper appreciation for the world around me through shared experiences.
Redefining the Race
All in all, studying abroad was anything but a failure.
I was reminded that slowing down can be a reality. I became increasingly inspired to connect with strangers and motivated to use others’ perspectives to bolster my own happiness. More than that, I was reminded that when you are so focused on the people you deem “ahead of you”, you may forget the original path you meant to run in the first place.
Success isn’t formulaic, and a different path does not erase ambition. I’m still excited about my career and motivated to pursue it; however, not all experiences to prepare me for it need to be a line on a resume. Education extends beyond the formal method of a classroom or internship. Ultimately, perhaps the question isn’t whether we’re falling behind, but whether we’re moving forward with the experiences that shape us into who we want to be.