I’m sure we’ve all seriously considered studying abroad. Whether that serious consideration was for five minutes or for a few months filled with attending information sessions, you’ve done it. How could you not? What other time in your life could you possibly study abroad in another country for three or four months at a time? It is an incredible adventure that I will probably never embark on.
Recently, I was seriously considering studying abroad for an entire semester. I attended the information sessions, researched every possible opportunity and even selected two programs that I could picture myself going on. Then, one day I woke up and realized that the idea of studying abroad in an entirely new country for a semester was terrifying. Not “terrifying but I’m still excited” terrifying. I was truly afraid of immersing myself into a new culture and language, and I was more afraid than excited, which was the red flag for me.
The first person that popped into my mind was my mom. How could I possibly be across the Atlantic Ocean from her when a five-hour drive south feels too far now? I couldn’t even text her every day because of international rates. I just couldn’t possibly be away from my mom for that long. Some people could, but I couldn’t. Then my best friends popped into my head — the girls I see and text every single day. How could I possibly be on a different continent from them? I couldn’t even imagine making new friends in another country that could ever compare to them.
I realize I’m probably being unfair and irrational. I have to cut the umbilical cord from my mom eventually. I have to be able to branch out from the friends that I have and be open to new experiences. I know all of this; I just didn’t want to do any of it. I don’t want to be far from my mom (until I move to New York, and she’ll probably move with me). I don’t want to make new friends yet because my best friends are some of the most incredible humans I have ever met.
Hundreds of students study abroad every year, and I’m sure it is an amazing experience. I’m open to travelling out of the country to experience the world and different cultures, but instead with family on vacation, or on a trip with my best friends. I want to share my best experiences with the people I love most. I just can’t imagine myself making the best memories of my life without any of the people that impact every single day of my life. I can’t imagine leaving them.
If you want to study abroad, definitely do it. I’ve seen countless pictures of my friends’ adventures in other countries and all the amazing food they eat. Go if you want to! I’ll be holding down the fort in Gainesville.
Photo credit: whitebird.org