Imagine waking up in the morning, walking downstairs and discovering yourself in a whirlwind of bustling people. These people are in a city much different from Gainesville, en route to jobs, shopping and sightseeing in some of the most incredible cities in the entire world. You twirl around seeing a world entirely different from your college campus and think to yourself that you must be dreaming. What would you say if I told you that you weren’t dreaming? What would you say if I told you that this person could be you this summer?
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been dreaming of studying abroad during college. My parents promised me that if I could maintain good grades, then my dream could come true the summer prior to my junior year. I turned in my money last month and I will be spending the entirety of this upcoming summer in London, England. I would like to give you some reasons why spending your summer abroad could make this summer the best one of your life.
Adventure: I cannot think of a better adventure than traveling the world! While studying abroad, especially in Europe, you can easily hop on a plane or train and travel to amazing countries in just a few hours. You can see sites you have only read in books and seen in movies. You can watch a sunset behind the Eiffel Tower, explore Hyde Park in London or even take a gondola ride in Italy. The world is yours for the summer and you should take full advantage of that fact. Try something new! Go cliff diving in Scotland or visit a flower market in Nice. Live out your dreams and meet amazing people that you will never forget.
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: It is very unlikely that you will ever again have a three-month period in your life to take classes in another country and travel the world. After college, life will be crazy with jobs and circumstances that won’t allow you the chance to take a three-month break. Studying abroad is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is your chance to live the summer to its fullest!
Visit friends for cheap: It’s likely that you will not be the only one of your friends studying abroad this summer if you decide to make this choice. I set up a study abroad Facebook group for my sorority sisters and we have already made plans to visit Marseilles, France this summer! The amazing thing about traveling around Europe is that it’s dirt-cheap compared to the plane ticket to get from America to Europe. Because of this, you will be able to visit many cities throughout the summer. I already know girls studying in Italy, Spain and Scotland, and I definitely plan on taking trips to see them while I’m staying in Europe!
Finding yourself: These are the words I have heard from a majority of amazing women I look up to. They’ve told me that the best thing about studying abroad in another country is that you really find yourself and the person you want to become in the future. With so much traveling, trying new things and meeting amazing people in each country, you are able to generate a new appreciation and love for the world around you. College is the time to find yourself, and what better way to do this than in a gorgeous foreign country?
I’m so excited for this upcoming summer, and I really hope that you make the decision to study abroad, too!
Photo credit: excel-london.co.uk