The Duomo in Milan, Italy, where I studied abroad
Everyone who’s studied abroad or knows someone who’s studied abroad has heard all the clichés – “No wine is as good as the bottle I had in Florence by the Duomo,” or “Paris is lovely this time of year.” Those stereotypes definitely have some truth to them, and I agree that sometimes I feel overwhelmed when a friend returns from a semester away and suddenly has a million stories about different places and people that they’ve encountered over the past few months. Funny enough, this fall I am that friend returning from a semester away in Milan, Italy. And, I never thought I’d say it, but there’s so much you can learn from a semester abroad that you can’t quite put into words in daily life. Below are a few of the lessons I learned.
1. You’re a lot more independent than you think
Living, eating, and traveling on your own are all common realities of studying abroad
This one goes without saying. In a semester abroad, you live completely on your own, many times in a country where you don’t speak the language fluently or, in my case, at all. It’s a lot different than being at college with your best friends. Sure, we’ve all made the jump from life with parents to life without parents and instead with two or three roommates, but navigating a new country on your own is its own challenge.
Unlike your home college, where everyone around you is in a similar situation and the school administration is at least somewhat aware of the realities of their students, living in an apartment while studying abroad means that you are quite literally on your own, buying weekly groceries, and living in a building with grown adults rather than other students. To put it quickly: in a semester abroad, you learn that you’re much more independent than you think you are, and between weekly tasks to weekend adventures, you’ll find that maybe you are a bit ready for adulthood.
2. American culture is wacky
We all probably knew at least a little bit of the truth of that. But, when you’re being asked by Italian classmates why your country is having so much trouble with people eating Tide Pods, the truth becomes just a little bit clearer.
Seriously, in my first encounters with other students, I was always shocked by the differences they identified between Americans and their heritage. And, in between the bigger philosophical questions about why Americans are the way they are, I was reminded daily of a multitude of our other tendencies, including our uncouth coffee-drinking habits (in Italy, no one drinks cappuccinos after lunch time – that’s the time for espresso). Because I am surrounded by Americans 100% of the time at UVA, it was nice when I was abroad to be asked different questions about American culture and learn about cultures different than the one I grew up in.
3. Saying thank you is a universal language
If I learned anything abroad, it was that saying thank you can go a really long way, especially when you’re in a new place, and even more so when you’re lost. While many cultures have different customs when it comes to eating, drinking, or driving, I’ve found that people all over the world are highly receptive and friendly when you learn to say thank in their native tongue. Even if you don’t know any Hungarian, being able to say köszönöm to someone helping you navigate the metro system in broken English is an easy way to show your appreciation for their help and their culture.
4. $200 goes a long way
Seriously. I can only speak to Europe cost-wise, but $100 goes way further in travel and food (if you’re not too picky) than it does in the States. In my semester abroad, I was able to travel to 12 different countries, and not once did I buy a round-trip plane ticket for more than $150. I think that speaks to the geographic convenience of Europe, as well as the reality of inexpensive airlines. Still, whether it be travel or groceries, I found that my money felt like it went a lot further in my time abroad than it does when I’m at school in Charlottesville.
5. $200 goes quickly
Yup. I said it. Even though $200 lasts awhile when it comes to day to day expenses, it also goes really quickly when your spending is dictated by a yearning for Once in a Lifetime Experiences, many of which come at a steep price. For instance, gondola companies in Venice know exactly how much you’ll pay to be taken around the canals in a gondola, and they’re not afraid to collude and all offer you that same price.
6. There are a lot of foods you haven’t heard of
A lampredotto sandwich, made from the fourth and final stomach of a cow – the abomasum
I learned this lesson the hard way. And honestly, I would’ve liked to have learned this lesson before biting into a cow-stomach sandwich, but hey, it was worth the experience. Just keeping this insight on your radar whenever you’re looking at a menu in a foreign language is a good place to start.
7. The world is beautiful
The horizon in Lucerne, Switzerland
I can’t say this enough. The world is so beautiful, and it doesn’t always take going away to realize that! So whether you’re in Charlottesville or away for a semester, go out and enjoy all of the beautiful sites that you have in your own backyard – I bet you’ll realize that some people fly for hours just to see something as gorgeous.