Studying abroad is continually upheld as one of the best opportunities that college provides, introducing students to the great big world out there beyond the confines of their university campus. Studying abroad is an opportunity for personal and academic growth, as students have the freedom to travel throughout other parts of the world and learn about other cultures. Surprisingly, only about 1.2 % of US students enrolled in higher education choose to study abroad, despite the fact that your social media accounts are flooded with pictures from your friend’s semester in Spain or Ireland or Costa Rica or…where did they go, again?
In all seriousness, information about studying abroad can be super overwhelming; there are hundreds of programs to choose from and thousands of reasons to do it– but what will you actually walk away with besides a drained bank account and a go-to conversation starter? My study abroad experience taught me so many meaningful lessons, but paramount of these was the incredible way that my semester abroad helped me learn to leap.
In the least cliched way possible, allow me to explain why leaping, jumping, bounding, and soaring are the most accurate descriptions of how my study abroad experience encouraged me to grow and embrace new challenges confidently and long into the future.
The writer’s momentary swedish cottage in Länna, Sweden.
There were many, many literal leaps that substantiated my experience abroad. First of all, there was the MAJOR leap via plane that landed me in Sweden, on my feet, but totally shook about the four months that were ahead of me. Before that flight even happened, however, I had to take a huge decisive leap that involved choosing to temporarily leave my comfortable and familiar college lifestyle and explore the uncertainty of the outside world. While I doubted many times whether I made the right decision, having the courage to take that jump opened many doors for further growth and fulfillment in my time abroad.
Fulfilling experiences greeted me at every turn, but only when I was willing to stretch myself and voluntarily leave my comfort zone. Amazingly, my curiosity about the world had me bounding toward new and exciting excursions to other countries, as I navigated and planned weekend trips throughout Europe. My (initially hesitant) jump into freezing cold waters allowed me to explore the natural beauty of the Swedish lacke-covered landscape and deepen my friendships; With every leap, my confidence soared, and I came to understand just how powerful being vulnerable and open to risk can really be.
The Author slides into another adventure.
And this, my readers, leads me to all the emotional leaps that made my study abroad experience incredibly challenging in the most wonderful way possible. Living, not just vacationing, in another country made me more vulnerable and uncertain than I’ve ever been before; Although I had guidance from my peers and professors, studying abroad really allowed me to explore myself in a free and independent way. I took leaps in my social life by exploring Swedish nightlife and forming new international friendships; I jumped into conversations with friends that lasted until I had to take the last bus home for the night; most remarkably, I took a major emotional leap by expressing my feelings and beginning a relationship that fills me with joy and makes me feel incredibly loved.
What would have happened if I didn’t take any of these leaps? The thought of how easily I could have isolated myself and avoided these risks shakes me to my core– I view my study abroad experience as a defining moment in my life, and to think that I could have easily shied away from all of my accomplishments really scares me because I know that it could be easy to stay comfortable in the future, too.
The author bundles up to explore the Swedish wilderness.
Leaps are fun and enjoyable and fulfilling and fascinating and thought-provoking and illuminating and life-giving. And I hope that you will continue to take leaps whether they involve studying abroad or not. My semester abroad has made me more willing to take risks and jump head-first into the future; I now know just how rewarding leaving your comfort zone can actually be– soaring forward and not looking back.