growth.
The idea of studying abroad used to bring me more anxiety than excitement. Yet, here I am today, almost a year after turning in my paperwork for a student visa, sharing my journey.
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to study abroad the Spring semester of 2023. I randomly decided about three months before leaving that it was something I wanted to do. Not necessarily because I knew it would be a great time, but rather because I knew it would put me completely out of my comfort zone. The only other time I had been out of the country was when I was 8 years old and went on a family trip to an all-inclusive resort in Cabo, Mexico. Now, I’d be traveling to a country that I had never visited, with no one that I was close to, for four months. This was a trip that I was doing by myself, for myself.
About a week before leaving, it finally hit me what I had gotten myself into. I was absolutely terrified and had no interest in going anymore. My mom and step-dad sat me down and basically told me that I had to make up my mind, and make it up fast. I had realized how far I had already gotten and decided it was too late to turn back. I knew I’d not only be letting other people down, but more importantly, I’d be letting myself down. So, I finished packing, said goodbye to my family, and got myself on a plane.
After countless hours in the airport, accidentally going through security again in Paris (do not recommend), and losing my luggage, I finally made it to Florence, Italy. I’m not gonna lie, the first couple of weeks were extremely difficult and it took a while for me to adjust. I had never had a roommate before, so living not only with 4 other people in the same apartment, but also with one person in my room, was extremely weird.
Honestly, even after 4 months of me being there, I still didn’t feel completely adjusted, but I sure as h*ll made a lot of progress.
Here are a few key things I learned along the way…
SAY YES!!!! Saying yes is the hardest part. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something you may not want to do in the moment, but you know will benefit you in the long run, is so important and you will thank yourself later.
Learn to enjoy your own company. I have honestly never really had a problem with spending time by myself. Some of my best moments are spent alone because I am able to do whatever I want, on my own schedule. Besides the almost selfish mentality, spending time alone helps you to find peace within yourself and pay closer attention to the smaller things around you that may go unnoticed when preoccupied with someone else.
Emerge yourself in the culture. It’d be silly to explore a new place and only stick to what you’re familiar with. Learn the language, try new foods, and try to live like those around you. Everyone exists in their own cool, unique way.
The experience is what you make of it. Within the first week of me arriving, I remember wanting nothing more than to get on the next flight home. It was at this point I realized I had quite literally hit rock bottom, and things could only go up from there (if I allowed it to). So, I picked myself up and made the most out of the experience. You’re capable of so much more than you may think. Go out, try new things, discover new places; find what brings you joy and do it.
Take it day-by-day. When I was struggling, my mom would tell me to just take it day-by-day. At first, I was like lady please… that’s a lot of days, you’re not helping. But as I tried to remind myself of this message, I found more comfort. Not only at the end of each day was I was one day closer to going home, but it also taught me to just take things slowly and enjoy as much as I can while given the opportunity.
Throughout my time abroad, I was able to travel to eight different places: Barcelona, Zurich, Rome, Cinque Terre, Bologna, Milan, Verona, and Pisa. Out of those eight, six were solo trips, trips that my own two feet took me on with no one to lean on when something went wrong. I am beyond proud of myself for navigating all of those foreign places unaccompanied and allowing myself to enjoy every second of it, I deserved it.
My travel backpack!
I could honestly go on and on about my experiences abroad forever. I am so grateful that I have all of these stories to share, both the good and the bad, as they have changed me and my perspective on life for the better.
By the end of my journey, the tears were turned into smiles and the mystery of an unknown world was discovered.
