Studying abroad in college was something that I had dreamed about since I was a freshman in high school. I picked my college based on their study abroad program before even thinking about my major. It was something that I never doubted I wanted to do. Although, I know not everyone feels the same way. Studying abroad is a big decision; deciding to spend anywhere from a few weeks to a few months away from your home and everyone you know can be scary. Still, if you’re on the fence about studying abroad, I think you should take the risk and do it.

I studied abroad in Rome for the spring semester of 2018. The best parts of studying abroad weren’t in the classroom, even though I was able to take some really unique courses while I was in Italy. I loved trying new foods, exploring new parts of the city, and learning how to use my Italian outside of the classroom. I was able to travel anywhere in Europe for relatively cheap since every country is so close. However, my favorite part of living in Italy for four months was the cultural knowledge I gained. Obviously, Italian life is different from American life because every country has its own culture. Although, until I spent a good amount of time in Italy, I didn’t realize just how different our everyday lives could be. The days of rolling out of bed twenty minutes before class and going out in sweats and a t-shirt were over, and not just because I had to factor in a metro ride to campus. In Italy, everyone dresses to impress everyday. They don’t care if you’re just going to class or getting a quick bite to eat, you need to be well dressed. If you’re dressed lazily, you’re easily picked out as a tourist, which could make you the victim of pickpockets. There was a girl I knew who had her expensive sunglasses stolen right out of her pocket. I also preferred not to be seen as a tourist because then I couldn’t practice my Italian when I was out and about. When I would walk into stores, if they could pick me out as an American, they would immediately switch to English, even though I knew Italian. Eventually I learned how to blend in and make myself look more like a native rather than stick out as a tourist and even though I learned about these cultural differences in my Italian class before leaving for Italy, it felt totally different living them. These differences are things that might seem easy to deal with, but you don’t understand how it’ll affect your daily life until you’re living in a completely new culture. You need to experience them firsthand for you to truly understand how different cultures live. Studying abroad is truly a unique experience that will give you so much more valuable knowledge than any class could.

During my time in Rome, I had a lot of fun and learned so much about the history, culture, and language of Italy. However, not everyday is perfect when studying abroad. Studying abroad marked the first time I traveled outside of the country without my parents and I was nervous, but excited. My first few weeks in Italy I had a lot of fun meeting new people and trying new things, however about a month into the experience homesickness settled in and I found myself withdrawn and not wanting to even leave my apartment some days. There were days I’d call home and say how much I just wanted to hop on a plane ride back to the US because I just wanted the familiarity of America again. However, I wasn’t able to do that and I found it made me a much stronger person. Being in a foreign country without my family was a risk without a safety net. I never truly realized how dependent I was on other people until there was no one there to come to my rescue. I finally decided to take my life into my own hands and make the best out of the situation. So, I decided to talk to the counselor provided by my campus about how I felt, and it turned out that these feelings are incredibly common amongst students studying abroad. Homesickness isn’t something people often talk about after studying abroad, because the good things are often what we remember best. However, I think it's important for everyone thinking about studying abroad to know that these feelings are incredibly common, even if you think it won’t happen to you. I learned how to cope with these feelings, rather than just ignore them. In the end, the rest of my semester was great, and I would’ve missed out on a ton of opportunities if I quit halfway through. Sure, it wasn’t always easy, but nothing in life is perfect. In the end, I learned that no matter what I attempt to do in my life, I know I’ll be able to handle it because I was able to overcome one of the biggest challenges in my life by myself.

Sure, studying abroad isn’t for everyone, but if you’re wondering if it might be right for you, my advice is to take a leap of faith and do it. You can get so much more out of it than perfect Instagram photo-ops and delicious food (although those aren’t bad perks). Studying abroad to me was a life lesson, not only did it expand my horizons on different cultures, it showed me that I was so much stronger than I ever thought I was. Being on your own in a foreign country isn’t always easy, but in the end it's always going to be worth it.

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