As mentioned in my last post, studying abroad has always been a team of mine, and now I can say that dream has come true! Being able to embark on this journey has been such an eye opening experience and one I do know I will truly talk about for the rest of my life!! However, there are several avenues that I feel should be talked about more before like: What do you actually do once you get there? How do you make the most of the trip? How does reality measure up to what you’ve made the trip out to be in your head? In this post I want to share a few of my experiences and hopefully help answer some of these questions for you!
Honestly, these questions can be answered a little different for each person because each experience is unique. However, from my perspective, here are things I would’ve liked to know.
- Make friends with EVERYONE!!
- Try new foods
- Step out of your comfort zone
Making friends with everyone makes for such a fun experience!! Now, does that mean you have to be besties with everyone? No, but it is nice to be able to hangout in a large group and would make for a much more fun experience. Even if you know people going on the trip, branch out, get closer with other people too! This is an experience to meet new people you might not have met otherwise.
Trying new foods is one of my top tips because, yes it did make me get more out of my comfort zone, but it also opened doors for me realizing there were so many other things I like that I was just always too afraid to try! One of my favorite things from Italy and just Europe in general that is now a staple in my home is the oil and vinegar with bread!! Its totally changed my life and I had it before I went to Europe but was closed minded before and trying it again made a difference.
Stepping out of your comfort zone was a huge lesson taught in our program. Every time we met for class or did something new Professor Lewis would ask us “What have you done to step out of your comfort zone?” We all would giggle and think it was silly at first but, as we spent more time there we realized that it truly does create amazing experiences being able to step out of your comfort zone and to me that’s what the whole trip was about. There were things I tried and experienced that coming back to the United States has made me have a completely different outlook on life!
My initial impressions and the experiences I had at the beginning of my trip are much different from the ending of my trip. I say this because keeping an open mind, branching out of your comfort zone, and different people can make a lot of difference!
