Don't let your undergraduate career pass you by without taking the opportunity to venture abroad. College study abroad programs make it easy for you to experience new places on a level that's harder to accomplish through individual travels. Think about it: only as a student would you be able to get away with living in a stranger's house and getting to know them without it being considered weird! The lessons learned abroad are endless, but below are a few general lessons that my summer in Costa Rica taught me:
1. The language learning process humbles you.
Being in a foreign country where they speak a language you aren't fully fluent in isn't the equivalent of having your voice stolen by an evil sea witch, but it definitely is an adjustment process! Full language immersion does wonders for your fluency levels over time, but the struggle is real during the beginning stages. The fact that my English voice would do me little good finally hit me when I was alone with my host family in the car riding back from the airport. You have moments when you don't really understand what is being explained to you, and you don't want to have to ask them to repeat it again. You have moments when you are really excited about something but have no idea how to begin to explain it. Then, you have moments when you misunderstand a word -- even simple words.
For example, there was a religious festival going on in town that I attended with my host family. There was a bingo booth set up, and the kids and I went over to play. Well, I thought I got bingo, and as my card was being called out, I discovered that for some reason I thought cincuenta y cuatro meant 44; it means 54. I knew my numbers but quite simply just made a stupid mistake. A lot of the adults laughed at me, so I just laughed too. Who would have thought it...the accounting major making a mistake dealing with numbers. You just have to not be too hard on yourself and maintain a good sense of humor; your voice as you have known it in the past is gone! But, unlike Ariel, you have more to rely on than just body language. You will gradually discover the voice that proves useful in your new surroundings.
2. Be spontaneous.
Chances are you will encounter that one person in your study abroad group who wants to try and over-plan everything. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with sorting out some of the details for ways to fill up a free afternoon or independent travel weekend. But, the thing is, you are in a new place that frankly you know little about. Therefore, if you are walking around the capital city and you walk past a bakery that smells good, see a park that looks interesting, or walk past a discoteca that's playing some pretty great music, why not just go for it? It's okay not to have a plan. When you go out just to experience a place, the results are a lot more rewarding.
3. Don't be afraid to talk to people to find cool places to go.
Of course, there are always the big must see destinations of any country. They are always packed with tourists wearing fanny packs following tightly scheduled agendas. English will be spoken widely in these areas, almost everything will be overpriced, and quite honestly, it will be easy to forget what country you are in. Some of these places you will want to see, and that's okay. But, the more rewarding experiences can be found off the typical tourist radar. How do you find out about places to go? Well, having a host family helps because they are easier to talk to. But, just find a way to get in touch with the locals and make friends. Despite what may have been hammered in your head as a young one, talking to strangers isn't always a bad thing (as long as your smart about it). Plus, talking to an actual person is a lot more valuable than just asking Google -- even if you still have internet access. Be a traveler, not a tourist.
4. The world is a lot smaller than you think.
Even after coming home, I still keep in touch with my host family and the other friends that I met abroad. When my mother passed away in October, my host mom was one of the first people to reach out to me on a deeper level. The internet has made communication and maintaining relationships increasingly easy, no matter the distance. Just having the opportunity to make connections in other countries makes you realize that the world isn't as inaccessible as it seemed before.
