If you've been able to experience a study abroad trip at any point in your academic career, you know just how special it is. The food, the shopping, the nights out, and the culture bring such an excitement and wonder it's impossible to forget. And while you may bring back a souvenir or two, you will also bring back a change of self. Some of the attitudes that grow may have been there from the start. These may not be entirely new concepts, but how they are cultivated and shaped will be influenced by the lessons we learn during this time.
1. Patience- Being a hot head where your language is not the primary one spoken is useless. Being a hot head in general is—but when you're forced to take a step back and collect your thoughts in order to get your point across in a different way it really stays with you. I’ll never forget trying to explain the concept of the American grading system and having to take a moment to find new ways to convey the same idea without getting frustrated. (it is not their fault they don't understand you!) And don't think for a second you won't get lost at some point. Taking a deep breath, stepping back, and communicating with others in order to help get you where you need to go is hard to initiate, but so worth the time. You become accustomed to the fact that you don't know everything and you're going to need to work with others to make your trip that much more enjoyable.
2. Appreciation for others - I promise you that you will not appreciate the unique accommodations your city has until you’re away from it. Cliché as it is, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Not only will you miss the city, your favorite brunch spot where they know your order off the bat, but the people who are thousands of miles away. And it might be obvious, but the excitement of being on your own is so overwhelming the first few days that it’s not until you find yourself stuck inside wishing for your best friend to spill your whole weekend of events to that you realize how big of an impact they have on your life. It of course doubles back with family, too. The minute you realize your mom isn't there to comfort you when the day seemed tougher than usual (because those kinds of days do and will happen abroad). Or sitting down to a dinner where they don't put out your favorite glass, like your grandparents always do, are the moments you appreciate even the small things they do for you, because it all matters.
3. Pride - And not the showy, boisterous kind. It’s pride for where you come from and who you are. While the country you find yourself in is foreign to you, you’re the real outsider. It’s easy for jokes and stereotypes to fly, and when they’re directed at you it can put a dent in your ego. But, being able to stand up for your country, nationality—hell, for your own name, is something you learn how to do quite well when people are unfamiliar with your culture. This attitude carries on with you when you board the plane home and touch down in the many different situations you will encounter (like college and networking events). It's important to let where you come from be a part of you. Your roots have kept you steady your whole life whether you recognize it or not. Don't forget about them.
4. Confidence - You have to put yourself out there. I mean it. You have to do this all the time, but it is particular necessity you may learn in another country. It is so easy to get lost in the crowd and follow the pack when you’re on your own, but confidence carries you such a long way. When you’re far from home (and even when you aren’t!) you need to be clear on what you like, what you don’t like, how you feel, etc. Different cultures treat certain situations/topics differently and the people there can’t read minds. It's going to make you feel comfortable and that’s honestly one of the most important things. This rings true at home too, as you can well imagine. Plus, that confidence will carry you to a new street, the best hole-in-the-wall café, a street market or a museum you’ve never heard of! Your experiences transform to events so indulgent you’ll have wondered why you haven’t stepped up to the plate sooner.
5. The realization that home is not your only home and change is good - Your heart may be bound to the streets of NYC, but you will lose pieces of yourself wherever you go. You will have to live with that, too. But leaving behind a slice of your heart in the streets of Rome, or on the Côte d’Azur is not a loss you will regret. It is experience that will only draw you back—a sensation that gives you chills and warms you inside all at the same time. Knowing that you have found another place you care so deeply about other than your birth home is new, exciting, and even a little odd at first, but it's important because they become a part of you and vice versa. This happens everywhere, and learning to let go and accept changes in yourself accompanies. It's a liberating experience that will push you to break out of your comfort zone, try new things, explore to the edge of the world and beyond. Do not be afraid to let go.
