I remember the feeling I got when I received the letter telling me I was accepted into the study abroad program in Madrid, Spain for the Spring 2016 semester at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. I wasn't sure if I was relieved, or if I was more nervous for what was to come. This would be the first time in my life in which I was going to be completely out of my comfort zone; I would be leaving my home for the first time in my life for longer than three and a half weeks. This time, I would be gone for seven months.

I wouldn't be driving to school anymore and I wouldn't be seeing my friends or my professors. I would be on my own. As my Fall 2015 semester was coming to an end, I tried to prepare myself for the new changes that would be coming up in my life. A new country, new city, new home, new people, new school, new everything.

I tried to think of the positives: new experiences, new friends, new adventures, and learning more about a culture that I was unfamiliar with. Instead of going to a university away from home, I was going to take this once in a lifetime opportunity and tell people that I went away to school. Indeed, I did.

I came back from Europe this summer on July 18 and I left in the beginning of this year on January 11. That's longer than the average study abroad time period in most university programs, and my study abroad program happened to be quite intensive. I took classes that helped me complete most of my Spanish minor requirements; I took Spanish Levels II, III, and IV. How crazy is that? In a span of five and a half months I took three different levels when most students in the United States would take them one semester after the other. Was it all worth it? Absolutely.

But enough about my program.

I'll tell you what happened when I first landed in Spain:

I took out my cellphone as soon as I got off of the plane, took it off of airplane mode, only to have fifty messages in my inbox telling me I spent about more than three hundred dollars and that my abroad plan was shut down. Thank you, AT&T. That was the first problem.

The second problem: the first two weeks I was gone, I was homesick. I would call my best friend and I'd be in tears. I was nervous something bad was going to happen and I missed my parents dearly. I lived in an apartment not too far from the center of the city with my roommate from California. She really helped me feel better as the weeks went on and she was very kind. She still is, too! And I miss her a lot...

And as the weeks went on, I made plenty of new friends, new friends who go to school in California, Nevada, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado, Iowa, and even from Australia! I happened to be the only student from Adelphi who was a part of this program. As I made new friends, I realized we were all in this together; none of us were alone in the transition from living at home to living abroad.

About a month and a half after arriving in Madrid, I started getting used to the idea of living abroad more. I explored the city and its beauty, I learned that the people were helpful and nice, and I also learned (although this shouldn't have been a surprise) how incredible the food was.

But, as the months went on and education was of course the first priority, traveling was something that came to be very important. Throughout my time abroad I travelled to Portugal, England, France, and Italy and the many beautiful cities within these spectacular and breathtaking countries. Many unforgettable memories were created on all the adventures my friends and I went on.

When my program ended after five and a half months, I didn't want to say goodbye to all the friends I made and the times that all of us shared together. However, I was staying in Europe for another month and a half while everyone was leaving. I worked at a small writing workshop company in the center of Madrid for four weeks. I didn't get paid, but I was able to improve my Spanish speaking skills more!

After my internship, I went to Naples, Italy to visit my family, which felt amazing. And, as I was leaving Madrid, I wasn't sure if I was sad since I knew I would be seeing my family. Of course I miss Madrid terribly, the people and friends I have made, and the memories that I will hold dearly, but I think I was ready to leave my temporary home.

Now I am here to tell you what studying abroad did for me and what the experience can also do for you:

1. Independence

As you are about to embark on the incredible journey of a lifetime, and you may be scared of the things that you will encounter on the other side of the Great Big Pond called the Atlantic Ocean. Whether you go away to school or not, being nervous, anxious, and feeling homesick are emotions that you are bound to feel throughout the course of your time abroad. But this is all a part of growing up: you are entering a new chapter in your life. Your time abroad is used as a time to be on your own and become independent and be more responsible.

2. New Friends

The friends you make while you are abroad are the friends you will hold near and dear to your heart. They can be from any part of the world or any part of the United States, you may not have anything in common with them, but what binds all of you together is the fact that you're in this transition together- you're on this roller coaster of an adventure together. And the best part about that is everyone is able to understand one another and you're all there for each other. The memories you make together are the ones that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

3. Traveling

Your time abroad is very important, but also very limited, so you must make time for yourself (and also yourself and your friends) to plan to travel. By traveling to different countries and exploring their cities, you can build a greater appreciation of all the beauty and wonder of the world we live in. Traveling also builds more independence in an individual by taking it upon oneself to go outside of their normal comfort zone and see the world for themselves.

4. Food And Drinks

No matter where you go in your travels, try everything. If it's good or bad, try it. Think of it this way: it'll be a good story to tell.

5. Learning About A New Culture

Living in a different country requires learning how to be how the people are, learning how to live like them, or even just trying to understand their way of life. This comes with learning how to speak a different language and trying new things that you never even dreamed of trying. Going to soccer (fútbol) games (especially in España) are also of the utmost importance.

6. Change

No matter how long you are gone, you go through many changes emotionally and mentally. You change as a person. Change is inevitable. As you go through changes, the friends you left behind at home also go through some changes. This is the downside to going abroad: while you are gone, you see your friends are having fun and doing their own things back home and you wish you could be there. Yes, you're traveling all over the world, but what most people don't understand is the fact that while you're abroad, that doesn't mean you would rather be away and not home. When you come home, you will see that you may not have too many things in common with the close friends you have left; new memories were created between your friends back home while you created memories in a different country, and you wish you could've been with all of them but you couldn't. You need to try to build that common ground once more... I'm still trying to work on that.

7. Americanized

Europe is beautiful, magnificent, breathing, and marvelous. Going abroad can change a person, but as someone who went abroad for quite some time, I am proud to say that I love the United States and there is no place like home.

I hope I was able to give all of you a better picture of the abroad life, for it is quite a fantastic one. If you are ever given the opportunity to study abroad, you should most definitely do it. You won't regret it. And thank your parents for giving you the greatest gift in your life: the world at the palm of your hands.

I would also like to give a shoutout to my Abroad Squad - thank you for helping me open my eyes to the world around me; I never would've gotten through all those months without all of you. Te echo de menos mucho!!!!