I have always loved to travel. I have always loved adventure. I have always loved trying new things. I have definitely not always loved being pushed outside of my comfort zone, nor have I always appreciated the value of self growth. But after studying abroad, I can confidently say that both of these things are now true for me among so many others.

I always knew that I wanted to study abroad for the experience, but little did I know how much impact living in another culture halfway across the world would have on me. I grew up traveling and hearing stories of relatives and family friends' adventures pursuing international education and what an incredible time they had. So, when I got to college, it was on my checklist. It was something I was determined to do, and I am so glad I did. What I learned during my study abroad experience in Chile enriched my life so extensively and gave me so many invaluable tools. It was amazing, and it is my hope that more people will pursue the possibility of studying abroad during their college years. Here are just a few of the reasons why.

Your values shift.

We spent one weekend in a gorgeous region of Chile near the Andes mountains and one day, we had the chance to go horseback riding alongside them. To say it was an unreal experience is a huge understatement and no photo I took could sum up how incredible the view of the Andes was on horseback. It is absolutely an experience I will treasure forever. I was paying for the venture and it ended up costing about $15. It occurred to me how many things I waste on $15 that don't matter at all, that I won't remember. I spend silly amounts of money on clothing and stuff that doesn't add lasting value to my life. I want to spend my money on things that will enrich my life, not on that which makes me appear to be richer. Life experiences weigh so much more than material items. What will you remember in 50 years?

You hone your independence.

Mom and dad aren't right there when something goes wrong. You are in another country on a different time zone and a phone call costs a semester's worth of tuition. You have to figure things out on your own and you really learn to think for yourself. It's so important that you hone in on being independent and figuring out who you are on your own, especially during your college years, before you're off into a career. It also allows you to narrow in on your intuition, to figure out what YOU want, and go for it. Sometimes once you take away all of the people and places you're familiar with, you get to figure out what you really want out of life for yourself. A lot of voices can so often cloud your true aspirations and desires.

You get outside of your comfort zone.

We are creatures of habit, of rhythm, of routine. It's only natural. However, there is nothing routine about studying in another country. You are in a totally different culture with different people, places, food, and things to do. Maybe back home you would never dream of eating that food, but hey, you're here and you may never get the chance to again, so you go ahead and expand your appetite for the evening... for better or worse. Normally, white water rafting around an active volcano would be insane and totally not your style, but you're only here once and you decide to go for it. Life is all about taking risks and trying new things. How will you know what you like if you don't?

You experience being truly present.

Social media consumes our lives now. We are sucked into our phones and computers all the time. We are constantly busy. Running from class, to work, to internships, to a birthday dinner and yoga class, we are in a constant state of "go go go." Even when we aren't in the "go go go" state, we are planning the next one. Traveling allows you to unplug. It allows you to genuinely savor moments. It gives you the chance to disconnect from virtual reality and connect to the exquisite reality in front of you. You are fully present with the people and places around you and detached from being a thousand places at once. It is the most freeing and peaceful state of being, and you get the time to really be present with the world.

You learn to be adaptable.

Studying Abroad is NOT easy. It is hard. Really hard. People will tell you how amazing it was and how much fun they had, and you will see many pictures on social media of them touring the world. What they won't tell you is how stressed it was getting settled, learning another language, and how to function in another culture with people they don't know. I had always thought that "culture shock" meant being surprised by cultural differences. Boy, was I wrong. Culture shock means literally not even being able to say what you want to eat to your host family, and your most basic needs, getting lost in the middle of the night and not being able to get home because you don't understand the public transit system, and feeling super alone because your language skills aren't good enough yet to communicate how you're feeling. It's difficult to navigate, but you figure it out because you have to.

You are thrown in to this totally new world and you can either sink or swim. It is so easy to want to be discouraged and lose confidence. You learn how to communicate effectively, navigate foreign places, and work well in this new environment. You figure out how to think on your feet and manage a life in a totally new culture. That is a huge deal. Think about how many people will be graduating college and going off to a new city or state and have to do exactly this. You will more than likely, at some point or another in your life, have to move somewhere or start a new job where you will feel like a fish out of water. Being able to adapt and maneuver your way through the highs and lows of new experiences is an invaluable skill to have.

You figure out what REALLY matters to you.

Traveling during these transformative years has a funny way of making you realize what's important to you. There were a lot of things and people I missed, and a lot of things I discovered, especially about myself. Before I lived abroad, I thought I wanted to be a news anchor. While I was there it occurred to me that it didn't matter if I was on camera or not, it mattered that I was producing content that made a difference. I also came to a conclusion that a huge reason for conflict in the world is because people with cultural differences don't understand one another. Now I hope to make it a point in my life to further that global understanding.

You learn to let go and go with the flow.

We can all too easily become idealists and imagine a perfect picture of how an event or experience is going to go, and then become so frustrated and thrown out of whack when it doesn't go exactly as planned. I was never someone who easily loosened my grip. If there was a plan, I wanted to stick to it, exactly how it was decided on and how I wanted it. Well, funny story, nothing in life goes exactly as planned, and especially not studying abroad. Sometimes people get lost, sometimes people decide something else sounds more fun, sometimes things just don't work out. You can either get upset and frustrated by it, or accept the fact that not everything is going to be just how you want it. You learn to shift your perspective on plans. Instead of being frustrated from what you missed out on, new discoveries can be made just by letting go to what you know and embracing the possibilities of what could be.

Open-mindedness becomes so important.

Everyone is different. Nobody is exactly like you, nobody has grown up the exact same way you did or has the exact same values or perspective. This is especially true when you travel. You meet people who are totally different from you and have completely different world views. Just because people have different perspectives and interests doesn't mean they are wrong or right, good or bad; it just means that they are different. You encounter people and places that may totally surprise and even confuse you. This is not the time to feel put off or weirded out by these differences and new experiences; this is the time to be open minded and ask questions. The best way to learn is to experience differences and ask questions. You never know what you can discover when you keep an open mind. Diversity is an incredible asset.

Meeting new people becomes a breeze.

Studying abroad can be super tough to do if you don't make connections quickly. It's like college when you start. You immediately join organizations so you have a support network of people around you and to go through the experiences with you. You learn to be fearless and network like a boss, becoming able to make conversation with anyone and everyone. "Oh, you like horseback riding? Cool! I hear there's horseback riding on the beach this weekend - let's go!" "How about those crazy bus drivers, am I right?" "Oh you're from Texas too? No way! I miss tacos so much!" Boom. Friendships.

You have friends all over the world.

You never know who you will end up meeting when you travel. Truly, I met some of the most spectacular people during my time abroad, people I feel sure I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life. My Chilean host brother ended up becoming one of my best friends and our relationship is so special. The people I studied with live all over the world, are fantastic, and my life is so enriched by knowing them. It is a special experience to go through, and it's amazing to have people to share it with. Plus, who else will be able to laugh with me in 50 years at all the shenanigans we got into in South America?

Of course, the way I imagined my adventure studying abroad was vastly different than the experience I actually had. I wanted to go just for the experience and gained so much more than I had ever bargained for. I look back on that time every single day and am so thankful that I took that opportunity. This is the time to take risks, go on adventures, and experience the world before you have to off and be a "real" adult. What better way to do it than in another culture halfway around the globe?

Expand your horizons in the most incredible way. Study abroad.