When I was in high school and began truly thinking about college, something I knew for certain was that I wanted to spend a semester abroad. I wanted to see the world, travel and try new things.

At Miami University, I found that my major made it impossible to go abroad for a semester my junior year if I wanted to graduate on time. Heartbroken, I looked for other solutions to still go abroad and graduate on time. I found a program where I could travel to Europe in the summer, have a base location and travel independently on my weekends. Although it was not what I had always imagined, it was the best solution I could find.

I am happy to announce that I will be spending half of my upcoming summer abroad in Barcelona. I am traveling with two friends from Miami and meeting up with my mother and aunt at the end to travel together before heading back home and to school for fall semester.

Last night, my friends that I’m studying with abroad and I looked up travel ideas for where we would venture off to on the weekends. Upon staring at Google Maps for about an hour, it hit me that in just a couple of months I will be in a foreign country, learning about different cultures and traveling to exciting places on the weekends.

While planning for my time abroad, there are eight things that stand out and make me so excited for my journey.

1. New view on Europe

Although I have been to Europe a couple of times before, I have never participated in anything like a study abroad program. I am unexplainably excited to experience Spain in all its beauty, as well as wherever my weekend travels take me. It will be scary traveling to such a foreign place with little knowledge on what lies ahead, but I am so thrilled to begin my adventure.

2. Travel

Although I have a fear of planes, I have never been more ready to board one and fly to Barcelona. Not to mention, I will be flying to somewhere new every single weekend. This will be an adventure of a lifetime. Studying abroad and traveling all across Europe with my friends is something I'll most likely experience just this once. I can’t wait to try new foods, see the sites and be surrounded by the local charm in each location.

3. Adventure

How lucky am I to say that I am traveling to Europe with my friends? Very. This will be an experience straight out of "The Lizzie McGuire Movie," minus the secret doppelgänger, fame and romance.

4. New friends

Since the program I am going abroad through is not technically a Miami University-sponsored program, I will be meeting other college students from different schools. I can’t wait to meet new people and make new friendships.

5. Memories

Whether I am sitting on the beach in Barcelona watching the sunset or steps away from the Eiffel Tower, I will be making memories every day. Each day will hold some experience that I will take with me back to America. I already know to appreciate every moment I'm in Europe.

6. Trying new things

While abroad, I vow to experience the local culture of each country. I will try new foods, branch out and put myself outside my comfort zone. Although this is nerve-racking to imagine now, months away, I know I will look back on my time abroad with regrets if I do not fully put myself out there. The whole point of going abroad is to experience new cultures, and that is what I intend on doing.

7. Experience

As a future teacher, I need to be aware of other cultures in order to truly feel that I am able to do my job. There is no better way to learn about cultures than immersing myself in them by traveling and experiencing them firsthand. I want to question my culture and other cultures in order to gain a true understanding. How can I be a language arts teacher educating my students about a variety of characters and people without having the experience of trying to understand them? How can I be a social studies teacher and teach about the world if I have not travelled and seen it myself?

8. Learning about myself

All of the previous reasons I am excited about going abroad will work together to give me a better understanding of who I am as a person, friend, future teacher, etc. Through new experiences, I will come to understand myself and the world we live in. I want to see everything I possibly can in my short time in Europe. I want to become aware and insightful about the world, test myself through new experiences to see how I handle them and experience more of the world than I do in the Midwest.

I absolutely can’t wait until the day comes when I head off the Barcelona. It will be scary, exciting and hold completely unexpected surprises. I am ready to sit on the beach with my friends in Barcelona, sightsee in Portugal with my mom and aunt and make memories that I will hold dearly for life. Europe here I come!