Since my freshman year of college, I had dreamed of studying abroad, and I watched enviously as older students went before me and came back with stories of their adventures. I thought this would be my big chance: I’d explore the world, figure out how to travel on my own, and finally make my Instagram account interesting. When I was given the opportunity to study at Queen’s University Belfast during the spring semester of my junior year, I could not have been more excited or more nervous to see what this trip held for me. I was excited to see the island of Ireland, but I was also determined to experience as much of Europe as possible while I was overseas. I thought maybe I’d paraglide over the Alps, camp in the Sahara, hike on glaciers in Iceland, who knows? When people asked me what the best part of studying abroad was, I wanted to be able to look back at them and rattle off an impressive story about how I traveled to an exotic country or visited one of the world’s most beautiful sites. I wanted so badly to be able to tell people about my greatest adventure. So here I am, back in the U.S., with all of my incredible experiences and treasured memories, and I’m finally ready to answer the question. So here it goes.

“What was the best part of studying abroad?”

And my answer, without fail, is: “My flatmates!”

Translation for my American friends: an apartment in the UK is a “flat," so my flatmates are the students I lived with last semester. This isn't my answer because I didn’t seek out the typical study abroad adventures while I was away. I spent 23 days backpacking across Europe and visited nine other countries while I lived in Belfast, and these trips resulted in more incredible experiences and friendships than I could have ever imagined. But the best part of studying abroad, by far, was the group of people I lived with in student accommodation at Queen’s University.

I arrived in Belfast ready to force myself to have adventures, make friends and explore my new city. Everyone who studied abroad talked about how they fell in love with their new home, and I was determined to do the same. Little did I know that I wouldn't even have to try! When I moved into my room as the new American girl on the hall, I had no idea what to expect from the group of other students who had already known each other for six months. After the first nervous introductions in our common room, I was amazed by how quickly friendships developed and how seamlessly we all fit into each other’s lives. Within weeks I could tell that leaving these friends would be one of the hardest moments of my life. The late-night talks that turned into mornings, the trips to Ollie’s and Nando’s, the cocktail dates, the study sessions, the weekly Game of Thrones viewings, the random deep conversations and all the laughter I shared with them made up my favorite moments of studying abroad.

All the times I saw beautiful architecture and breathtaking scenery last semester can’t compare to these memories because I’ve learned that what truly matters is the people you share them with. My favorite pictures aren't the ones that got the most "likes" on my Instagram; they're the candids of my flatmates that I don't even remember taking. I know there was a reason I was placed on that particular hall during that particular semester, and I’ll be forever grateful that I had the chance to meet these friends. I’m different not because I “found myself” while I traveled, but because I found people who loved me for who I already was and who taught me to be a better version of myself.

Those four months, when the 11 of us lived in one place, can never be replicated even though I’ll be back to visit someday. But the lesson I’m taking away from my study abroad experience is this: the more deeply you invest in people, the more deeply you experience life. I want to carry that lesson with me as I finish college, and I want to make sure I reach out to my friends at home so they know how important they are to me. I need to be truly present in the moment and focus on the relationships I can build wherever I am even though I’ll always miss the friends who aren’t with me. My flatmates taught me that.

So as I reflect on my adventures abroad, I realize there are so many people I need to thank for their influence on my life. I want to thank my family and friends in the States for being so supportive and encouraging while I was away, even though I’m terrible at communicating (I didn’t even have a blog, so I’m trying to compensate for that now). I want to thank everyone I traveled with through Europe and the strangers who became friends along the way --please keep in touch because I can’t wait to see you again! I want to thank God for leading me every day and blessing my travels and for loving me unconditionally through it all. And I want to thank Queen’s University for not only being an amazing and welcoming school but also for giving me the opportunity which made all of this possible.

I especially want to thank my flatmates -– each one of you is special to me in a different way, but together you made last semester unforgettable. So when I look back at studying abroad, I can honestly say: you were my greatest adventure.