Earlier this month, I returned home from my fourth study abroad program in as many years. I'm maybe a bit travel-obsessed, and it's not always easy to explain why. Because the experience can be so difficult to share, conversations about studying abroad often rely upon laughably generic descriptions- I sometimes think we'd have better discussions about studying abroad if we stopped using extremely broad words like "culture" and "values."
This is my attempt at breaking the script a little bit- these are a few things I learned from studying abroad that I didn't expect.
1. How to keep up with paperwork.
I'm not an organized person, and going abroad means filling out stacks of papers with extremely dull titles, getting signatures from half a dozen different people, and shepherding them to the right office at the right time. I'm not exactly reformed, but I am better than I used to be at getting administrative stuff done.
For other people, the hard part may be something else- packing, arranging transportation, budgeting, saying goodbye. Pushing through the hard parts to get where I wanted to be has helped keep me from getting overwhelmed in other aspects of life.
2. Aesthetics matter.
Seeing new places impressed upon me the importance of the visual. The most dramatic moment for me in this regard was standing outside La Sagrada Familia- undoubtably the most renowned piece of architecture in all of Spain- and thinking to myself, this is hideous. The inside, on the other hand, was spectacular, and that rapid change made me better understand the way different spaces make me feel.
3. What to do when absolutely everything goes to hell.
The first time I ever used a subway system--or any kind of public transportation at all, really--was in London, the very first week of my first program abroad. I didn't realize how quickly the doors closed, and watched in horror as the train carried away the rest of my group. It wasn't difficult to get to the right stop, but by the time I was reunited with them, I was in tears, so panicked that our chaperone--the school's president--mentioned it every time he saw me that semester, which was more than a little mortifying.
Less than three months later, I made it through the most disastrous trip of my life with minimal panic and no tears at all.
4. How to spend money on things that matter.
The experiences I had abroad helped me to learn more about myself, and I've found myself making better, more self-aware decisions: when I started looking for an apartment recently, for instance, I knew exactly what I could skimp on and what I couldn't.
And although budgeting is always important, I didn't realize just how much difference it could make to spend money on a trip I planned myself versus a school trip, or to spring for a hotel versus staying in a hostel and saving that money for food and fun.
5. What to invest time in.
The times that I felt were best spent were always the ones that featured people, and in particular, unexpected people- moments where I briefly bonded with a stranger, or became friends with someone I didn't think I liked. Being in a foreign place often means being both vulnerable and excited, and that has made for unique connections that have profoundly impacted me.
6. The big things.
These are the things that we often gloss over with words so broad they can become meaningless: the different systems that come about from a different history and conditions. In England, for instance, I was intrigued by the legacy of empire; the challenges of being an island nation; the effect of having no written constitution.
7. The little things.
The small stuff, like different plugs and road signs and condiments, is just as important as the big stuff. The little differences totally surround you, and every time I travel I learn constantly from the daily minutia. I'm forced to re-encounter things I've taken for granted and ask myself why things are the way they are.
8. Nothing is impossible.
This is where I wholeheartedly embrace cliche. Studying abroad feels like taking on the world in a very literal sense, and it's empowered me to make little changes to how I spend my money and energy, as well as inspired me to reach for big goals. It's the four best things I've ever done.
