Prior to arriving in Luxembourg, I only knew four people within the MUDEC program; I still had a little over a hundred other students to meet. And if you are anything like me, then you're probably getting a tad anxious with those numbers. As a junior, I finally felt like I had my entire college life together in terms of school, social life, emotional health — everything! And now all of a sudden, I was being thrown into a whole new group of people, and on top of that, in an entirely new environment; I felt like a freshman again.

At first, I focused on the negative aspects of this feeling, and it left me feeling frustrated. It was basically a shock to my system to start from scratch again, especially after a semester where I felt 110% sure about everything in my life at Miami. The all-too-familiar insecurities of my freshman year began rushing back: Do these people actually like me? Who is considered my "group"? Do I even have a "group"? Do I belong?

Then it dawned on me: I felt like a freshman again, this is a positive thing!

Freshman year was full of new experiences, because of all of the new people I had in my life. I realized that it is a year I look back so fondly upon, and I was now given the chance to relive the most important aspect of it. Just as I did freshman year, I had now gained a whole new group of close friends. Whenever my negative intrusive thoughts got in the way, I would remind myself that MUDEC had now given me a whole new sense of community. I got to meet over a hundred new people with at least one thing in common: to seek out adventure in our travels.

And with just that one thing in common, I became blessed with the friendliest, most fun-loving and inclusive group of people I have ever met. Everyone was always willing to include you in his or her travel plans, hop on a train to the city just to go to the Chocolate House, or simply grabbing a cup of coffee with you at Berto. It didn't matter whether they knew you very well or not, everyone always said yes, and I think that is a beautiful thing. We became a family, or how we are remembered, "The Frateau."

I know that this article can only ease your anxieties to a point, you really won't know what to expect until you are there living it. But some advice I have is to just let the chips fall where they may. Don't get too in your head about who to travel with or where to sit in the Grand Hall during lunch. You may just happen to stumble upon your first new friend at your assigned table during day one of integration, or accidentally run into other MUDEC students while wandering the streets of Differdange confused and in need of dinner.

For me, these series of events were the start of amazing friendships, and I know they are ones that will continue back in Oxford and beyond. And I know that this will happen to you as well.

Take it all in, and don't forget to have the time of your life.