You will never forget receiving your acceptance letter to the N.U.in program. No matter how many times you read it, you still couldn't believe what it said.
They're sending me abroad my first semester of college?! Is this real life?!
You remember the moment you realized you could legally drink while abroad.
Hey... maybe this isn't so bad!
When you arrived at your N.U.in site, you tried your best to fit in to the new culture; however, it wasn't as easy as it sounds.
I can only hide my inner tourist for so long.
You remember trying every foreign food you could possibly consume. There were many that you couldn't get enough of...
...and many that you wouldn't eat again if someone paid you to.
Shoutout to all my fellow picky eaters out there.
Being abroad was full of going to bars, pubs, clubs, N.U.in excursions, and squeezing in weekend trips to other countries whenever possible. You mastered the art of frequently operating on little to no sleep.
Barcelona until Sunday, chemistry test on Monday, and psychology paper due Tuesday? No prob!
It was so easy to lose track of budgeting while abroad. Between endless souvenirs and plane tickets, self-control was nearly impossible. Checking your bank account for the first time probably looked something like this:
Or this:
Or maybe, you just never checked at all and pretended nothing was wrong.
Ignorance is bliss! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You took enough pictures to have a #TBT Instagram post every week until you’re 80.
Bless my followers for putting up with me.
The friendships you made with other N.U.in kids are without comparison. There aren't many bonds quite as strong as the ones made while exploring the world together.![]()
You know who you are!
You don’t know what you would have done without your ISAs and you still catch up with them any chance you get.
Consider yourself lucky if yours are still on campus!
As much as you loved being abroad, you remember how good it felt to come home and be pampered by Mom again.
Not to mention inhaling her home-cooked meals.
Next stop: moving to Boston in the middle of winter and feeling like an outsider again. Also, no one was kidding when they told you the academics would be a wake-up call.
Northeastern classes are like your classes abroad on steroids.
You always feel a special sense of connection with anyone you see walking around campus in their "Breaking Out of the Ordinary" t-shirt or N.U.in sweatshirt. They know the struggle.
Bonus points if they went to the same site! (Shoutout to UCD)
You now suffer from chronic wanderlust and you constantly catch yourself daydreaming of where your next adventure will take you.
International co-op? Dialogue of Civilizations? Yes please!
Most of the time, people just think you're crazy when you try and explain how amazing the N.U.in program is.
Actually, even I think I'm crazy. I still can't believe I spent my first semester of college on a different continent. However, I don't have one regret to date and would do it all over again if I could.
