One year ago I embarked on what would become the greatest adventure of my life. Without a doubt in my mind, studying abroad is the single best decision I have ever made. Throughout the 15 weeks I spend abroad, I was able to learn so much about the culture I found myself immersed in, see landmarks that I had only dreamed on one day seeing, and learned so much about myself and what I am capable of in the process.
I attended school in a small town in England and had the opportunity to travel to many of the famous English cities and landmarks. We lived in and attended classes in an abbey that our university had purchased. Being in such a rural area and living and studying in the same building offered a truly immersive experience. All of our studies were British focused, so we acquired a true understanding of the country, its culture and the basics of how it operates. Our classes were also taught in the tutorial style which was extremely different than anything we were used to. However many of my fellow students and I found ourselves liking the tutorial system better than our own because we felt we were learning and retaining more information.
It can still kind of be hard to believe that I actually saw all that I did. While I was there and now looking back at pictures I cannot help but to think, wow I got to see Big Ben, or the Eiffel Tower, or the Colosseum, in person. One year later and it can still be hard to wrap my head around at times. These are all places that a majority of people dream of seeing but never have the opportunity to. As I think back to my time abroad, and all that I was able to see, I know how truly blessed I am to have been able to have had these experiences.
This was my first time out of the country and was my first long-distance trip without my family so it was definitely a little nerve-wracking at times. However, I was able to learn so much about myself and what I am capable of handling through the experiences I had while abroad. I was put in situations where I had to think on my feet and put teamwork skills to the test. There were definitely challenges, but facing those challenges, often with the encouragement from my parents via messenger, I was able to learn about myself and see how strong I really am.
It has been one year since I left to study abroad and yet it feels like I came back just yesterday. I will forever cherish the memories that I have of my time abroad and it is without a doubt in my mind the single best decision I have ever made. Studying abroad allowed me to grow as a person and discover things about myself I did not know before. It allows you to be put outside your comfort zone and tests what you can handle, which is where you are able to learn more about yourself. I encourage anyone who has the means and opportunity to take a semester and go abroad, you will not regret it. The sights you see are definitely worth it, but what you learn about yourself in the process make the opportunity all the more fulfilling.
