College is a time when you are meant to find yourself. It’s about meeting new people, having new experiences (some good and some not so good), separating the real friends from the fake and discovering what you are truly passionate about. It’s your first taste of real freedom, independence and responsibility. As we quickly approach our junior year of college many of my friends will be studying abroad (I still have no idea how many) and to them, there are just a few things I want to say.
1. Try everything.
You are having a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Four months of traveling a foreign country, tasting new foods, sightseeing and so much more. Live it up - you will probably never have a chance like this again to spend so much time simply being a tourist. In a few short years, we will all be grinding at our 9-5 jobs with a mere two weeks vacation to get us through the whole year. While you sit in your office looking out the window, make sure you’re daydreaming about sipping wine in a vineyard in Italy, or looking out the top of the Tower Bridge in London. As poor as you may be when you get back, you can’t put a price on the memories you will make. Don’t say "no" to any chance of an amazing opportunity (unless it seems a little sketchy).
2. It may be hard.
The first few weeks may be a hard transition, but don’t forget that your friends and family at home are here to support you. Sure, late at night or around the holidays you may be hit with a case of homesickness, but all the other students around you are going through the same thing. Talking to them or calling home may help you feel better. Remember that in the grand scheme of things, four months isn’t that much time, and before you know it, you’ll packing your bags to fly home. If you think about it, when you’re home you spend so many days lying on the couch bored watching Netflix. Whatever country you are in is definitely more exciting than being a couch potato.
3. We love you.
Don’t forget about us! We know you are going to meet so many new people when you are overseas, but don’t forget about your friends at school. We are always going to be thinking about you and the amazing experience you will be having, especially as we sit in a stuffy classroom while you’re out wine tasting! Make sure you give us a Skype call or two or even the occasional postcard from the latest country you are in. We hope you have the time of your life and we can’t wait to hear all about it. When you return to school, you’ll have a whole new perspective on life and will definitely experience a lot of "take me back" moments. Be sure to take lots of photos and feel free to buy us a gift or two. Eat lots of amazing desserts for us to make up for all the horrible school food you’ll be stuck with when you get back.
P.S. Our reunion over Christmas break will be so much fun, especially since we’re already planning it.
