As my graduating friends reflect on their college careers, it is almost guaranteed that they credit their time studying abroad as one of the most pivotal experiences of the last four years. With passport ready and Pinterest boards saved documenting all the places I intend to travel, every part of me is ready for the many things my study abroad will bring to me.

As easy as it is to acknowledge that studying abroad means immersing myself in a new culture with entirely new people and different expectations, fully and truly grasping that little fact is much easier said than done. In an effort to actualize the realness that in three months, I’m about to embark on a journey that will probably shift my entire understanding of myself and the world, I’m committing to a series of promises to maximize my time overseas.

1. Travel, travel, travel.

While yes, I’ll already be spending a semester in a city I’ve never before been to, how many opportunities will I have to freely explore hundreds of new places that are typically thousands of miles away from my home? When will I be able to hop on an hour-long flight, and be in Ireland? Or France? Or Italy? Or jump on a metro and be in a city with historical resonances with which America can never compete? Probably never again. I’m lucky enough to have these opportunities at the age of 20, young enough that I can apply all the amazing lessons to the rest of my life, but old enough to grasp the wonders occurring around me.

2. Eat great food and drink great wine.

Although I do love a good American meal, complete with some BBQ, burgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob, I can’t imagine it compares to pasta from Italy or wine from France. As they say, “You are what you eat,” and I’ll gladly be a nice tall glass of Pinot Grigio from a French vineyard over a Big Mac from McDonald’s any day.

3. Spend a lot of time with the natives.

Going on museum tours, visiting historical locations and eating local cuisine can only provide so much insight towards a country and its culture. But, talking to the people, hearing personal anecdotes, and understanding what kind of lifestyle they grew up in speaks infinitely more about a country and the people that inhabit it. Talking to native people will allow me to understand the country not as a foreign nation, but people’s home.

4. Spend a lot of time with myself.

Gaining new international experiences is only as impactful as I’ll allow it to be. What’s the point of eating new foods, meeting new people, seeing new sights and stepping outside my comfort zone if I never take time to reflect on it? Yes, I want to surround myself with people that can not only teach me a thing or two about the country, but also myself. However, that self-introspection can’t occur while being surrounded by an abundance of people. Post-abroad, I don’t anticipate being able to recall all the famous landmarks, facts coinciding those landmarks, the names of all the main streets and the locations of legendary battles. However, I do hope to be able to say a thing or two about myself that I couldn’t previously, and have a little sharper of an understanding of myself than I did four months earlier.