So I know a lot has been going on lately in terms of world news. With recent attacks across the globe, world travel has been a common topic. The world is starting to seem a little more scary. I get why people are afraid of traveling at this time, but I'm not canceling my flights anytime soon. I'm certainly not here to tell you what the best decision is for you, but I'm going to tell you why these recent incidents are not stopping me from studying abroad next Spring.

As a little girl, I always dreamed of living in Europe, waking up in the morning to a nice cappuccino, riding my Vespa to class with my sleek leather jacket that I picked up on a day trip to Florence. This summer I studied abroad in Italy, and I finally got the chance to live that dream (for the most part). Between my program and other excursions I was there for a whopping 7 weeks, almost two months I had been living there. Although the experience wasn't exactly like the Lizzie McGuire movie, I can confidently say this is what dreams are made of (I'm sorry, I had to).

But in all seriousness it wasn't exactly what I originally envisioned; I didn't meet a guy named Paolo in a Tuscan winery, I wasn't greeted by an Italian designer to make me custom dresses. It was literally nothing I had ever imagined. I'll never forget walking off the bus and arriving at my apartment and saying to myself "Is this some kind of sick joke?" One of my best friends and I were sharing a room the size of a closet. There was no air conditioning, and yes it's extremely common for it to be over 100 degrees in the South of Italy during July incase you were wondering. We had to walk up this giant hill to get to class and finding wifi was truly a constant struggle. We were in a small town that wasn't close enough to any major city to pick up and explore. It was by no means glamorous. You can imagine my frustration. Everyone else had similar feelings to mine which intensified my own feelings. If you've made it this far into my article you are probably saying "this girl isn't proving her point." Just wait.

So in that little town in the middle of nowhere town, I was with about 20 strangers and let me tell you nothing shows true colors more than traveling. You really get to see the worst sides of people when you travel to a foreign country. It's because you have so many important items on you and have heard the stories of gypsies. You might not understand the language or the culture which results into culture shock. The feelings of confusion anger and concern all lead to very grumpy people. These very feelings gave us something to bond over. We would discuss our concerns and frustration and we got to know each other really fast. Most importantly we got to watch each other grow. These very people helped me learn so much about myself and the world. The experience though frustrating at times taught me more than a textbook ever could. I know I focused on a lot of negatives about this experience but the negatives are what tests your thought process and ultimately gives you a point to improve.

Through these 7 weeks I changed, I improved, I made the most incredible friends and I created memories that will last a lifetime. I explored the most beautiful sights, I improved my Italian, and I learned that too much gelato is never a thing. I challenged my fear of heights and went cliff diving into the Adriatic. I saw the most incredible churches. I befriended a group of nuns. I stayed in a monastery. I ate the BEST bread in the world. I shopped. I ate. I read. I explored a winery. I went to a beach that overlooked the mountains. I laughed. I cried and shopped some more. So yes, I will be studying abroad next spring because nothing will stop me from growing, from changing and from evolving. I will not allow anyone or some story in the news to take this opportunity away from me. Because now I have experienced it, I would never be able to turn it down. So see you next Spring Europe, I hope you are ready for me.