I love LA. I don’t know if it's the $7 fresh pressed juices or Pre-sale Coachella tickets, but there’s something about the 72 and always sunny weather that makes me never want to leave. However, I came to realize that studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I applied super last minute on the day the application was due to the study abroad program thinking, “Oh, I probably won’t get in anyway!” About a month later, the acceptance emails were sent out and my friends were like:

I was excited for them and smiled cheerfully but I was really like:

Because four months living with a German family was going to be all lederhosen and bratwurst

I had pretty normal high expectations of what Europe would be

Like, obviously.

But I quickly learned that studying abroad in Europe IRL goes like this:

Landing in your host country and hearing the language for the first time

“Non ho capito.” “Répétez s’il vous plaît.” “Danke schön.”

Collecting your bags at the airport after a 12+ hour international flight.

Trying to navigate around Europe alone.

Then you finally get settled in, but everything seems to be a challenge:

Doing Laundry for the first time

“I didn’t pack for this weather.”

Subtle cultural differences in European night life & club culture.

The first couple weeks are a difficult adjustment because everything is new and different.

But then you realize, Everything is new and different.

You go on weekend trips to famous European cities.

And before you know it, life abroad becomes blissful.

By the end of your program you feel broke exhausted.

Once you’re home you feel like you had the most life-changing experience.

You will have constant nostalgia with your study abroad friends.

You will try to explain how incredible your experience was studying abroad to friends back home, but really you just had to be there.