Study abroad is an opportunity many people are granted when they enter college. Many choose to go and many do not.

However, study abroad is one of the most important and one of the greatest opportunities you will ever have in your life. It's a time filled with new experiences, new people, and new places.

The experiences you have will stay with you for the rest of your life. You will never be the same again. You will have memories in places you couldn't have even dreamed of. They are memories that will hold a very special place in your heart. At the end of any day in your life, you will remember your time abroad much more than some crazy party at college. If you have the opportunity to go abroad for a full year, take the full year; a semester isn't enough time to open your mind and heart to a new place.

If you're lucky, you could end up staying with a host family during your time in the new unfamiliar country. This opportunity is one you don't want to miss. Staying with a host family is the best way to immerse yourself in the country's culture, food and language.

Staying with a host family may also lead you to connect with people your own age from that very country, leaving you with friends that will last a lifetime. The memories previously mentioned will be thanks to these new people. You'll have only known them for a short period of time, but trust me it will feel like you've known them your whole life.

After officially completing your time abroad, you can say you have a new home, a new found respect for the country's people, language, and culture. However, your heart will feel empty after you've left and returned back to the place you grew up, you can always be sure you have a home in a country you never thought. Friends in places you never knew of and experiences that will shape who you are forever.