One year ago, I embarked on a journey I could never have imagined would change my life as much as it did. One year ago, I sobbed as I left my mother at the airport and hopped on a plane. One year ago, I left Cleveland, Ohio and refused to look back.

After getting locked in a random hallway in the Toronto airport with everyone on my plane--including the pilots and stewardesses--then frantically running through security and transferring my bag, then hopping on another plane to Reykjavik, Iceland, then hopping on yet another plane, I finally arrived in London, England. There, I was notified all of my bags had been lost somewhere between the United States, Canada, Iceland, and England.

I had one outfit in my carry-on.

I was in a foreign country.

I was stressed and tired after spending almost 24 hours in airports.

I spent most of my time in England running around with one other person trying to find a stop for the double-decker bus tour we booked, and we never ended up finding it. The whole time we ran around the city, I had a fist-sized hole in the one pair of pants I had with me. Talk about seeing London and France!

After those traumatic events, I boarded the World Odyssey--my ship home for the semester. I was participating in Semester at Sea, the most amazing study abroad program in existence. I am only a little biased.

I was sure the bad luck was over. But no. The first three days on the ship were spent by all its inhabitants running between toilets. The ship had hit a storm, and everyone on board got seasick. Everyone. Instead of the streets running with blood, the hallways were running with vomit.

Keep in mind, I had one outfit this whole time. I was absolutely disgusting. My roommates on the ship were kind enough to lend me some toiletries, but I was still rank. In our first country, Italy, I was mistaken for a beggar. An American man tried to give me 5 Euro. At the time, I was insulted. Now I wish I had played along. Money is money.

Despite all of this trauma and all of this strife, I would not get rid of these experiences. So what if the citizens of England saw my underwear? So what if I wore vomit-covered clothing through Italy? These were incredible learning experiences, and the positives of the rest of the semester far outweighed the negatives at the start.

I had the opportunity to see the Colosseum! I licked the Colosseum! That sounds weird, but I am assured certain types of archaeologists lick their findings sometimes--it is science!

I also licked the Parthenon in Greece. Look at me and pals rep Ohio!

I toured the walls of Game of Throne's King's Landing in Dubrovnik, Croatia!

I accidentally joined a parade in Spain.

A complete stranger proposed to me on the top of a sand dune in Morocco. He is not in this picture, but he was the photographer.

I met the team of an NGO trying to change the culture in Senegal to eliminate female genital mutilation.

I swam with pink dolphins, caught piranha, and trekked through the Amazon in Brazil.

I learned how to play the steel pan in Trinidad and Tobago.

I rappelled down waterfalls and caught a poison dart frog in Costa Rica. This is the only picture of me rappelling in which I look like I am somewhat competent. The rest are a hilarious mess.

I learned about the citizens of the world. I learned about the politics, governments, religions, social structures, social problems, musical styles, and histories of all of these countries. I applied my studies on the ship to my experiences off the ship. I participated in talent shows, wrote arrangements for an a capella group, competed in the Sea Olympics, read poetry and told stand-up for open mics. I made life-long friends. I made life-long mentors. I did not just see the world. I experienced the world.

And that is why studying abroad is so important.

To survive in our increasingly globalized world, we must understand all of our fellow people. We must empathize with our fellow people. We must realize that we do not live in isolation. Our lives are not solitary. What we do has an effect on others.

Semester at Sea abruptly forced me out of my comfort zone. I was incredibly uncomfortable during some of my travels. I was lost and sad and dirty. There were also moments of intense elation, moments of true connection with people whose language I could not even speak.

I think back on my experiences studying abroad every single day, and I am more than grateful for how my life has changed. But it was not just my life that changed.

I changed.