Going abroad for any amount of time, whether it is two weeks, a semester, or a year, changes a person’s understanding of the universe in which they live. One is thrown into a new place, a new culture, something and somewhere completely unrecognizable. The best type of experience is the type one cannot prepare for, no matter how much he or she may try. Whether you believe it or not, you will never be able to mentally prepare for everything life is about to throw at you when studying abroad… but that is okay.
In fact, it is almost better that you will be kicked completely out of your comfort zone. Culture shock, though hard to cope with at first, is more than worthwhile. It breaks a person out of his or her shell and forces them to experience and try new things whether they are ready for it or not. All the planning and textbook knowledge in the world could not appropriately prepare someone for the real-life experience that being abroad provides.
By studying abroad, we bring these storybook places to life. You see things and temporarily live in places you never could have dreamed of. I have never met anyone who went abroad somewhere that they hadn’t fantasized about prior to the trip. Maybe you have dreamed about a place since you were little and learned about it in school, or maybe you just have a desire to travel to strange and fascinating places. Either way, after traveling anywhere abroad, you will learn that it is impossible to be disappointed in your travels. Sure, a certain location may not live up to what you imagined it to be, but you learn to respect and appreciate the differences between each place you travel to.
Not only do you have a greater appreciation for each culture you experience while abroad, but you also have a greater appreciation for the place you call home. Going abroad changes the way you look at the universe and what it means to truly live. It helps you to step back and realize what matters most in life, and the insignificant things we often get caught up in. When the only place you know is home, you take the place you live for granted because you have nothing to compare it to. Living in another culture, it is an eye-opening experience. All of a sudden, you become more aware of other people’s interactions and lifestyle and, in turn, become more aware of your own interactions and lifestyle. Going abroad means broadening your horizons and then returning home with a greater appreciation for the world and the various cultures it encompasses.
Whether you’re standing at the top of the Swiss Alps or you’re standing in the center of the Vatican City, you realize what a tiny place you occupy in this enormous universe. Though you may feel so small, you are fully aware of your significance. Travel may often inspire this epiphany, but people may also come to this realization without having to travel the world. However, there is no denying that standing next to some of the world’s most famous or historic landmarks transports you to a different place and time. There is nothing comparable to this experience, though some may think they understand the feeling without having lived through it. Being in the presence of these monuments or being surrounded by such a diverse culture, it is impossible to think anything except that you are a part of history in your own right, in this place and time.
After studying abroad, the world becomes a much more familiar place, like it really is not so vast at all. We are no longer capable of seeing the world as just the world, but we now see it as our world. While you may only be one person, taking up the smallest space on this Earth, the experiences we have and the things we see have the power to change how we live, or how we think about our universe, day by day.
