Dear Study Abroad,

It is hard for me to believe that study abroad has become a common occurrence amongst students in college today. The fact that we are fortunate enough to have the ability to live in a foreign country, to travel and to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences is simply incredible. Despite how common it may be, I hope it is not something that is taken for granted. Just because everybody does it and may have similar experiences, doesn't underrate the learning and growth process.

For me, this was actually my second time studying abroad. While the experiences were completely different, I find that they are equally important in my life. This time around I found myself with much more independence and the ability to explore and to find myself beyond the parameters of my program and beyond the city of Prague.

The first thing for which I am incredibly grateful is the amount of travel I accomplished. I traveled nearly every weekend, alone or with friends, seeing 17 countries and numerous cities. I remained in Europe to travel for three additional weeks, extending the scope of my travels even further. I underestimated how different each city would be and how much history and culture Europe has to offer. If anything, studying in Prague made me want to explore more throughout Europe and its unknown treasures.

I am thankful for the people I met throughout my journeys. Not just the people on my study abroad program, but the once strangers who became an integral part of my experience. Sometimes I resort to the caution of "stranger danger," but on occasion, such strangers have been more hospitable and kind than people in my everyday life. I learned not to be afraid and to push myself out of my comfort zone to create lasting bonds.

I have struggled with the question: "For what am I most thankful?" The answer is a surprise to me, and I'm sure to most people I know. I am most thankful for that fact that study abroad taught me that it is OK to ask for help and that it is OK to need and to rely on others. I pride myself in my independence, but I learned that this virtue is not mutually exclusive with asking for help. I can be afraid and I can be unsure of situations. Sometimes I forget those little points in my daily life, and while the experiences were not always the best, I am so grateful that I was presented with obstacles and that they taught me such valuable lessons that I had forgotten.

Thank you to everyone who was there when I needed to ask for help and who guided me along the way to make this such a memorable experience. I will never forget all the amazing opportunities in these past four and a half months, and I can only hope to carry them with me and share them as much as I can with those around me.

For those of you going abroad in the spring, treasure it. Don't be afraid to feel what you didn't expect to feel and to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Some may say it's the best time of our lives. I'll have to let you know later if that's true!