This past semester I had the pleasure and good fortune of studying abroad in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy. Studying abroad was always something I planned to do once I got into college and Rome was my top destination ever since I watched the Disney classic: "The Lizzie McGuire Movie". Surprisingly, studying abroad in Rome was nothing like the Lizzie experience. No one I knew got mistaken for a famous pop star nor did I meet a beautiful woman that asked me to sing for her. Instead, I got a basket full of uncomfortable situations and unexpected adventures in the Eternal City, which started to give me a new view of the world. When I came back from abroad, people expected to see how I changed.
The problem is that the change I felt cannot be seen because it does not come in a new fashion sense. Since I went to Italy, I guess they expected to see me come back in an Italian leather jacket or sporting a new haircut with an impeccable fade. However, with my need to save money, I did not get a haircut for months and couldn’t afford a new or used Italian leather jacket. That may be how some people came back, but for me, the change was something felt from within that nobody could see in my same American style. In fact, I may be the only person that recognizes this change. From these uncomfortable situations and unexpected adventures, I began to feel a new sense of independence and to shed my old needy skin.
A problem I used to have was depending on others for my happiness. I loved spending time with others and I hated just spending time with me, myself, and I. When I went to Europe, those people that I leaned on did not go with me so I had to depend on myself to navigate my own rapid rivers without floaties. That may seem scary to some, but this journey I did alone in a foreign land helped me meet a person that I could now always depend on no matter where I am in the world.
That person is a stronger and more independent version of myself. I can go on and on about the many twists and turns that led me to this personal empowerment but everyone has to find their own path to it. So if you are teetering about whether or not you want to study abroad, I say do it, especially if you are currently someone that normally depends on others. Every time you get lost and have to find your way home, or you need to speak to someone that does not understand English, or whatever uncomfortable situation you find yourself in, you are growing as a person. Solving your own problems and meeting that inner person you never knew are the real benefits of studying abroad. Plus, you can meet some other really cool people along the way like I did. Take advantage of the opportunity if you can!
