As a Wisconsin kid, born and raised, I did spread my wings a bit when going to college, but I made sure to stay in the boundaries of my glove-shaped state. I had dreams of traveling, but my mind fell short to surrounding Midwestern states, I felt that anything beyond that was out of reach for a girl with little resources.
Sitting in one of my 200 level classes, dozing off as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was being taught my professor mentioned a study abroad trip she and another professor would be hosting for fellow English major/minor students.
You see all those movies of exciting adventures and changed lives from learning and being immersed in a new culture, so I perked up when my professor mentioned all the great perks that went along with a month stay in London.
You see, I have always been one who felt that they need to stay close to home, not for any particular reason, maybe because I was afraid of what was out there and I would have no reason to come back.
Firstly, that plane ride is no joke. My legs cramped and were twisted in odd angles so I didn’t have to touch the stranger next to me, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get my attention from watching "Divergent" or reading some Sherlock Holmes. I was unaware of plane etiquette at the time, but I’m sure that wasn’t it. This was my first time traveling alone, so being stuck on a place for 10-ish hours, surrounded by strangers was not a good start to my new adventure.
Finally after landing, I was swept up in the unfamiliar and for some reason that didn’t scare me, it felt more at home than I have in a long time. Hearing the unbelievably sexy accents was not too bad either. But, one worry of mine was I went there alone, I didn’t know anyone else beside my professor, which made me a little off balance when I was thrown into a group of unfamiliar faces and accents.
The biggest cliché that held true for me was you will make friends that you will never forget, and I did. I met the most amazing people and made life-long friendships with them. They are the only ones who actually understand your references and can understand how at loss of words you are for this experience. When I came home and my friends and family asked about my trip I couldn't say anything, all that came out of my mouth was amazement and wonder, but they didn't get it.
Besides the beautiful scenery and unforgettable friendships, studying abroad changed my outlook on the world. At first, I felt that the world couldn’t reach me because I was so oblivious to how big it is, and was stuck in the rut of being from a town that no one ever leaves. Now, I can’t wait to touch every continent (maybe with the exception of Antarctica) and learn everything I can about literally everything.
Studying abroad didn’t only broaden my perspective it changed it. I am more open to other's points of view and am more readily to listen to people’s personal stories. Studying abroad made me crave knowledge and information, the only way to quench it now is to travel more.
