So you're in college. Maybe you chose a school far, far away from your hometown, or maybe you're like me and you chose the college that's basically in your backyard. Either way, even if you're learning O-Chem 2 in sunny Florida, you NEED to get out of town. Pack up your bags, buy a plane ticket and see the sights of a new place you've never been. College is the last time we'll ever have the chance to visit places with the prices and time we have available to us — that's just the unfortunate truth! The best time to travel is when you can get internship credit, study abroad experience, or even two weeks off vacation.
Besides the fact that college hosts the biggest money saving opportunities to travel, your college years are when you're learning more about yourself and what you actually want out of life. What better way to find out what you like and dislike than to be thrown into a new city with experiences you've never had?
For me, living in a completely different city on internship credit for three months has been a crazy experience. I'm a small town girl learning what it's like to drive an hour to any place around me because of crazy traffic, and I'm trying a million different new foods because every restaurant I go to has foods I've never even heard of. I've learned how to live on my own, and I've learned what it's like to really, really be an outsider. All things I wouldn't trade for the experience I've had.
I have many friends that have said the exact same thing about their traveling experiences. One friend in particular traveled throughout Europe for nine weeks, and besides the culture shock and absolutely stunning views, they noted that learning how to meet people was one of the greatest things they learned. Being in a city you've never been before with people you've never met can show you how to properly find friends. Especially if you've been going to school with the same people for years or if the only friends you have are because of a class or an organization.
Sure, I've lived on my own and had to get by with what I have, but I've never had to restart in a whole new place and that is what you learn how to do. You learn how to be independent living somewhere out of your element. You learn how to appreciate where you came from, because believe it or not, you'll miss that bagel place you've been going to your whole life. You'll miss your regular grocery store, and you'll miss the gas station you always stopped at. Seriously, those little things make such a difference when you don't know what aisle holds the bread or what corner you can stop and fill up your car. Having all this time to yourself and being vulnerable in a new city teaches you about yourself. It's almost like you're alone time is time to self reflect and you really will self reflect.
Living in a new place teaches you how to adapt, and it teaches you what you really want out of life. Trust me when I say, traveling during college is the best decision you can ever make.
