What I've from Studying Abroad (So Far)
Since there’s only a month left until I return home from studying abroad, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ll take away from this experience. As I start to write this, I realize that is the quite a heavy prompt to think about, let alone write into a blog post. It’s difficult because there’s so much that has happened in the past couple of months that I know has helped me evolve as a person. And as cliché as that sounds, I’m thankful for those change that I’ve made because those changes are what I’ll take home with me (and a lot of key-chains).
I’ve learned is to embrace spontaneity. Things pop up and it helps to make the best of them. I went on a weekend trip to Amsterdam and, Netherlands and Brussels, Belgium that I only planned on doing about 5 days in advance. I almost didn’t go because I thought that it was too last minute, and something would go wrong. But, I had such an amazing trip that taught me something about myself. I admit that I’m a control-freak and this was a very difficult thing for me to do, especially during school. I like to know what’s happening next and have everything planned out to my accord. But, going on this trip showed me not to value comfort above new experiences. It’s up to me to go out of my way to experience new things, and it can’t always be in my way. It still baffles me that I almost chose sitting in my apartment over seeing Amsterdam and Brussels though.
Once the control-freak in me completely got out of the picture due to the the unpredictability of travel; I saw how important it was turn my college experience upside down by studying abroad. I’ve learned that I have so much growing left to do as a person; and how to acknowledge my own growth. Physically and mentally, we grow throughout our lives and those stages of growth have shown me the person I’m becoming and what goals I should set for myself.
For all the moments I have asked myself why I’m here and if I was even capable of living in another country, there’s other moments where I know I’ll look back and be able to say that’s why it’s worth it. Something about being a visitor for so much time has taught me self-awareness I’ll never forget. Consequently, I’ve realized I’m very self-conscious and it shows in my shy demeanor. By constantly having to interact with people who are are different than I am; I’ve become more confident in myself and I can feel that change. All I have to do now is bring that self-growth home with me.
It’s very easy for me to say that there is a lot to learn from traveling about yourself as I reminisce on recent vacations and being the happiest I’ve ever been. With that said, I’m very grateful for this opportunity and understand it doesn’t come to a lot of people. There are a lot of opportunities that come and go because we get comfortable right where we are. I’ve learned that I do this a lot and I should push myself out of that comfort zone. And that doesn’t just mean studying abroad. It applies to something almost every day and I will keep this post as a reminder to let go and live in the present.
I’ve learned is to embrace spontaneity. Things pop up and it helps to make the best of them. I went on a weekend trip to Amsterdam and, Netherlands and Brussels, Belgium that I only planned on doing about 5 days in advance. I almost didn’t go because I thought that it was too last minute, and something would go wrong. But, I had such an amazing trip that taught me something about myself. I admit that I’m a control-freak and this was a very difficult thing for me to do, especially during school. I like to know what’s happening next and have everything planned out to my accord. But, going on this trip showed me not to value comfort above new experiences. It’s up to me to go out of my way to experience new things, and it can’t always be in my way. It still baffles me that I almost chose sitting in my apartment over seeing Amsterdam and Brussels though.
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| Me sitting inside the Amsterdam sign (Bottom). |
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| View from a canal tour in Amsterdam |
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| Brussels City Capital |
My friends and I also went to Croatia, Greece, and Italy in 11 days over our study break! here's the video by Anagrace Salem:
Once the control-freak in me completely got out of the picture due to the the unpredictability of travel; I saw how important it was turn my college experience upside down by studying abroad. I’ve learned that I have so much growing left to do as a person; and how to acknowledge my own growth. Physically and mentally, we grow throughout our lives and those stages of growth have shown me the person I’m becoming and what goals I should set for myself.
For all the moments I have asked myself why I’m here and if I was even capable of living in another country, there’s other moments where I know I’ll look back and be able to say that’s why it’s worth it. Something about being a visitor for so much time has taught me self-awareness I’ll never forget. Consequently, I’ve realized I’m very self-conscious and it shows in my shy demeanor. By constantly having to interact with people who are are different than I am; I’ve become more confident in myself and I can feel that change. All I have to do now is bring that self-growth home with me.
It’s very easy for me to say that there is a lot to learn from traveling about yourself as I reminisce on recent vacations and being the happiest I’ve ever been. With that said, I’m very grateful for this opportunity and understand it doesn’t come to a lot of people. There are a lot of opportunities that come and go because we get comfortable right where we are. I’ve learned that I do this a lot and I should push myself out of that comfort zone. And that doesn’t just mean studying abroad. It applies to something almost every day and I will keep this post as a reminder to let go and live in the present.
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