“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
I remember being in middle school and hearing about people studying all around the world and thinking they were the luckiest people. I always knew that it was something I was going to do - something I needed to do. To me, studying abroad is a chance to fully immerse yourself in a culture and learn from it. Learn about the world and learn about yourself. This idea of understanding cultures around the world is what I refer to as being a global citizen...and I want to be one.
This past year I studied in Germany for two weeks, Paris for a month, and Florence for four months. I am currently in New York City for four months and this summer will be in Australia for two weeks and Israel for three. As you can see, I've been busy and I love it. In my year abroad I have learned so much and now understand why studying abroad is such an integral part of life and education. If the idea of country hoping every weekend isn't enough to make you interested here is my list of why you should sign up for your study visa:
It isn't as scary as you think:
For the person who has never been on the plane to the one who has seen every continent twice, there is a beautiful experience waiting for you. Being away from home for four months can be scary at first but with technology it's as if you aren't even gone sometimes. I was already an experienced traveler but there were plenty of girls who had never left the country and guess what? We all survived and THRIVED!
You will learn incredible things about yourself:
Studying abroad teaches you how strong you are. You will go through situations that test your limits and you will learn to overcome them. One weekend I was supposed to go to Poland with a tour group and the tour was canceled. I, however, still had my plane ticket. So, that night I booked a hotel, planned activities, and the next day went to Poland alone. It was one of the greatest weekends I had while abroad because I proved to myself that I could be adaptable and brave. You will also go through small situations that bother you. For me, this was the fact that Italians move so slow. I am very fast paced but in order to fit in with the culture I learned how to slow down and enjoy each second of life. This is something I grew to love and now I really appreciate being able to sit back, relax, and enjoy new moments.
You can explore the world:
While in Florence, I was able to travel to Poland, Croatia, Switzerland, France, England, Scotland, Ireland,Czech Republic, and all around Italy. It is so easy to travel around Europe and there are actually travel companies who set up group tours just for students! I used a travel company a few times and I have mixed reviews. Personally, I really hated hostels so when I planned trips alone and stayed in a hotel it was really nice. However, sometimes it was nice to be with the group because they arranged tours and transportation. If you are planning trips alone I really recommend using Viator to find activities because they arrange a ton!!
It benefits your education:
The experiences I had studying abroad may have been the most important part of my education this far. Being a fashion student, I was able to go to multiple factories and even to the company that does the embroidery for Chanel. I also was able to go to Premiere Vision which is the world's largest textile trade show. While in Paris, I dressed models for Haute Couture Fashion Week and attended workshops to learn about dyeing silk. On top of those experiences, I also went to tons of world famous museums and saw incredible works of art in person. Another cool part about studying abroad is the actual education. Experiencing how teaching is done in different countries is really cool. In Paris my instructors were very ambiguous when giving assignments and in Florence the instructors couldn't believe how quiet we were! Learning about your field in different countries is beneficial because it gives you a very well rounded education. I definitely know more about Fashion now than I would have if I had not studied abroad.
You will make some of the best memories of your life:
One of my favorite memories is from when I was in Split, Croatia. After spending the day at the beach, I decided to wander around the old Diocletian Palace. I ended up stumbling upon a wedding celebration and was able to join in with the party. Then I went to have dinner and returned to the old town square later at night. There was an acoustic singer performing and people were sitting around the square watching couples dance. As a sat and watched the crowd I had the most surreal feeling of happiness and content. It was so amazing to me that I had just wandered into this beautiful evening and I thought that the loving and joyful culture was incredible.
I could truly go on and on for days about my experiences but I will spare you that and say that I highly recommend everyone to study abroad. If you aren't able to study abroad take a trip. Go somewhere random, off the beaten path. Explore and take chances. Do things that might be scary in the moment like paragliding in the Swiss Alps because I guarantee you will not regret it.
