Another word of advice…STUDY ABROAD!

Yesterday I gave you some ideas on what you can expect during the first semester of your freshman year and now I’m going to give you more advice. Throughout our lives, we’re constantly told to get involved and become active in the community, school etc. Up until the end of my sophomore year of college, I brushed off this idea. I joined groups and clubs, but never really become as involved as I could have. Marist takes a smart approach when it comes to getting students involved by using a system of “priority points.” The more clubs you join, the more points you get which results in better housing assignments.

Another positive aspect of Marist is their study abroad program. When I was looking at schools, one factor that I considered (aka my mom encouraged me to care about) was the study abroad program. Is the school’s program organized? Can you get a full semester’s worth of credits? Where can you study? The questions were endless and I listened to what schools had to say only because my mom told me her biggest regret in college was not studying abroad.

I was told that the most popular time to study abroad is during your junior year, so during my sophomore year I started researching programs. In the beginning, I was hesitant. How could I leave Marist, the school I love, for a full semester? What about my friends? I would miss out on too much and miss my friends and family. Except then my friends started becoming interested and I started to care a lot more. To make a long story short, after a lot of toying with the idea of going abroad, I applied and was accepted into the Florence, Italy program along with four of my good friends and multiple other friends that I knew. However, I was still kind of in denial. I would be leaving my family and some of my best friends for an entire semester and didn’t know if I could deal with that. (Side note: you may be asking why I chose Florence, Italy. It was between there and Australia, but I chose Italy because I knew I would be able to travel all around Europe easily. Marist also has an amazing school set up in Florence: Lorenzo de Medici. Another side note: all my friends who studied in Australia absolutely loved it and everyone I know who studied in Florence absolutely loved it…you can’t go wrong no matter where you choose.)

Fast-forward to August of 2008 and the beginning of my junior year.  August 20, I leave Newark on an international flight with about 60 other Marist students and arrive in Germany. From Germany, we take two smaller planes to Florence. We’re brought to our assigned apartments scattered throughout the city and I find myself wanting to cry and be happy at the same time. Side note again: Marist takes care of housing. They have people who travel to Florence and literally search the city for the best apartments in great locations. Not all schools are this accommodating, but I assure you it’s not difficult to find housing. For two weeks, the 60+ Marist students I traveled with and I take an intensive Italian course which counts for three credits. Then the real semester begins.

During those first weeks, my friends and I played the part of a tourist. You could find us wandering around Florence with our giant maps and cameras and gazing at Italian buildings such as the Duomo (conveniently located less than a block from our apartment and also the picture used in this post…it’s 1000X more beautiful in person). I’m finding it hard to put into words what my experience was like. If you’ve studied abroad, you probably understand this.

The point I am trying to make is that if you have the opportunity to do so, you should. I can’t imagine what is better than going to school in a different country, taking cool classes, and living in a different culture for four months and having the experience of a lifetime. Even if you can’t go for a full semester, I strongly encourage you to at least do a short-term program. Can you imagine laying on a beach in Barcelona, Spain on one weekend and camping out in a tent for Oktoberfest in Germany a week later? What about getting lost in Amsterdam or cliff jumping into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the Greek Islands? This was my life for four months. I really am having trouble organizing my thoughts right now because there’s so much I want to say, but you should go abroad or travel if you can (and save money first!).

I would like to say at this point that I did become homesick for a period of time. I believe that it’s only natural. After the first month and a half of excitement wore off, I found myself sad and missing my family and friends. But if you refer to yesterday’s post, I mentioned being homesick there too. It is bound to happen but the best way to handle it is by sticking it out. I had also said I read Eat Pray Love during my time abroad. I did this when I was homesick. And after I finished the book, I had a pep-talk with myself that went something like, “Sarah, you are having the experience of a lifetime. Do you not realize how lucky you are to be traveling across Europe and earning credits at the same time?” Then I realized how stupid I was being and got over it quickly. It is not fun being homesick, but it is fun living in a different culture for a semester. My positive experiences far outnumbered my sadness.

I think going abroad is one of the smartest things you can do if you have the funds and opportunity to do so. I came back a changed person and definitely for the better. After studying in Florence, I have a much deeper appreciation for other cultures. I also caught the travel bug and would now like to travel anywhere and everywhere. When you’re abroad, you’re put into situations that you could never even fathom occurring. These experiences shape you and your life as you become more mature and well-rounded. An international experience also looks great on a resume because it gives  you a different perspective on life and the world. So again…STUDY ABROAD IF YOU CAN. Research the programs at your school (or if you aren’t in school, research online—>Student Travel Association is a great source!). Go with your friends or go without. You will meet people and be outside your comfort zone, but you WILL have the best freaking time of  your life. See the world my loves!

Wanderlust: a very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

Wanderlust: a very strong or irresistible impulse to travel. This word could be used to describe how I feel lately. In the fall semester of 2008, I traveled abroad and studied in Florence, Italy. Needless to say, it was the best four months of my life and I think everyone who has the opportunity should study abroad…but we’ll cover that another day. Right now, I just want to talk about the literal craving I have right now for traveling and seeing as much of the world as I can during my life.

I’m not sure what sparked my reminiscing, but I’m thinking it had something to do with seeing the movie Eat Pray Love. I saw it on Sunday with my mom, and of course part of the movie takes place in Italy. Instantly I was jealous of Liz as she apartment hunted through Rome, learned the language, and indulged in amazing Italian cuisine. It brought back so many memories…traveling to Rome twice, living in an apartment that I am obsessed with but would probably not like as much if it were in the United States, etc. There’s a beauty in not knowing where you’re going and getting lost in a foreign country. I think this is one of the best ways to get to know a place because you never know where you’ll end up.

The movie also took place in India and Indonesia. I would love to travel to either of these places, but especially Bali. I can’t think of anything I’d like more than to live by the gorgeous blue and aqua ocean in a hut of some exotic location. So after leaving the movie, I got kind of depressed. It’s really hard to explain how I feel when I start missing Italy and Europe in general, but I guess it’s like some sort of reverse homesickness.

I obviously went through all of my tagged pictures from abroad and looked at my photo albums when I got home. This in turn inspired me to start looking up international jobs and volunteer abroad programs. I swear if I had the funds, I would travel to South Africa or Costa Rica or pretty much anywhere for that matter. I had found this well-known company, Student Travel Association, that allows you to travel, volunteer, intern, etc. in pretty much any country you can think of. There are programs where you can volunteer for two weeks and travel for two weeks all over the country you’re in. THIS IS MY DREAM. Unfortunately you have to pay for your own flight and I can’t really be dropping that much dough right now.

So my advice to you…if you have the opportunity and money, travel. Travel anywhere; Europe, the United States, Asia, Australia, etc. You may think you know a lot about the world (I sure did before going abroad), but there is SO MUCH out there for you to see and explore. Traveling is a great experience alone or with friends and as corny as it sounds, teaches you a lot about yourself. You immerse yourself into other cultures and experiences that are so random and unique and you meet the most interesting people along the way. So now that I’ve told you how amazing traveling is, I’m going to sit here and continue to have wanderlust. GO SEE THE WORLD!!!!!