In a few short months- I can almost count it down as weeks by now- I am going to be fulfilling a lifelong dream and relocating to France for a semester study program. The planning, nerves, (lots of unnecessary) sweat and tears that have gone into this has already exceeded my expectations- and I anticipate more to come.
Studying abroad while in college has always been more than just important to me, it is a fundamental part of who I am. My parents met while my mom studied abroad in England, therefore the opportunity for travel and cultural expansion was something to be valued in my household.
Now my time has finally come, and although I couldn’t be more excited I feel there are several steps that I wish I had been more aware of how significant they would be.
What’s hitting the hardest currently is thinking about packing…. Seems that it should be one of the least of my worries, but coming from a person proud of the versatility of her closet, I find myself concerned about baggage weight limits and transportability. I will be forcing myself to make some sacrifices with the full knowledge that I will be doing significant shopping when there and must resist bringing “that-one-sweater-I-only-wore-once”
Another stress of the process is figuring out passports/visas/transcripts because apparently getting into a foreign university is more complex than running for president. As a dual citizen of Great Britain and the U.S I still can’t tell if all the paperwork is more or less extensive because of the dual nationalities. An important tip is to do all this early, passports can take a while to renew or apply for and typically you will have to visit a consulate of the study abroad destination, which could require a road trip!
And what I am saving for last but certainly not least is approaching farewells to friends. I specifically designed my study abroad experience to take place during my junior year of college because it was important to me that I establish solid foundations and support systems in my home school before traveling and experiencing student life as a foreigner. Yet I really want the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture and I believe being abroad for a whole semester will really give me the ability to establish lifelong bonds with those of the foreign cultures I will encounter. I can learn a lot from being away, and I don’t think it will be detrimental to my friendships here seeing as they have a strong foundation. None the less, there will be tissues and waterproof mascara necessary for the goodbyes!
Here’s to wishing everyone has the opportunity to push themselves way out of the comfort zone and experience the world!
austencoles 