On Study Abroad

Since I have returned home from Athens, a lot of people have asked me about studying abroad. They ask me how I liked it, how I'm transitioning back to living in the US, whether I look forward to next semester in Rome, and whether or not the riots ruined my time abroad. The answers are pretty automatic by now- I loved it, the transition is funny but going well, I'm looking forward to next semester very much, and the riots were unfortunate but haven't soured my experience. They also ask if I brought them gifts. I didn't always.

What makes me the most excited, though, is when I meet younger people who ask if they should study abroad.


The answer is, unequivocally, yes. If you have a chance to study abroad, do it. It isn't going to be easy all the time- you'll get lost in strange cities, make cultural gaffes ranging from the silly to the potentially offensive, have to eat food you don't like, and get tired and dirty and sick and homesick far more often than you probably do while at school. You have to wade through mountains of administrative concerns- visas, vaccinations, more tb tests than are probably normal or healthy, whatever applications are required of you by program and college- as well as the more mundane worries about procuring euros, having clothing that is appropriate for the climate you're going to, and purchasing enough ibuprofen to last until December. Study abroad is, in fact, a bit of a pain.

It is also, in my opinion, the best thing I have done yet in my life. I have learned so much in the past semester about both Athens and myself that I would never have learned in California or Boston. There's a lot of bravery involved in uprooting your life, leaving behind your friends and family, and moving to a foreign country where you don't actually speak the language, but once you have done it you feel like there is nothing in the world that you can't do. I met wonderful people, saw beautiful places, learned a really fun language, and generally had a wonderful time.

So yes, I say to all of you who are considering study abroad, I think that you should go. I promise you won't regret it.