Have you ever felt so liberatingly free and genuinely happy? So much that you were unconditionally content to wake up everyday? I felt that way every day for 6 months on my study abroad trip to Marseille, France.
I knew I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.
But I did everything in my capability (and then some) to be able to experience something I’ve truly wanted. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate my life before study abroad, but I realized I was only living 45% of my life. I got too comfortable and though that is not necessarily a bad thing, without noticing, you start molding and following everyone else’s current. You lose a sense of yourself through the rush of life. Except when you are in a foreign country with a different language and a different culture to the one you become so attached to, you have to step out of your comfort zone. You are forced to put yourself so far out there, that you realized where you stood before was behind the sidelines. Abroad, you do not have your parents to fend for you or your friends as your support base. You are your only resource and you realize you can do everything on your own, completely independent from everyone. You may mess up once maybe but you learn and keep learning life lessons and about yourself.
I never took a day in Marseille for granted, as my days were limited.
For those 180 days, I could tell you 180 different adventures I experienced. The numbers of people I’ve met from all corners of the world are immeasurable. In my resident building, I met someone from Sweden. In my class, I got to meet someone from Chile. And at a coffee shop, I ran into someone from Morocco, just to name a few. I would not have been able to meet those amazing people otherwise and I’m grateful for the opportunity. Strong friendships are built on the common foundations of the emotions and excitement you feel of being abroad. The life long friends I’ve made are just one of the perks of studying abroad.
Let’s not forget to mention the ability to easily be able to travel.
In those 6 months aboard, I visited 18 different cities in 9 different countries. I’ve stood at the furthest point west at Cape Rock in Portugal, I’ve experienced Barcelona’s architecture, seen the crazy Red Light District, walked the beautiful streets of Old Town Prague, spontaneously explored London, tasted Belgian chocolate, been captivated by Istanbul’s beauty, witnessed the phenomenal Portuguese Palace de Pena, went to the Cannes Film Festival in France, relaxed at Budapest’s biggest Turkish bath/spa, went cliff diving in Marseille National Park, stood under the Eiffel Tower’s twinkly lights. But those adventures are a different story on their own.
I could say I experienced more in those 6 months than I did in all my 21 years, because I truly lived each day.
If I wanted to go cliff diving, I did. If I wanted to try a new cuisine, I did. If I wanted to backpack Europe solo for 3 weeks, I did. And they best part was, I did not hesitate. I just did. You do not realize you are in a slump until you are out of it. Without the undetected pressures faced by your normal life, you can be exactly who you want to be. Ultimately, I grew as a person. And now know and understand what I want for myself. All the missing pieces fell into place when I was just doing me.
I realized that that untouched 55% of my life was just sitting there waiting for me to grab it.
I cannot even put into words how tapping into that made me happier and more mentally at peace. So yeah, you can say I’ve changed, but definitely for the better. Besides seeing those breathtaking cities and meeting new people, I gained the strength I lacked before and the positive mentality that I now know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. All it took for me to realize that was taking a step outside of my comfort zone. So give it a try, what do you have to lose? This does not mean studying aboard is the only way to discover yourself (even though it is a great way too). Pick up a new hobby or take any opportunity that comes your way. Say yes to things you’d normally say no to.
Now, I’m back in the States and people ask me how my study abroad was and I just smile and say where do I even begin!