This winter my life is about to change drastically. For the first time, I will be on an entirely different continent in a wildly different country. I have never felt so excited to experience an entirely new setting, but the fact that I will be flying internationally for the first time alone makes me beyond anxious. It has all come so quickly that reality is starting to settle in and it’s time to sit down and reflect on how I got here in the first place.
Navigating guilt
I’ve traveled long distances before, and each time it was not with my family the guilt and homesick feelings absolutely ate me up. So why did I apply to a study abroad program in the first place? I have always dreamt of traveling to Italy, so when I got an email announcing a Comm to Italy study abroad I figured it was meant to be and applied on a whim. After I pressed submit it occurred to me what I was getting myself into. Suddenly all these thoughts about cost and privilege raced in my head. I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime but I felt as if I was undeserving of it because my family wouldn’t get to experience it. Although I knew I would have their support in my head, this trip would be rubbing it in their face of all the things I get to do because of college. It took being open and honest with them about what it meant and this honestly helped with navigating the intense guilt I felt.
Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork
I had gotten accepted to go! But wait, why are there so many forms? I pretty much handled all the paperwork by myself which was incredibly hard to keep up with as the schoolwork and other priorities piled up. If I were to go back and do it all over again I would approach the organization differently, which means not trusting too heavily in my mental planner (a lot of deadlines missed). So learn from me, don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of preparation to do, and reach out for help when needed!
learning how to be an efficient travel
Now came the fun homework. The great thing about the internet is I don’t have to go into things blindly. I started watching videos on the best tips for international travel since it’s an entirely different ballpark. This soothed my anxiety about flying solo out of the United States as someone who has only been on one plane before. It reminded me of when I was in middle school watching ‘What’s in my Backpack’ videos but instead of cute notebooks and perfume, I’m packing adapter plugs and minis of every essential I need into a suitcase. Wish me luck on not exceeding the weight limit.
Studiare una nuova lingua
I had to use Google Translate for that. I think the most difficult part of adjusting to a new place is learning the basics of a new language to not seem like a total outsider. On top of keeping my Duolingo streak going, I have picked up learning Italian through YouTube videos, language learning websites, and short clips of translations on TikTok. Knowing how to speak Spanish has made this part of the process not so difficult. It’s like a game seeing which words are similar to each other.
Overall, I am so lucky to be going on this trip. If you have the chance to study abroad I say go for it! There are so many resources on campus to help make these dreams achievable.