After an amazing spring semester running around Europe and interning in London, my 2024 summer was pretty depressing. Going from the best, most independent version of myself back to my childhood home was a shocking transition. But as they say, all good things come to an end. What most students who study abroad don’t expect is how hard it is to leave a place that has become your second home.
As someone who forced themselves outside of their comfort zone with this choice, I surprised myself with how much I loved living in a giant city like London. I traveled on a plane for the first time by myself, visited a continent I had never even to before, and made a whole new group of friends. As much as I love my part-time job at a daycare in a small town in Connecticut, nothing compares to the freedom studying abroad gives you. Reintegrating into life at home and school after study abroad was tougher than I could’ve imagined. I looked back at my old pictures and videos every single day for three months. I know my abroad friends and I think about all the fun times we had together every single day. I have always been a nostalgic person who reminisces about my past experiences, especially when I don’t know how good I am at the moment. Â
As a rising college senior with a lighter course load, finding another job on campus was top of my priorities. I’ve been looking to be more involved on campus throughout the years and needed an activity to fill my time with outside-of-school work. That’s when an unexpected opportunity came my way—I applied for a position with UConn’s study abroad office on campus. What better part time job to have than working for the program that provided me with such a life-changing experience? After applying and interviewing, I became a GSM or Global Student Mentor. Working with Experiential Global Learning gave me the space to share my experience with other students who were starting the process of studying abroad. I started connecting with those who were gearing up for their own adventures, sharing my tips, favorite London/European spots, and the honest truth about what it feels like to return home. The conversations were cathartic, not just for the students but for me as well. I was also able to work with other GSMs from different programs in other countries like Italy, Germany, South Africa, and Singapore. We all shared our experiences with each other and discovered the similarities in how we felt post-abroad.
Through this role, I discovered new opportunities that helped me heal and grow. I worked on creative projects like presentations about study abroad programs, assisted with events on campus, and even interviewed the next mentor cohort for the next semester. I learned so many new skills and created long-lasting connections with some of UConn’s faculty. Every interaction reminded me that my time in London wasn’t just a personal milestone—it was a chance to help others embark on their journeys. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade the highs or lows of my post-study abroad experience. It taught me resilience, gave me a community to lean on where I didn’t expect it, and helped me channel my love for travel into something meaningful.