Why you should study abroad
I’M HOME !!!!!!
Well actually I’ve been back for a fat minute now lol.
A little update since I've been home-
I interned at Garmin over the summer in the video production department and I learned so much. It was such an amazing experience to be able to be on set for productions and to be able to create some work of my own for Garmin as well.
I'm about to finish up my first semester of senior year at K-State (ah) and I'm currently looking for jobs (ah x2).
All in all it's been great to be home, but I still miss traveling a lot.
About a year ago Obie and I began seriously planning our semester abroad in Liverpool, England and I've been feeling a bit nostalgic about it lately.
So naturally I’ve decided to make it my mission to convince you to study abroad because I promise it’ll be such an amazing experience.
If you’ve ever asked me about being abroad, then you know I will LITERALLY talk your ear off for a solid 40 minutes, at least. Or if you’ve texted me with questions you know I respond with an actual novel about the places I’ve been because I’m just so passionate about traveling and exploring and I’m so eager to share that joy I feel with y’all :’) CHEESY I KNOW.
So if you haven’t asked me yet, just know what you’re getting yourself into and be prepared for me to get all up in my feelings about how in love I was with my life while I was abroad.
For those of you... *most of you* ...that don’t want to put yourself through that torture, I decided to dedicate this blog post to talking about why I loved my experience abroad so much, and also to maybe give you a little push to go study abroad too.
There’s at least five hundred million reasons why I loved being abroad, but I’ll try to keep it to the point. As much as my scatterbrained self can.
*DISCLAIMER* This topic just screams cheesy so brace yourself. And know that while it may sound really dumb and cliché that I actually believe all of this from the bottom of my heart. Idk if that makes it less cheesy (??) but I just wanted to acknowledge it.
1. Independence and Self Discovery.
I know you’re probably thinking- um you went abroad with your best friend, that’s not super ‘independent’ of you. And you’re absolutely right. I’m not really sure if I would’ve had the courage to go by myself. I’d like to think that I would’ve, but I just don’t know. A TON of people do go by themselves though and they have an amazing time. Personally, I wouldn’t have changed my experience at all. Sharing everything with my best friend was one of the best parts for me.
The kind of independence I’m talking about is different. I’m talking about the independence you feel from breaking away from everything you’ve ever known. Throwing yourself into a completely new environment, only knowing what to expect based off of the internet or movies. Living in a different country for four months forces you to become self-reliant and independent. It’s scary, but empowering in the end.
The thought of moving to a new city I don’t know anything about and where I don’t know anyone is no longer as frightening to me. I have confidence that I can find my place.
So basically I high key feel like since I was able to live in England for a few months I’m basically capable of anything. Lol.
When I say self-discovery, I’m not saying I was totally lost and studying abroad showed me the way lol. I already had my faith, passions, values and dreams.
Studying abroad just opened my eyes and gave me a larger perspective of the world that I’m not sure I would’ve gained otherwise.
It gave me the opportunity to experience different cultures and interact with people from so many different backgrounds. I saw things I never thought I would see and I got to experience so much history that has shaped the course of the world.
Traveling not only became a way for me to utilize my passions through this blog and my videos, but it also grew to become one of my passions.
I remember after Obie and I had been on the go for a month, traveling from city to city around Europe out of one carry-on suitcase; my mom asked me ‘aren’t you ready to be done traveling?’
And I wasn’t. At all.
I loved being in a new place every few days. I loved how new and exciting every city was. Each bringing something so unique.
After Obie and I’s Easter break we stayed in Liverpool for a month to prepare for our finals, which were 100% of our grade.
In that month I WAS SO ANTSY. I kept trying to figure out how we could squeeze one more trip in. I probably spent an hour at least on google flights every day to monitor ticket prices.
I know I am so fortunate to have been able to go to all the places I’ve been, but I can’t wait to see even more.
That’s ambitious and costly, I know. But I love every minute of and every aspect of traveling. Even the planning and research. I’m not sure how to describe it other than I just feel so in my element. *Except when we’re lost or in an airport- Obie can attest to this- I’m pretty anxious, but I have definitely gotten better. I think*
So I guess when I say self-discovery, I mean that I was able to find a unique and true happiness that I hadn’t experienced before. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be, doing what I’ve always dreamed of doing.
2. Once in a lifetime opportunity
This is something everyone told me before I left. And I completely agree. Not in the sense that I’ll never get the chance to go to Europe again, but rather in reference to timing. I wasn’t just traveling just for fun. I mean obviously it was fun, but I also got school credit while I was in England.
I was also spending the same amount on tuition I would’ve been at K-State. The exact same tuition. In a different country. That’s a crazy good deal. My scholarships even counted.
In my opinion, there was no better time. I had four months dedicated to traveling and sometimes going to class (lol). I didn’t have to use vacation days at a full time job, I wasn’t taking a year off of school.
We’re young. We honestly have a lot less tying us down lol. SO why NOT!?
3. Point on the globe and GO
One of my FAVORITE things was that the possibilities for destinations were endless. I felt like I could go anywhere in Europe I wanted and THAT’S A COOL FEELING GUYS.
Obie and I would literally google cities and be like ‘eh should we go here… idk not cool enough.’ LIKE WHAT !?! Having the chance to just do that is so fun.
In just four and a half months I went to Liverpool, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Dublin, Nice, Monaco, Barcelona, Budapest, Pisa, Milan, Lake Como, Florence, Copenhagen, Venice, Rome, Santorini and Athens.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to go everywhere I’ve been. Studying abroad makes it easier for students to explore different parts of the world while they’re still in school and I can’t even emphasize enough how amazing of an opportunity that is. Idk if you counted but that’s 10 countries and 19 cities I was able to visit.
I was truly living the dream.
If you’re like wow, Isabel, hold the phone I’m not as insane as you and I don’t want to live out of a suitcase for an entire month. You don’t have to! That’s just the way Obie and I did it because we were able to get cheaper flights and we had a month-long break.
You can take as many or as few trips outside your home city as you like. Some people choose to stay in the city they study in for most of their time abroad and that’s a really cool way to experience the culture of a city.
Obviously you don’t have to go to Europe either. If you want to go somewhere else and travel that’s totally up to you.
Your abroad experience can be whatever you make it.
4. Every day is an adventure
Every single day, no matter where we were, was an adventure. Whether it was just being in class in Liverpool and listening to my professor with a British accent encouraging people to stop going to the pubs and to actually do the suggested readings or dancing by the Eiffel tower with the coolest people we had just met.
Every single day I had to step back and be like wow I’m really here.
Imagine being on vacation for four and half months. A dream come true right??
5. It’ll always cost money
I think a huge reason people don’t want to study abroad is because of money. My advice is to work hard and work a lot. Save your money.
And then just go.
Because guess what, it’s always going to cost money. Odds are it’ll only continue to cost MORE money. So don’t let that be a reason you don’t go. Your desire to go won’t go away and neither will the expense.
Do whatever you can to save money. Apply for scholarships. Trust me it is absolutely worth every penny.
6. People
If you don’t go with friends, you’ll meet so many people. One of the best parts about the hostels is that several are great environments for young or solo travelers. They even sometimes put on events or dinners which are a great way to meet people in every city you go to. Not only did the sites make cities memorable, but the people added so much to that experience as well.
Obie and I met people from all over. We had our friends in Liverpool, but we also randomly met some of the coolest people just by walking around a city.
And then you’ll get to say cool things like ‘yeah our friends from London…’ which is probably my favorite thing to say ever. So posh.
So that’s my very condensed version of why I loved my experience abroad.
I know I spent this entire post hyping up studying abroad, but my intent was not to de-legitimize any fears you may have.
I understand.
While studying abroad was an amazing adventure and I would do it all over again if I could, that doesn’t mean everything was perfect by any means. Things went wrong for sure. It’s never smooth sailing 100% of the time when it comes to traveling.
What I’m trying to say is if you have that desire, and you think it looks like a fun experience, you should go for it. Don’t let those fears persuade you not to do it.
Afraid you won’t meet anyone? More than likely you’ll be put in a group living situation at your University. Initiate plans and try to get to know your roommates. Put yourself out there. You’ve really got nothing to lose- you’ll be leaving a few months later so who cares if you crash and burn a few times? (That’s what I kept telling myself lol).
Afraid you’ll be homesick? Make the most of every opportunity to explore while you’re there. Focus on being content in the moment and where you are. Keep in touch with those you love. Share your amazing experiences with them by sending them letters, postcards and obviously FaceTime them. FaceTime them often. Mainly so you make sure you stay relevant.
Afraid about classes being hard? It’s pass/fail dude. Easiest semester of your life.
Afraid of a language barrier? Study in England. LOL.
–Side note: When we traveled outside of England we found that a lot of people, especially in the service industry, speak English. If not, Google Translate is super clutch.
Afraid you’ll spend too much money? Shameless plug—read about how Obie and I balled out on a budget (link here). There are ways to save while you travel!
Just do it. Take the leap.
There’s something amazingly rewarding about overcoming your fears. And something even more amazing about discovering more about yourself while completely immersing yourself in a new culture.
As always, hit me up with any questions, concerns or even exciting news about your travel plans. Or I mean even if you don’t know which pic looks more artsy on your Instagram grid—just hit me up!!!! Clearly I love talking about things European and travel-related lol.
---Disclaimer: This message was not endorsed by the K-State Study Abroad Program. However, I feel like it definitely should be so if you’re reading this KSU study abroad, my venmo is @isabellauby. Any donation is appreciated !!
Thanks for stopping by, I love my fans.
XX
Isabel