Firstly, take a deep breath. You’re going to do it, and it’s going to be incredible. Whether you love it, hate it, or have a mixed experience, it will change your life. I wouldn’t worry too much about whether or not you’ll make friends, or like where you live. You will learn how to make the most of a place and inevitably find people there that define the trip. I met some of my very best friends abroad – one of which came back to Delaware with me after my trip to Italy, one of which is an American just a few states south, and another who will be an excuse for me to come back to Europe someday. You’ve heard it before, but I mean it sincerely, the quality of your circle is so much more valuable than the size. A few good friends is all you really need.

It’s tempting to do a tour of Europe (if that’s where you’re going) when you come over here. Everything is so close, countries are often the size of small states. There’s much to see, and little time to get to everywhere. If that’s your cup of tea, I’m in no position to tell you not to. But in my experience, it’s been more rewarding to settle into my “home base” than to see the Eiffel Tower, Schönbrunn Palace, the Colosseum, and Big Ben all in the same month. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to hit all of those places, and the pictures would be so cool to show everyone, but there’s something to be said for living like a local. It’s a bit cheaper, easier to make friends with the locals, more relaxing, and it’s an awesome skill to be able to navigate and truly know a foreign city by the time you leave.

“It’s tempting to do a tour of Europe… but in my experience, it’s been more rewarding to settle into my ‘home base’ than to see the Eiffel Tower, Schönbrunn Palace,
the Colosseum, and Big Ben all in the same month.”

Speaking of cool pictures – your Instagram feed is a work of art, truly. Your friends, family, and all the random followers from high school (who you don’t really talk to at all) will be so jealous to see you at Oktoberfest or on a Gondola in Venice!

They will like it, and comment, and tell you that you’re doing great things and they’re proud of you, and, by the way, you look so hot. Thing is, unless you actually believe all of those things about yourself, whether there is photographic evidence of what you’re doing or not, then their feedback is merely a temporary buzz.

I’m guilty of it myself – on both trips now there have been plenty of times where I’ve whipped out my phone to get the Instagram shot over taking it all in with my eyes. I’m working on it, and it’s easier said than done. But the world will always look cooler through your eyes, and comparison is the thief of joy. (Another thing you’ve heard before, but I mean sincerely).

Don’t worry too much about money! I’d recommend a budget, and of course everyone’s situation is different, but some experiences are worth spending a little extra on. There are ways to save money abroad – shopping at cheaper grocery stores, thrifting jackets and hats, slow travel, visiting museums when they have discounted student admission, applying for scholarships… Be smart, but enjoy yourself. You deserve it!

You’re allowed to feel whatever feelings you have. You’re allowed to really hate your commute to school, or feel much too far away from home.

The Atlantic Ocean is big. Your resolve is bigger.

Homesickness is normal, and it’s not pleasant. (But how lucky are we to have something so wonderful to miss this much?) Some of you might be in long-distance relationships and I won’t sit here and tell you it’s easy. Maybe you have sick or elderly relatives back home. You might have to vote abroad or deal with a disappointing election result (sigh). You’ll make super embarrassing mistakes, misunderstanding the culture you’ve thrown yourself in, even many weeks after living there

“What you will do and experience abroad will shift your perspective in a way I don’t know anything else can.”

I’ve never experienced as wide a range of emotions as I have abroad: the highest highs, and the lowest lows. It’s all part of it, and time will continue to pass, and the sun will continue to come up tomorrow. It’ll all be okay, and so worth it in the end. I’ve found that I am more supported even in foreign places than I could have ever imagined.

Make a playlist of all of the songs you like while you’re away – someday you’ll listen to them and it’ll take you right back. Keep a journal, because so much of what you write down in real time will get smushed and lost in your memory. Buy little trinkets, even if they’re at the souvenir shops, they’ll be worth more than the two Euros someday because they’re from where you were back then. Stay authentic to yourself, you’ll attract the people and things and experiences that mean the most to you that way.

I hope you are excited and proud of yourself. Choosing to leave behind whatever it is you have at home is a big decision, no matter how easy or difficult it felt to make. The fact that you are here means there is so much waiting for you – far more than you can fathom. I have 20 days left of study abroad, and roughly 220 days behind me. They’ve amounted to an immeasurable sum of experiences.

Congratulations, let the adventure begin!

With pride, excitement, and genuine well-wishes,

-Caroline