Walking along the brick paths of the Horseshoe, you’ve undoubtedly heard a foreign accent or an unfamiliar language blowing on the wind. You’ve probably seen more “Study Abroad” posters tacked up to the bulletin boards of residence halls and classrooms than you could ever care to count. You’ve almost definitely heard at least one person tell you all about the numerous benefits to studying abroad. (And trust me, they are quite numerous).
But there’s one important thing I was never told before my own semester abroad, which is that abroad, I would find myself. Push my limits and boundaries, and explore new things. I experienced a new piece of the world.
In Brazil, I lived a normal, nonchalant lifestyle. I went to school, shopped for groceries, and partied with my friends. I went on a few weekend trips – imagine your average weekend getaway to Myrtle or Chucktown (except a bit more exotic). I wrote heinously long papers, all for the sake of getting a good grade. I had a favorite store in the downtown area where I’d shop for a big event – I spent half a day picking out an outfit for my birthday, and then ended up wearing something I’d brought from home! I stayed in touch with my family and friends from back home, Viber-messaging and Skyping fairly regularly.
But in Brazil, I also learned a new language, tried fresh fruits I’d never even heard of, saw one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World (the Iguaçu Falls) and spent a week in the ninth largest city in the world (São Paulo). I spent a month in Rio de Janeiro, affectionately called “the City of God,” traveled north to Brasilia, the nation’s seat of government, visited old historical towns, and even had the opportunity to walk the streets where my father played as a child.
My life was pretty much that of your average college student: surrounded by parties, stressed out by finals, with a little roommate drama and a few sessions of retail therapy, except everyday I woke up to experience something new, to learn new slang in Portuguese, or to get lost on the bus system and fool a local into thinking I was actually a Brazilian from a different city, rather than a hopelessly turned-around American.
I don’t know your story, and I can’t tell you about the world that you’ll experience, but all I can tell you is that when I went out and tried new things, I learned as much about myself as I did about the unfamiliar world around me. And whatever your interests are, I can guarantee you that there is a piece of the world out there that is waiting for you to go explore it. It may be in another country, on another continent, where they speak another language, or it could just as easily be that comfy looking coffee shop you pass by everyday.
