This One's for the Girls...

Today's post is going to be a little different. As you know, I'm here as a requirement of the Interior Design program. We must study abroad in the fall of our third year, and there are 10 third-year students. Ryann and I have been at this for almost two months now and, while I can't speak for her, I'm sure she'd agree that we are having the times of our lives! And now it's the UK girls' turns! Katie's already made it to Scotland safely, yay! The other 7 will be leaving in about a week. So, in honor of them setting out on this amazing journey, I thought I might offer a little advice just in case they were as terrified as I was about leaving the U.S.

1. Go ahead and cry. I made the mistake of letting my boyfriend, Steven, drop me off at the airport. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my mom and I would have cried had she dropped me off too, but over the past three years I've adapted to not being able to see her as much. I see Steven every day, and knowing that was about to end killed me. There was a long line at security so he walked me up as far as he could and I was a blubbering mess. I sniffled the entire "train" ride to the terminals. And when I got to my gate, I cried in the bathroom. The 14-hour plane ride to Doha helped because the crying made me tired. When I got to my hotel in Doha, I was so excited to skype him and call home... But my laptop died, my phone had 5% battery, and the converters didn't work for U.S. electronics. So, I cried there too. Another 12-hour flight later, I found myself in the room I'd be spending the next 5 months living in. I thought this point would be so comforting, but, again, I cried. The next morning came and I met my roommate. Emmi told me she cried the whole way here, too. Turns out, most of my friends did. And you know what? It helped. It helped me realize how much I value the people I left behind. It also helped me realize how scared I was, and by now I know that I conquered that fear. So grab some tissues on your way to security and let it all out.

2. Don't worry about the "unknown." The scariest part of traveling is that you are going to unknown places, dealing with unknown people, having to do unknown things; you don't know what to expect. In the months leading up to my departure, and the whole trip here, I worried about the smallest details that I honestly don't remember now. But trust me, you'll figure it out. And people will help you. I had friends who missed flights and ended up in totally foreign countries then finally arrived late. But they are here. And they have hilarious stories to tell. Don't sweat the small stuff-- it's part of the journey.

3. Separate. This may be the most important advice anyone could receive when studying abroad. "Luckily" enough, I came alone so I was forced to make new friends, and would you believe that I've made some of the best friends I'll ever have here? But, even we need to separate from time to time. By breaking away from the group, I've made friends from Germany, China, France, etc. I even have local friends with whom I'm going to St. Francis with for midterm recess. Katie, you're on your own for the first time-- embrace it. Girls, there are 7 of you and that makes it really easy to get comfortable in your own bubble. There's nothing wrong with spending time together; it's nice to have a group to come back to when you need someone who can relate to you. But don't waste your study abroad experience in that bubble. You have a year and a half together when we get home, use these few months to meet new people from all over the world that can enrich your life.

4. Say "yes!" I've met a lot of people and had a lot of incredible experiences in my nearly two months here, all because I kept an open mind and said "yes" to doing things I normally wouldn't. The number one thing when studying abroad is to stay open-minded and willing to try new things in order to absorb a new culture.

5. Keep in touch... but not too much. Homesickness is the worst part about studying abroad, that's a given. But you don't have to make yourself homesick. The first week will be hard, of course, so skype and call home as much as you want. But there will come a time when you'll have to break away from your computer so that you can get out and actually experience your new home. I've found the times I feel most homesick are when I'm skyping family and friends at home, or when I spend a rainy evening indoors on Facebook. Yes, it's always great to catch up with everyone and let them know how you're doing, but be cautious not to tie yourself back to home or else you'll make yourself miserable.

6. Write it down. While it's a little annoying that I have to take a break every day to write in this blog, I'm glad that it's one of my honors requirements because it documents my life here. Of course, you don't have to get a blog, but it's a great way to keep track of what you've been up to, and a good way to communicate with home without having to make yourself homesick like I talked about. If you're not interested in publicly displaying your life abroad, keep a small travel journal. You'll be able to write 3 or 4 pages a day for the first week or so because everything will be so new, but as time goes on you'll start to run out of material. Just take time to write down what you did that day, in maybe a sentence or two. Three months from now when you go home and are dying to go back abroad, you'll be able to re-live all your memories.


Now, I could go on and on about the little things that you should know, like looking right then left when you cross the street because they drive on the other side of  the road, or how some countries don't have your favorite foods, or how your dorm is not even remotely close to luxury living, etc, but those are fun things for you to find for yourself! I really hope this helps and can ease your mind a bit as you set off on the scariest but best journey ever! Please keep in touch-- we're lucky to have such a tight-knit group of 10! And I will see you all in London and Edinburgh in December! :)

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!  :)