Last semester, I embarked on the craziest journey of my life. I decided, quite spontaneously, to travel halfway across the world to the land Down Under. Never in my life did I think I would be able to say that I lived in Australia for half a year. I knew that I was going to have a great time abroad, but I never realized just how much this experience would impact my life.

I have always heard from friends that have traveled and studied abroad how amazing their time was and how it was "life changing". The meaning behind those two words had no significance to me before I went away. It all sounded great in theory, but I had no idea just how life changing it would actually be.

First, I received the news. I remember sitting in class looking through my emails when I saw it. “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to take part in the study abroad program in Melbourne, Australia!” My heart dropped and I had to leave my classroom because I couldn’t contain my excitement. I was overjoyed; I called all my friends and family to share the exciting news.

But then, I came back to reality. How was I going to pay for this? Being a broke college student and all, this was a valid concern. I learned that if you want something that badly... there is a way. I was determined to go to Australia, so I spent my entire summer working and saving every penny. I applied for every scholarship I could find, and used every resource I could get ahold of. In the end, the hard work fortunately paid off.

It finally started to hit me. Once I was able to figure out all the details and straighten out my plans, I realized I was going to be leaving the country for the first time, for five months, on my own. I never knew how scary it would be to leave the comfort of my home, my friends and family, my day-to-day life. It really did not even hit me until I stepped onto the plane. I was on my way to virtually one of the farthest places from home I could possibly go to, and there was no turning back. For 20 years of my life, all I knew was the place I grew up and the people I grew up with. Little did I know that there was a whole world outside my small hometown just waiting to be explored.

It was a challenge. I learned quickly that studying abroad wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought it would be. The picture-perfect images I had in my head of traveling was not exactly the case. After a 24-hour long flight, I arrived in a completely unfamiliar place and that was a terrifying feeling. As nerve-racking as it was, I couldn’t help but feel excited at the same time. It was a surreal feeling to basically be starting a new life somewhere else. I had to figure everything out on my own.

I found comfort in knowing I was not alone. I was surrounded by other exchange students who all went through the same emotions and experiences as I did. They were all as clueless, nervous and excited as me... and what a relief that was! From ending up in the middle of nowhere in Melbourne city while trying to figure out the transportation system, to trying to figure out the Aussie slang our professors used in class, we were all going through the same experiences.

In the end, it was worth it. Every challenge I faced throughout my entire study abroad experience was completely rewarding in the end. I didn’t realize just how much I was learning and growing as a person at the time, but looking back I can hardly recognize the person I was. Traveling has a power like no other: it changed my perspective on the world and opened the doors to so many new opportunities.

My friends were right, studying abroad was definitely life-changing. Now that I’m back in the states, I can’t help but dream about where my next adventure will take me!