I have been lucky enough to have the experience of a lifetime this semester living in Galway, Ireland. While study abroad is not suited for everyone, I personally wouldn't trade the experience for anything. You learn about the world, its people, music, history, and culture from not only travel, but immersing yourself in an unfamiliar setting for several months of your life. There have definitely been some unexpected challenges, but they all run together into the memories I've made so far. There are many reasons, both personal and academic, that I chose to study abroad but there are 10 positive ways this semester has made me a healthier person in both mind and body.

1. Diet! News flash for those of you who are considering studying abroad: THERE IS NO MAC N CHEESE IN EUROPE. This PSA would have been good to know in advance, and probably would have saved some tears. Anyone who knows me (and my general eating habits) knows I'm more than happy to stick easy mac in the microwave, pop myself in front of the tv, and say Bon Appétit to dinner. However, processed or pre-made food is a rare commodity in Europe, and fast food restaurants such as McDonalds end up being more expensive because of a special tax on unhealthy food (bye, sweet tooth and unhealthy snacks!). Thus, I did the impossible: I learned to cook. Granted, there were many SOS FaceTime calls to Mom and googling to give advice on ingredients (is bread soda the same as baking soda? Why does no one sell chicken broth? Still undetermined), but with no meal plan, I try my best. Fresh ingredients are readily available and not only do I cook colorful and satisfying meals, but I actually enjoy the process! I've found food tastes better when you know you took the time to make it from scratch, and you savor it longer.

2. Walking! This is an easy one. Public transportation can be expensive, confusing and doesn't always go where you need it to. I've never been super inclined to go to the ARC at school, so I didn't think I was in shape at all. However, I've discovered I can walk extremely long distances when there isn't another option. The cities in Europe are for the most part designed before colleges, so many time school buildings and accommodations can be far apart from one another. My Fitbit buzzes daily, and claims I walked 64 miles in one weekend in Italy, so while I'm not hitting the gym on a daily basis (or monthly let's be honest), I have many more opportunities to do the Surgeon General's recommended exercise without breaking a sweat.

3. The "always-on" lifestyle! When you have a phone that only works on the slim occasion you have wifi, you don't spend as much time to spend looking online. I have traded snapchat stories for travel journaling, Facebook for face to face interaction, aimless searching for searching for a new meaning. I don't have FOMO because I know I'm not missing out, and I wouldn't know it even if I was. It's amazing what you notice when you put the phone down! Definitely a healthy habit I'll be keeping when I get back to the states.

4. Old friendships! It's harder to stay in touch with friends from than I expected. The time difference is a killer, and it's not as easy as a walk across the quad or down the hall to hang out. There are so many schedules to work around that a weekend trip or two is worth the wait. While travel across countries and time zones can be exhausting, our friendships have grown stronger. Time is limited, so we fill the time up with catching up and making new memories together. Ultimately, studying abroad has taught us to value the time with our friends from school more because it is limited! When without my friends at my host institution, I also had the opportunity to find who I was without my friends and family by my side.

5. New friendships! Speaking of friends... Finding a balance between new friends and old is key. I met my roommate on the airplane to Europe and my other two when we walked into the apartment for the first time. I didn't know a single person in the country, and I was nervous about not finding friendships like those I had at home in the states. However, the terror of being completely alone in a foreign place actually ended up being a very healthy experience for me. With a generally slow-to-warm personality, I had to put myself out there and find something in common with everyone.

6. Wallet: Okay, so to be honest; the bank account is not looking so healthy right now, but the lesson I learned this semester about money was: Depending on your UIUC program and the type of program you select, tuition is generally not too much more, if not equal, to tuition at home. However, I learned how to budget better for on-me expenses from traveling. If I wanted to travel to Paris for the weekend, I would sacrifice precious sleep for a cheaper early flight. Or opting to pack a lunch was often a better option than eating out the first day. Being savvy with a limited budget for the semester taught me how to prioritize what types of things deserved to be splurged on, and what I could live without.

7. Not sweating! One of the things that has made me happiest this semester has been not sweating the small stuff. There's a wild phenomenon that occurs abroad where it is limited to no drama, and everyone has the same priorities of having a good time. Truth: traveling is tiring and so is sharing a shoebox size room with another person. But, learning to give yourself space and time alone, and pressing fast forward on little annoyances leaves you with a healthier and stress free experience.

8. School! School is the real reason you are STUDYING abroad, and whatever people might say, it's no blow-off semester. While the grading system is different than what we are used to, I say you get out of it what you put in it. I learned a lot having international education besides from the actual content: mainly developing a global lens on history and the world rather than seeing things from the American perspective.

9. Spontaneity! #YOSAO (You only study abroad once, pronounced: yoh sah o) has become my motto of the semester. Healthy usually means having habits and routines, but every once in a while, tossing something new into the mix is better. YOSAO means cancelling the sacred Netflix account and taking a trip to Italy for a weekend. It means climbing a mountain, bike riding 35 miles in a day and treating yourself when you need to. Being spontaneous can be a healthy habit too!

10. Appreciation! I am not sure I've ever felt luckier in my life. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to have the opportunity to study abroad, and I feel very blessed to have been able to live and learn in a country I've fallen in love with. I constantly am having my breath taken away by beautiful things and people's wonderful generosity (including Mom and Dad's). I might not feel the full effect until it's truly over, but I am confident that I will be leaving this place a better and happier person. I've learned not to take experiences for granted because the memories will be the best souvenirs I take home.