Studying abroad is something that most people at my school do at least once. Many people even go on multiple trips; like my sorority Big who has been through three different abroad programs. Exploring another country is a grand adventure. You see different scenery, try new food and experience other cultures up close. Traveling in college is even more exciting because your school plans the trip for you and your fellow students will be there with you. This is one rare occasion where you can completely trust who is planning a trip for you. Otherwise, you would have to meticulously plan it all on your own or trust a company you’ve never used before. So take advantage of your school’s study abroad office and pick a trip. Also, having other students from your school there makes it fun. Traveling with people your age can be more exciting than just going with your family. You have similar goals and expectations for the trip. Sometimes older adults want to do tours and have a strict schedule, while students will want more free time to explore. Having friends to wonder off with to a weird restaurant or nightclub is a blessing.

I also suggest you pick a trip that your friends are going on. For my trip, I had almost my entire friend group with me. We all planned to go together and it was amazing. We went to Tokyo, Japan. In case you didn't know, Tokyo is a huge city with tons of different districts, like Harajuku or Shibuya. Exploring it with my closest friends made it 10 times better. We have so many memories that would not have been the same if we had all been strangers. Having at least one person you know can make a big difference. If you can’t convince any friends to go with you, it will still be amazing, so don’t panic. Just make sure the place you pick is actually important to you. You don’t want to be somewhere else just because you were afraid to be with people you didn't know.

Once you get to your destination, you’ll probably want to rest a little. The actual traveling part isn’t that great. Tokyo was a 13-hour flight from Atlanta, Georgia. It was absolute hell. Even though it was totally worth it, I didn’t recover from that flight until I went on it again and was home for two weeks. One thing I dealt with in Tokyo that was hard to get used to was having to walk everywhere. We had to walk so much. I can’t even begin to describe how much walking we did. It is a big city and we had a lot of different places to see. Luckily, the train system was easy to use and helped out for some of the farther areas. I learned a lot about public transportation and what a blessing it is. I’m sure other places require just as much walking if you only have two weeks to explore. Make sure you’re ready for the plane ride and getting around in the other country. If I didn’t have tennis shoes packed and ready I don’t know what I would have done.

I chose a place that has a distinct and unique culture. Somewhere like London or France is probably a little closer to American culture, but still very different. I had to use chopsticks every day instead of forks and knives. I couldn't read the language or understand it that well. The people were extremely different than what I'm used to. Japan also has a very structured society with a lot of unspoken rules that govern everyday behavior in the city. You always walk on the left side of the street or you give up your seat to others on the train if they need it. These rules make this crowded city work.

It also shows one unique quality in Japanese culture: They care about others more than themselves. In Japan, you are always supposed to think about other people and do everything in your power to stay out of the way or help someone else. It’s very different from the American belief that it’s every man for himself. I love this part of Japanese culture and I think it was one of the most rewarding lessons from my trip. Studying abroad taught me that there are other ways to think about things. Other countries don’t work just like our's. You aren’t living in a bubble. There is so much more than just the city you live in, even though it seems like other cultures are a distant reality.

Studying abroad will bring you so many memories and experiences. It’s one of the best things I have ever done and I guarantee anyone else would say the same. It’s important to get out of your comfort zone and go to other places across the world. You never know how it will affect your future. I’ve learned that I love Japanese culture and want to go back and live in Tokyo. It’s sparked a whole new direction for my life that will hopefully be a reality someday. Maybe you'll find a place you love and go back one day to live there. Maybe you'll travel to many different places and see it all. If you get the chance to study abroad make sure you take hundreds of photos, make plenty of memories and try everything you possibly can because it will be awesome.