Starting my college career a few years back, I began to plan out all of the things I wanted to experience as an undergraduate. One thing that my parents really encouraged me to do was study abroad.

I love to travel, and they felt that studying in another country for a while would be an enriching experience for me. They couldn’t have been more right. Living and learning in Australia was the best decision I have ever made. It has, without a doubt, helped shape me into the person I am today. The experiences, the memories, and the pictures I got to take home with me are so valuable, and I wouldn’t trade that time for the world. Below are just a few ways studying abroad will change your life for the better.

1. You get to pick any spot on the map to call home

Typically your college’s study abroad office will have a long list of countries from each continent that you can choose from. Each option typically caters to a particular subject or major, but you can choose any course regardless of the content. Some of the most interesting courses are ones that have nothing to do with your major, so don’t be afraid to pick something that sounds unique. I promise it’s worth it.

Furthermore, pick a country that you have always dreamt about exploring. Don’t pick a place just because you have vacationed there with your family before; pick a place that you can call your own. Expand your horizons. You have the opportunity to go places you may never get the chance to see again.

2. You become more independent while you are away

When you go abroad, you gain a sense of independence that you can’t find sitting around in your hometown. You are off on your own in a foreign country.

You don’t have your parents to take care of you. You won't have anyone there to do your laundry, cook your food, or to make sure you stay on top of your schoolwork (yes, you still have homework while abroad). You have to figure things out on your own.

To put it in simple terms, you are free. You are free to explore a new and exciting place. It’s on you to make the most out of your experience. Nobody is going to create your itinerary for you or tell you where to go or what to see. Being on your own gives you the opportunity to find yourself and be whoever you want to be.

3. Your worldview will change (and hopefully grow)

While living in another country, you will be exposed to a new culture, new scenery, new foods, and so much more. The people you meet and the knowledge you gain from learning about the country’s history will change your political views, your religious views, and your views regarding the way we go about our lives on a daily basis. Living abroad will make you question the way your home country works, which is definitely a good thing. Keep and open mind and you will get so much out of it.

4. You will make bonds that will last a lifetime

The only people that will ever come close to understanding your experience abroad are the people that go abroad with you. When you come home, all you are going to want to talk about for the rest of eternity is your adventures and memories. Your family and friends will love to hear about your trip, but after that they will get sick of it. They don’t understand, and that’s OK. You will have those connections with your classmates for a lifetime.

5. Once you finally come home, you want nothing more than to go back

Once you’ve been out of the country, it’s hard to come back to reality. You try to adapt and get back to your normal routine, but instead, you daydream about going back or about your next foreign destination. Traveling is like a drug. You will crave it and you will have withdrawals. You will want nothing more than to hop back on a plane and go everywhere.

Studying abroad changed me and I hope that it will change you too. I hope it changes the way you see the world, as well as the way you see yourself. My hope is that you bring back memories that are worth more than any material possession, and I hope that one day you plan to go back. Don’t try to fight the travel bug. Embrace it. Live a life full of wanderlust, buy a plane ticket, and never look back.