When I first started thinking about whether or not I wanted to study abroad during college, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do. I had gone to a few countries in Europe when I was in high school, and since then I knew I wanted to continue to travel throughout my life. Studying abroad was, and still is, a little terrifying for me. I originally thought that I would just study abroad for a short time during the summer. That would allow me to still get the abroad experience, but I would have to be away from home for as long. As I started to hear of more of my friends' plans to go abroad for full semesters, I began to think that maybe I should also go for an entire semester. I knew that if I saw how much fun everyone was having abroad, I would have regretted not going for the whole semester.

I would say that I am a fairly independent person, but I still count on others for quite a lot in my life. I talk to my mom every single day and call her whenever I have the slightest inconvenience. So obviously one of my biggest fears is not being able to talk to my mom all the time. I'm still not sure how I am going to survive not being home to see my family or my dogs for 4 months. I am also not the most outgoing, so I am nervous about meeting new people. It is going to be a little bit like going to college for the first time again. It is slightly terrifying to think about being in a new country that I don't know much about with people speaking a language that I don't know at all. I also have serious FOMO, so I was worried about missing out on things on campus and at home. But then I started to think, I still have 3 semester left at school. How many more opportunities am I going to have to travel the world for 4 months?

Despite all of these worries, I know that going abroad is going to be worth every second. Everyone that goes abroad always raves about it being one of best experiences of their lives, and most people who don't go abroad wish they had. It definitely helps that I am going to the same program as 3 of my best friends from school, but I still would have decided to go abroad even if they were not going. I know that it is going to be an amazing opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone. There are not going to be many other times in my life when I can travel and explore a new country like this. I am looking forward to experiencing a new country and culture, while being able to meet and see so many new people and places. I am ready to overcome my fears and to welcome whatever my study abroad experience has in store for me.