Humbled not Spoiled
Last semester I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, marking my first ever trip outside of the US. It goes without saying that there are plenty of thoughts and items of preparation leading up to such an experience, but for me, stereotypes are what stick in my head. Here's what I mean: My decision to study abroad was born from a variety of reasons, but namely because I am often looking for a new adventure. I was told that my biggest regret of college would be not studying abroad by more people than I could count. As I began looking into it and more seriously considering it, I found myself talking to peers that either had already done a study abroad trip, or were planning to do one like me. In my conversations, there seemed to be an overarching theme of "Stephanie, you have to study abroad, it will be the biggest party of your life"; or, "Stephanie, when will you ever have the opportunity again to travel for 4 months with no responsibility?" Although my inte