My suitcase continuously got more filled as I planned for all the possible lives I may lead while abroad, repeatedly bouncing between 45 and 55 pounds. It needs to be just right so I can, “have the best experience possible abroad!” Trips back and forth from Target to home become less and less exciting and more and more anxious as the departure date creeps closer. The newfound concept of having to unlock a phone and pay for that added purchase adds weight to the already cumbersome load of preparation. The money invested slowly starts growing and a question begins pressing all of us: is this worth it?
This question sat heavily on my head, pushed further by my family’s stress. This was the reality of the situation for beginning study abroad, for me at least. Yes, there’s excitement and joy, but that can easily be overwhelmed by the severity of having to concretely plan and prepare for an excursion outside of the country for 8 weeks. It isn’t just easy-going all the time once the application and scholarships are over.
But why do I choose to speak on this? Why not instead focus on the fun times looking forward to travelling to Germany? The idea of living life as a European, with croissants and scarves and everything (if you can’t tell, I had never been to Europe before)? I choose this because this is the reality of a pre-departure life: while everyone will certainly have different specific experiences prior to attending the study abroad, there will be stress and anxiety. This will exist for different reasons for different people. It could be someone’s first time travelling internationally, it could be financially straining, or a plethora of other issues. Yet, does any of this make any of the experiences possible in studying abroad not worth it? The truth is: absolutely not. Preparing for leaving can be stressful and it can be hard, but the work put in will be rewarded and will make your experience that much more enjoyable. Preparing to leave is not departing from one home but instead taking a break to find yourself in a new home. Plan according to that mentality, and studying abroad will be the life-changing experience you always hear about.