Sabrina Matsuda, Study Abroad ’17-’18, Northwestern ’19
Linguistics, German
I always have a difficult time answering the question, “How was study abroad?” because, well… I spent an entire year abroad. During the Freiburg: Language and Area Studies program, I studied and lived in Freiburg, Germany: a small-ish city of about 225,000 people, tucked away in the southwest corner of Germany, right next to France and Switzerland. While I love talking about my time living there, when people ask about study abroad, they usually don’t really want my honest answer — just the short version, the ~super fun~ highlights.
But I can’t give them that. At least, I don’t want to.
I can’t sum up a whole year into a nice, neat, one-sentence answer. One sentence isn’t enough to tell you that I became great friends with the IES students fall semester, and really did not get along with the spring semester students. That because of this year I achieved near-native fluency in just three years of studying German. That I arrived not knowing what I wanted to do after graduation and left wanting to become a German teacher. That during this year I created a new “normal” for myself — shopping and eating at the same stores and restaurants, attending classes, doing homework — so no, not every day was “Instagram-worthy,” but by the end of summer, Freiburg felt like home.
That during this year my long term, long distance relationship ended badly, leaving me stumbling through the darkest, loneliest, and emptiest place I’ve ever been in, thousands of miles away from my usual support network.
…………………………
So no. I don’t want to give the highlights, because that wasn’t the whole experience. The whole experience was the ups and the downs, the concurrent and constant unfamiliarity and familiarity, the weirdness and joy that comes with creating a new life somewhere.
To the outbound students: Your study abroad experience won’t always be sunshine and rainbows. And that’s okay. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions, and then take time to reflect on them. Your experience will be so much more meaningful and memorable because of it.
To those asking, “How was study abroad?”: Take the time to listen to the honest answer. It’s worth the conversation.
Exploring a sculpture path in a forest just outside of Freiburg.
View from my room. I felt the most at peace just sitting and looking out my window at this amazing view.
Walking along the Dreisam (river that runs through Freiburg).