Hello Adventure

Studying abroad was a strong desire of mine heading into my freshman year of college. For others, it's a "tug of war" decision. As an anthropology major, my goal is to engage with the world we live in and understand how other people live. I studied abroad in Milan, Italy during the spring of my sophomore year. Having the opportunity to travel overseas on my own was a thrilling and nerving experience. As I got dropped off at the airport I said arrivederci ("see you soon") to my family before checking in with security. The beginning of my new adventure unexpectedly turned when my flight was delayed for several hours and eventually cancelled due to weather conditions and flight errors. I chose to spend the night at the airport to make the best of the situation and embrace the experience of traveling. I met five people throughout the night and early morning who shared with me their individual stories and upcoming travels to Egypt, Moscow, Italy, the Philippines, and London. One of them studied abroad in London years prior, returned to complete her master's, and now permanently lives there. The wise women who was departing to the Philippines unfortunately received the news that her flight was cancelled after she shared with me her worldly travels as a foreign service officer. Their company during my wait made the beginning of my adventure all the better. Surprisingly enough, they shared similar advice with me—to be patient, open-minded, and let the experience unfold from itself.
Although I was almost a day and a half late, I eventually made it to Milan and met my host family, IES staff, and classmates. I was relieved to be in the city that was going to be my classroom, which ended up becoming "my home away from home." Listening to people's stories made all the experience profound and enticing. I became friends with locals through a foreign language exchange program through IES abroad. The program is open to all students who wish to improve their language speaking skills and meet new people. From the exchange experience I was invited to a college graduation ceremony and witnessed ceremonial traditions, such as wearing the laurel wreath. Saying hello to what awaited me in Milan helped me control my eagerness and excitement. Moments that included Milan's food and art culture was a whirlwind experience as I lived in it every day. Out-of-class field excursions were memorable, especially the time my Italian professor took our class to a professional cooking studio where we learned to make pasta from scratch.
To expect the unexpected is a lesson learned. There are some circumstances that are out of a person's control and you have to keep calm and keep going. Within my first few days in Milan I did get lost (e.g. ending up in Chinatown instead of class), but I found it rewarding once I figured out how to navigate the entire city and public transport without a map. Study abroad allows you to be independent, be courageous, discover, and grow personally, academically, and professionally with the support of many people.