Study Abroad Essay
Anytime I travel I love to learn about the culture, the land the country is on, and the history of the people within their country. After my study abroad I was left wanting to know more about each place I was in. Our trip was very fast paced, and we got the opportunity to go to a lot of places that aren’t normally on people’s travel lists in the countries we were in. As a result of that face paced travel I was left with so many questions after I left each place. Where did the people in these towns work? What was it like to grow up in a place like that? These questions only arose in my mind because I got to see and experience these places first hand. In the future, before I go to other places, I am going to spend more time doing my research so I can get there and better appreciate all the things that are around me. I would love to know what people do for work in a place and their opinions on growing up there so when I do arrive and begin my explorations, I can be in the right mindset to really enjoy my visit.
On this study abroad I learned that I am very resourceful and have good problem-solving skills. In multiple situations we had to figure out how to navigate the cities and bus routes on little to no knowledge of the language. In each of these times I would seek out a local and be as respectful as possible in asking how I would do something. This proved to be the most challenging but also fun when neither of us spoke a common language. The experiences I had on my study abroad were completely irreplaceable and I learned things and had to go out of my comfort zone like never before.
Many parts of my study aboard experience required me to cooperate with others, both locals and other students. As a result of our trip only being 20 students, we were expected to interact, and problem solve with our peers on a day to day basis. Between random room assignments, group projects, and seats on busses I got to meet students from UF in other majors and with other career goals that I wouldn’t have been able to meet any other way. Also, during our trip, we were tasked with going out into the towns we were in and communicating with locals. Our trip was very culturally immersive, and I found I could cooperate, problem solve through language barriers, and be respectful of other cultures all while being flexible in my choices. I really enjoyed having to talk to people from the countries I was in because I was able to see how they lived and their thought process, which gave me a new perspective on the world and myself. Throughout my time abroad I tried to approach each situation with a positive attitude and an understanding mind. I wanted to be able to live in each moment and work through each situation no matter how small it was because I knew in those moments I would learn the most.