Written by: Rylee Ugen | Summer 2024
Health Benefit of the Mediterranean Lifestyle
You will hear it time and time again- studying abroad will change your life, just as it
changed mine. Being able to immerse yourself in another culture and see how other people live can really open your eyes. Before coming on this trip, I lived a very fast-paced life, constantly thinking about the next plan or goal. Don’t get me wrong, this way of life is very productive but getting stuck in this can be detrimental. Studying abroad taught me so many life lessons which I will carry with me forever.
Challenging your realities:
Life in Florence, Italy is enjoyable. People here take their time to do things and they live in the moment. When I first arrived in Italy, I was shocked to see that most places don’t even open until 10:00am! At first, I was confused and wondered when they had time to get their jobs done but by the end of the week, I understood why they did this. When you take time to slow down, you are able to live in the present and that is a gift. Most dinner restaurants don’t open until 7pm and dinners last longer than they do in America. Why is this? It’s simple, Italians cherish their time, something I, like many other Americans, are not used to.
Embracing the uncomfortable:
Independence is a great aspect of studying abroad and it teaches many people how to problem solve on their own. However, this independence can make one miss their family, like me. The only way to push past an obstacle is to embrace the uncomfortable. Personally, being away from home for too long makes me homesick, not to mention the time difference and lack of Wi-Fi. This made it difficult to talk to my family but in order to live this experience to the fullest, you must push past that. Once I did, I had some of the most incredible experiences of my life.
Tips for studying abroad:
- Try and use the language as much as possible.
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- Doing so not only shows respect, but it allows you to learn new things.
- Remember why you went on the trip in the first place.
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- It’s easy to see the itinerary for the day and think, “this isn’t really my thing, I know it won’t be fun.” But that’s the beauty of study abroad-trying new things and embracing them. Remind yourself this trip is once in a lifetime.
- Soak in every moment.
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- Before you know it, your trip will be over, so enjoy every second of it.
If you are thinking about studying abroad, do it. The memories I made and the experiences I did are something I will never forget and will tell my kids one day. A lot can changed in just a short amount of time so embrace every moment. During this trip I was able to push past the uncomfortable, open my eyes to new realities, and gain a new passion for traveling and seeing other places.