Yes, yes, yes, and, again, yes! Please, do capitalize the opportunity to study abroad in college. It will change your life for the better. Your college education will become something you could never imagine it to be, in the best of ways. You will learn to understand the world in a new way. And, you will discover a lot about yourself and the differences you want to make in the world. I am writing from Edinburgh, Scotland, a long ways from home. I have seen nearly ten different cities in the UK now and traveled to Stockholm, Sweden. I have learned so much already, and I have barely scratched the surface. I almost didn’t come to England. I was so close to staying home. I thought it would be better idea to stay in Duluth, focus on my acting and my studies, but I was so wrong. The best thing I could of done was this: get on a plane to England, and study in a far away place, somewhere I no longer felt ‘at home.’ I, now, feel the most at home I have ever been, especially with myself. There are so many places calling your name from afar, asking you to come learn, to come see, and to come experience the world. The College of St. Scholastica offers a lot of options and help to make these things happen for students. I chose England, but students have traveled to Ireland, Germany, and beyond.
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I encourage anyone and everyone to find the courage to study somewhere far away. Trust yourself, and trust your desires. I almost let my fear trump my dreams. I know I would have been devastated if I had followed through with staying home. Somehow, I found the smallest bit of confidence I needed to commit to leaving, and I did it. And, I like to believe I did it with gusto. It has not been the easiest of times, but it has been the very best of times. Before I left, many warned me of the ‘W Curve,’ but I was convinced I would avoid it. At first, it seemed I had, but it hit me hard a few weeks in. I was faced with sadness, doubt, and anxiety like I had not experienced in over a year. I was brought back to a place that scared me, a place I thought I had escaped forever. I carried on, though. I trusted myself and the universe enough. I continued doing the things I loved, caring for myself and my body, dumping all my effort into my studies, and dreaming. I kept on dreaming. Weeks later, maybe even several weeks in to the term, I found the purest happiness I had ever felt. I had accomplished all I had hoped to and more. It was during that period of sadness that I learned the most about myself. I learned that no matter what I am feeling inside, I must continue pressing on, working hard, and loving myself. I am forever changed. I would not exchange this opportunity to study abroad for anything in the world.
