Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to Grace Goes Abroad! In one week, I will begin my journey as a college student with her eyes set on the world. Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to travel to anywhere and everywhere and that travel bug has only grown since. During my junior year of high school, I was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study in Aalen, Germany as an exchange student on a full-ride scholarship through a program at my high school in Pennsylvania. During my year, I not only explored Germany and became fluent in the language, but also took every opportunity that presented itself to me over the course of 11 months and was able to travel to 8 different countries in Europe. Now a college freshman, I plan to take advantage of all the amazing study abroad opportunities through my school, Arcadia University. The first of these opportunities presented itself in the form of the FYSAE program (First Year Study Abroad Experience) which allows first-year students to spend a semester at Arcadia centers in either London, England or Stirling, Scotland. After I was accepted to the University, I got a letter saying I was eligible to apply to this program. I applied, was accepted, and the rest is history! I leave on August 29th to live in London until January and I couldn’t be more excited. In less than two weeks, I will be back in Europe-I can’t wait!

So why study abroad? As an international studies major, I am a bit biased, but I truly believe that studying in another country gives you an education a textbook could never give you. When you study abroad, you not only learn more about other people from other countries and cultures-you learn more about yourself. You learn where your limits are and where your comfort zone ends- and then you learn how to take leaps and strides past and on the way, you learn more about yourself than you ever could have sitting in a dorm or in your bedroom at home. In Germany, I became a much stronger person just from the nature of the experience. Since my return, I’ve been more open, more confident, and more willing to accept that I’m not good at everything and that I don’t have to be. Germany changed me for the better and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity. London will be different, of course. This time I will be speaking the same language as Londoners, which is a huge hurdle that I don’t have to jump over this time, but I won’t be living with a host family as I did in Germany.  Living independently with my roommates in a dorm in London, buying all my own food, making my own decisions, and the responsibilities that come with living on your own will present new challenges that I haven’t encountered before. However, it is my opinion that the sooner I get this learning curve out of the way, the better prepared I’ll be for the rest of my life. I might as well do it now!

In two weeks I’ll be on my way to the next great adventure. Follow me to London and beyond as I study abroad throughout college, there’s sure to be some fantastic experiences to share with you all!