I returned to the U.S. just over a week ago from my nearly 7 weeks in Barcelona, Spain. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Though at times it was rough, when I was homesick or having trouble adjusting to the culture, I still wouldn’t go back and change anything. I absolutely don’t regret having done it. In fact, I would encourage everyone to do a study abroad program or any international experience at some point in their lives. It truly is life changing. It makes you realize what is really important in your life, and what is not so important. It helps you realize all that you take for granted and helps you to appreciate the small things in life. It opens your eyes to a whole different part of the world and widens your perspective on life in general. You learn more about yourself by learning about others, as ironic as that may be. It helps you learn how to take care of things by yourself and learn to navigate through difficult situations. Your parents and friends and family are not available to help when you thousands of miles away from them, which helps you learn to be independent and resourceful.

All in all, it was an extremely valuable experience and I’m better for having done it.