My experience internationally has been slim, to say the least. Actually, if I’m honest, The most that I have ever traveled is west of the United States. Given that my travel experience is so limited I am extremely excited to be going abroad and studying in a large University so soon. I have always considered myself very susceptible and eager to change so that makes going to another country much less daunting, and yet, I still have my set few of anxieties and worries. One of my biggest worries is meeting people, I think that academically I won’t have too many problems, but as an introvert, it is pretty difficult for me to make friends. This may seem like a small worry or something to blow off as insignificant, but truly, the atmosphere of a school and the people that make up said school are what make the school what it is. As a transfer student into Rollins College, I know this first hand. I know exactly what it feels like to be unwanted and uncomfortable and the last thing I would want is to feel like this so far away from home. I would not consider myself a homebody or somebody who gets homesick often, but even so, I am going to be sad to leave my family and friends here in Florida, but I know it will make me all the more eager to see them when I get back.
My worries about studying abroad are very minimal, as opposed to the things that excite me when it comes to studying abroad. For starters, I cannot wait to see mountains. That must sound insane that I have now gone twenty years of my life without seeing a mountain, but it’s true, and how lucky am I that my first one is going to be in Europe! I am also extremely excited and in desperate anticipation to meet my new roommates–It is going to be such an amazing opportunity to meet not only Irish students, but also, all of the international students, such as myself, that are from everywhere around the world. Honestly, while writing this I can’t help but think of all of the immense amount of things there are to be excited about, from the scenery, to the education, to the traveling, this experience seems to be one of only fairytales.