I studied abroad in Shanghai, China in 2009. It was a crazy decision, since it would be my first time out of the U.S. I figured, when else would I have the chance to live in another country for four months? And, if I didn’t go to China now would I really ever end up going on my own?
I was right, but in a way I wouldn’t have expected. If I didn’t study abroad in China, I probably never would have gone. And I still won’t go on my own. But I do go to China yearly as part of my current job, one I never would have gotten otherwise.
Studying abroad for a semester also gave me the courage to get my graduate degree abroad and has given me a love for travel and international outlook that shapes who I am today.
Ariane c/o 2011