Study Abroad: It’s All about the Small Victories

Sitting on that plane in January from Detroit to Milan, I remember feeling so many emotions—excitement and nervousness being the main ones. It’s crazy how four months can fly by so fast. To think that it was only four months ago that I had no idea how to navigate Milan, who anyone in my program was, or how to speak a lick of Italian, is hard to comprehend because now, Milan feels like a second home. Studying abroad is an exciting, nerve-wracking experience that I wish I could rewind time and redo all over again. In my time abroad, I’ve grown so much in ways that I never could have imagined. From learning how to order in a new language to travelling independently, there are so many things to look back on and be extremely proud of. While there are so many monumental moments to celebrate, I believe that what makes abroad so special are the small moments of victory. Looking back at the past four months, here are a few small victories that I’m proud of myself for: 

1. Being able to order coffee and a pastry confidently in Italian (shoutout to my Italian language professor!)
2. Navigating Milan on the metro and tram with (minimal) complications
3. Hand-washing my laundry all semester (it was not an easy feat)
4. Meal prepping and cooking for myself (dare I say I’m adulting?)
5. Learning how to cook Italian food (shoutout to my host family!)
6. Staying in a hostel (you’ve got to do that at least once during abroad)
7. Not missing a train or plane flight
8. Trying so many new foods (Florentine steak and paella, you will be forever missed)
9. Not freaking out when there is a metro strike
10. Making so many cool friends
11. Cutting my hair and getting more piercings (middle school me would be proud)
12. Petting so many adorable cats and dogs (not stealing a cat too is a bonus)
13. Eating so much gelato (nothing will ever compare to Gelateria la Romana—not even Ben and Jerry’s)
14. Exploring so many different flea markets in Milan
15. Memorizing the 30-minute walk from Duomo back to my apartment
16. Knowing how to get to at least five different places without looking at Google Maps
17. Feeling confident to grocery shop and go places alone
18. Facing every challenge with as much patience as possible and surviving 

Study abroad is an experience like no other—not everyone can say that they picked up their life, moved to a new country, and survived or thrived. That’s not to say that it is always a smooth ride because nothing worth your time ever is. There are going to be challenges and frustrations, but they are good because without them you wouldn’t grow—I know that’s the case for me. It’s healthy to embrace the bumps in the road. Sitting here and writing this in the airport makes me nostalgic and grateful for the times that I’ve had in Milan as well as the people that I shared those moments with because despite the hard times, I would absolutely go back to my time abroad if I were given the chance. If I could say one thing to me back in January, waiting for her connecting flight to Milan in the Detroit airport full of nerves, fatigue, and stress, I would tell her that the challenges are absolutely worth the outcome. So many life lessons will be learned, life-long friends will be made, and new experiences will be gained for the better. Take the leap of study abroad.