The Sounds of Study Abroad

When choosing a place to study abroad, did you ever consider what it would sound like? I never seriously questioned this until I arrived in August. This blog is focused on being present, taking in the little moments, and being a part of the memory, shown through the sounds of your study abroad location; in my case, it’s Freiburg.

Being Present Abroad

Wherever you arrive, before you can see the train station, the city, or the IES Abroad building, the first thing you can notice is the sounds. Sound travels with us wherever we go; it is one of the more active senses. As we doze into sleep, sound accompanies us even after we close our eyes. Its persistence makes it special abroad when you can hear it shift and adjust with the changing locations. But to listen, you need to be present, and to be present you need to be in the moment. For me, it started the moment I stepped out of the train and into the Freiburg city center. The sounds of laughter, music, and trams moving back and forth established that I was no longer in my hometown, but in a new town that I settled into as my home abroad. To hear the city, I needed to be present, and to be present I needed to be there in the moment. In this case, getting to the IES Abroad center became my top priority, and as I traveled to the center, I took off my headphones and became part of that moment. Navigating the cityscape to find the IES center pushed me to become engaged, looking out for bikes as I crossed the bike lane and stepped onto the sidewalk, and taking in the moment as I recorded my travels abroad. From here on out, I made it my mission to be present, and with every IES Abroad event, every hangout with friends, every study session, I became settled in with my new home and new family of friends. It became important to appreciate every moment, to take in the sound, and as every moment ended, I couldn’t help but feel satisfied with myself because of that experience.

The Sounds of Freiburg

As I traveled around Freiburg, the sounds of the town began to become ever more present in my life. While moving across town, the sounds of the city followed me, and I became more and more settled into my new home. On the tram, I began to practice my German as the announcement came in: “ein, zwei, drei und vier Zug,” indicating the number lines it served; while in the cafes, I noted the number of English-language songs from playlists that almost mimicked my Spotify. I became more familiar with the city through the density of noise. Places such as Seepark were accompanied by a melancholy peace with occasional bursts of laughter, while places such as Munster had a charm of tourist groups and farmers' markets outside. The sounds of Freiburg only become audible to those who make the effort to listen, and I am so glad I made this choice as I began to find myself at home abroad. The sounds of Freiburg go beyond the city limits and into the trips we conduct abroad. From the hills of Alsace, France, to the parliamentary halls of the European Union in Strasbourg. Study abroad is full of noise; embrace it, you never know when you can take away something new.

Reflections Abroad

Studying abroad goes beyond its academic, personal, social, and adventurous nature. It also includes the sounds of being abroad. The sound of the moment you land in an airport with a language you don’t understand to the train on your last day as you head home. The sounds abroad matter just as much as your visible experience abroad. The time abroad is shaped by you and the adventures you take. However, being able to hear your surroundings abroad is just as important as being abroad, and being able to hear the world around you is just as important as the classes, hangouts, and places you visit. Your choice to tap into the soundscape of your experience abroad is a decision that you cannot regret; you walk away appreciating every moment, learning something new, and even hearing some familiar grooves. So go be curious, overhear a conversation, listen to those mundane announcements; you never know when the next thing you hear can lead you down a new road.