Hey, my name is _____. What’s your name?

What school do you go to? Where are you from?

How did you choose to study abroad here?

Do you live in a residence hall or an apartment?

Although I haven’t asked nor answered these questions much since freshman year of college, these have been key to making friends in the past two and a half weeks.

Here’s an open secret: back in the summer of 2018, I did an exchange program through my high school that landed me in Berlin, staying in the city for a little under a month. Back then, I was a Schüler, not a Student.

Today I learned a few lessons. Don’t buy cheap shoes, dress appropriately for the weather, and always double check how far the restaurant is. Maybe you can guess what happened from these details. This weekend I went shopping for some clothes, and I came across a nice pair of heels that were too good of a deal to pass up, or so I thought. The salesman was very kind and even gave me a discount. Then my friends made plans for someone’s birthday dinner, and we all picked out outfits, mine based around my cute new pink heels.

Worrying about making friends abroad is, in my opinion, one of the most valid worries that can exist. I mean really, think about it, you are in a whole different country where you don't know the style of life, nor the traditions, and you are still trying to learn the lingua franca of the region. We all worry about being alone and not having people to party with on a Saturday night, but hey, let me tell you that's not going to be the case. First of all, in the first week you are in the same boat with everyone else in the program.

An ongoing pandemic, pending student visa, and a rescheduled flight later, I am finally in London!

After spending two weeks in Granada, a completely new place I have never been, I’m confronted with a strange sense of nostalgia. The nostalgia I’m feeling can’t be about the streets, the smells, or the neighborhood, because those are all new to me. I realized the nostalgia I’m experiencing isn’t coming from anything tangible or specific.

It’s been over two weeks since my flight hit the ground in Italy and since I hit the ground running in Milan, and I’m already shocked at how comfortable I feel here with all of the amazing people I’ve already met. I’ve already found myself saying “I’m gonna go home” when referring to my dorm here, and feel a sense of comfort and relief whenever I get off at my Famagosta metro stop.

When I first investigated studying abroad, I had two goals in mind: improving my French and homing in on my environmental science skills. While I’m not majoring or minoring in French, learning it has been a fun hobby of mine and I was ready to take it to the next level by studying abroad. However, after looking into the available options, I realized that it would be pretty difficult to find an environmental program in a francophone country. Nothing quite fit the bill. And so… alas...

From boarding the plane to starting your classes, the first week abroad can be stressful. You’re overcoming jetlag and settling into your housing, which can be daunting. Not only that, but you may also be studying in a place where English is not the first language, and you have to get used to talking in a language you may or may not know.

While my life abroad may look like sunshine and rainbows on my TikTok, Instagram, VSCO, and even in many of my blog posts, let me tell you… it still sure has some not-so-pretty moments! If you read my pre-departure post about preparing for the highs and lows of studying abroad, then you know what I’m talking about: the inevitable lows we all experience from time to time. These lows are a little thing I’d like to call “Sabotages.”