I don’t talk about my study abroad experience enough on this blog. Which is strange, considering how much I talk about it with people  I don’t know.

Sometimes I can’t keep my mouth shut.

I’ll be minding my own business, overhear a conversation about studying abroad and traveling and I immediately insert myself into the conversation. “Do it!” “Best experience of my life!” “You won’t regret it!” “You’ll make so many friends!” “You’ll learn so much about yourself!” “You’ll get lost and love it!” …

Once I finally stop to take a breath, I realize that I’ve been talking to strangers for five minutes and didn’t let them respond.

Usually, they agree and are just trying to figure out what city to spend their semester in. (Of course, I have a lot of opinions on that, too.)

Sometimes, though, they aren’t convinced. They are worried about missing things at school, missing big events with their friends who don’t go with them, missing Homecoming or a sorority event. And, I understand. You will miss things back at home.

But (and these are some BIG BUTS) you’ll experience so many different events and places that you never even knew you wanted to do. But- you do. You find out that it sets your heart on fire, that you wake up excited about discovering your new home. You now want to get lost- because who knows what you’ll find once you do.

I guarantee that eating breakfast with the Colosseum in front of you beats out Homecoming any day of the week!

And, you’ll meet new people. You’ll have a new set of friends, and these friends are immediately like family because they are going through the same changes as you.

…………………….

When I studied abroad, I lived with five people in a two bedroom flat. I knew one other girl ( I was recently a bridesmaid in her wedding) but the others were complete strangers. After a flight that felt like it was never going to end, I walked through the doors of my flat on Great Russel Street, Flat 10, and found my other roommates for the next five months. They ran up to me, throwing their arms around me, already so excited about this adventure we were on.

Looking at our strange bunch, we weren’t the likely grouping, but our uniqueness and shared experiences made us so close, so fast. You learn to rely on and trust them, and them on you. These relationships have been some of the most meaningful connections I have made as an adult. We share a special bond that is unshakable.

Just thinking about them and our five months in Europe, I am filled with so many happy memories. If only I could get those same people, all together, all in London again- we’d have the best time. For now, I’ll settle on weekend trips to meet up with them in new cities all around the United States.

Did you study abroad or travel with a group for an extended amount of time? How were your friendships strengthen over time? And, are you still friends with them?

I wrote this post for Day 12 of Bootsnall’s 30 Days of Indie Travel.