The whole event of studying abroad made me more appreciative of every little thing I experience, even today. Having the opportunity to learn how to live in a culture different from the one I was used to forced me to push my boundaries in a way I had never challenged myself before. Through this experience, I learned a lot about myself and how to make the most of this opportunity, but it didn’t start out being comfortable for me.

My first night in Florence, my roommates were not home yet so I made the bold decision to go out and briefly explore my neighborhood alone. It had taken a good hour of talking myself into it because I was terrified of everything I did not yet know about the city and tackling cultural differences I came across without any help. I entered the stairwell of my apartment building and upon closing the door behind me, realized that I had not yet learned how to turn on the light. Instead of returning to the safety of my apartment like I longed to do, I carefully felt my way down four flights of stairs to the door. I felt around for a doorknob, but there wasn’t one and I couldn’t figure out how to get out! These Italian buildings were so confusing and I was getting really frustrated. I started making my way slowly back upstairs, telling myself that I would just ask one of my roommates when they got home. Halfway up, I realized how disappointed in myself I would be if I couldn’t even get out of my own apartment building by myself (let alone embarrassing). Especially on the first night of what was supposed to be an entire semester of trying new things and pushing my limits.

Back downstairs, I used a feeble light from my phone to try figuring out this apparently complicated door. I finally found an Italian word on what appeared to be a button. To make sure it was a way out, I looked it up on my phone and found out the word meant “push”. I was free at last! There were way too many times in this valiant quest to leave my apartment where I almost turned back, but remembering why I had decided to study abroad helped me continue. This small but meaningful test really set the tone for the rest of my trip. With an open mind, I got to fully experience Florence and many other new cities because I wasn’t holding myself back like I sometimes did at home. Because of the entire trip, I got a lot of practice learning how to step outside my comfort zone, and doing so is a value I brought home to continue living my life by.

When I finally got outside that first night in Florence, my plan was to simply check out the block I was on and be back in t-minus five minutes. I immediately got lost in the narrow, charming streets of Florence and got to explore much more of the city than I had bargained for. An hour and a half later, after many embarrassing pleas for help in English, I finally made it home with a true feel for my area of the city and a much better story than if I had waited for someone else.  You see, I realized that getting uncomfortable often came with the side effect of gaining much more from the experience and having more fun. With the confidence to do what I wanted and a new unquenchable curiosity, my semester abroad taught me more about myself than I would have ever guessed. The semester disappeared quickly, but I will forever hold dear the beauty of each city, the new friendships I made, and the life lessons I learned. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity I was given to take part in such a life changing experience.

– Jessica, Colorado State