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Looking back on my time abroad, I am so grateful for the experience I had. I traveled to lots of different places, made many new friends, and learned so many things about myself and in school as well. Studying abroad was a difficult decision that took lots of work, but I think it was fully worth it. All of the preparation work was well worth the experience.

Aix was an amazing city to be set up in for my first time living abroad. It was small enough that there was a lot of safety and I was able to come to know many of the locals around me. It was also big enough that I was able to learn history and explore the area. It is close enough to an airport that it makes travel easy, and it has a beautiful Main Street full of things to do. Along with Aix being a great city, IAU was a great school to study at. They offered events after school and within the community to aid in immersing yourself. They offered challenging, but also less intense classes so you could learn but also adjust as well. They have a few buildings on their campus, which makes it feel like you have more freedom and a push to explore a bit. It is right in the city too so you are close to lots of shops and restaurants for when you get breaks.

Another part of my time abroad that I really appreciated was my host mother. She made me feel comfortable almost immediately. She made sure to present the rules of her house and expectations and helped me often with my French. I always felt I could come to her with questions about the language, culture, or honestly anything. As I am home looking back on my time, she is the biggest thing that stands out, and what I miss the most. One thing that was told to me in the prep week before school started, was that any conflict that arose between me and my host family would likely be due to a miscommunication in language. I found this to be extremely true. I did my best to be patient any time we had any confusion because I knew that we probably just didn’t understand each other right. Thankfully my host mother has had many students before me, and was patient as well and knew if I said questionable things, it was likely on accident. This led to lots of laughs.

Another piece of advice is to not take yourself too seriously. With another culture and language, there were lots of laughs, hopefully with me but definitely some at me as well. Adapting to another culture is learning that you won’t always be perfect. Others may be hard on you, some may laugh, but you are learning and that’s all that matters. Take it in stride. You are doing something amazing, don’t let anyone get to you.

By traveling, I not only got to see so much of Europe, but I also became more confident in myself and my abilities. I was able to get myself out of trouble when things went wrong. And when things went right I was able to celebrate. I learned so much about so many other cultures and a lot of French. I was able to take my previous classes in French and learn so much more about the language. I have heard people say that the best way to learn a language is to submerse yourself in it, and I cannot agree more. Do not get me wrong, it is very lonely at first and can hurt confidence a bit, but after trial and error, it really pays off to see how much one can learn. I really saw my French abilities expand and with that, I felt my confidence do so as well. Coming home I now know that I can handle so much more than I originally thought.

Along with the good, there was some bad of course. Homesickness and loneliness can be a tough battle while abroad. I really struggled with it, but I think communication with your host family, family, and friends back home, and even a resource such as school would have helped. If I could go back I would take advantage of those resources for sure. However, it is manageable on your own as well, but it is really important to know that there are lots of ups and downs and you really aren’t alone.

I remember before I went abroad there were so many people who would tell me exactly what I should and shouldn’t do. I think my best advice is to think about it before and do what is best for you. Some people want to travel, some people don’t, some people want to take lots, of classes, and some don’t. Figure out what is best for you and go from there. It is also okay to try one thing, realize it’s not for you, and do something else. It seems really straightforward, but when everything is different around you some of the easiest things become the hardest. Just remember to be patient with yourself and listen to what you need.