In the French culture, keep your hands on the table at dinner
Belgian Beer, slow and steady. Slow and steady.
French women definitely shave their armpits
I can’t sing Le Marseillaise but its growing on me
Belgium has 5 governments, and none of them seem to be effective
Protests just happen, because they can (beware of angry farmers)
Trains do their own thing, so roll with it
Pretzels really are better in Germany
Don’t go to the French Riviera after massive floods
But if you do, travel with someone you love
Definitely don’t airbnb anything outside of major downtown cities
Every time you travel somewhere look outside and think about it, there’s probably somewhere very similar in the U.S. and that’s probably the reason those people moved there
If you can’t handle being uncomfortable then you’ll never know what its like to be comfortable
European towels are smaller and thinner
You need an Umbrella, a good coat, and some resilient shoes in Brussels
It’s ok to take a break.
Things in Europe aren’t better or worse, they’re just European.
The U.S. isn’t the only country that follows U.S. politics.
I don’t know as many languages as people in Europe do
Levi’s are cheaper in the U.S. by a long shot
Europe needs more Dad jokes
You can buy Frites-sauce in the grocery store
Sweet, not salty for breakfast
Money comes and goes, you don’t. Some things are worth buying.
Traveling alone or with someone or both
Taking the Thallys train is a beautiful thing
Subways are the equivalent of live YouTube, you’re going to end up watching some weird stuff
Europe has supermarkets
I’m never going to be able to describe this experience in its entirety.
Never try to memorize the types of grapes in the Loire Valley
Lyon is the best kept (not so) secret of France
Terrorists will never stop Europe from being Europe
Kebab stands can solve the world’s most difficult issues of diplomacy
Switzerland is really
Skiing Switzerland really is all its cracked up to be
The real Matterhorn is cooler than the Disney one, although it does not have a roller coaster
I don’t like mulled wine; I gave it my best shot (pun intended)
Applying for residency in Brussels is like to dipping your body in peanut butter and walking around town: you can do it… but why?
Inflated grades in the US may be silly but at least they make you smile more than deflated grades in Europe
American politics are funny to watch abroad until you realize that you are returning to those politics
Most meats at a Buchon in Lyon: just eat it and don’t think about.
Don’t put a $20 bill in the Laundromat coin machine (unless you love .50 coins)
You may not be fluent, but you’re in a good spot if you can help an old lady with directions to the bus stop in French.
Spontaneity is great, but have a back up plan
Amsterdam is wild
Hitler is the reason that Alsace wine varieties are so limited and controlled
Hotels and stars: 1-2 shame on you (stay in a hostel), 3 Russian roulette, 4 good times
Space bags are the way of the future
Cornichon = pickle, not a pointed hat *cue confused professor’s face*
People who say carbs are bad for you clearly have not had enough French bread (it’s a lost cause fighting its seductive delicious powers)
The ladies who clean bathrooms all day probably make more money than I will out of college
I never wanted to study abroad. I have always desired to travel and adventure and see and do things. But, I never wanted to study in a foreign place. However, by some fluke, I ended up in Spain this semester. I think I just followed the motions of what everyone else was doing: applying to places, going to meetings, and then finally, receiving my acceptance.
I was scared to be left in Denver alone, without my people, living with my roommates’ subletters, and wasting time counting the weeks for their return. I never looked at myself as dependent on others, but I think that moment of my life, so dictated by what all of the junior class was doing, showed myself that I wasn’t as independent as I had hoped.
I, as I’m sure many people do, went into the study abroad experience thinking it would change my life. In reality, four months is not that long. But, four months in a foreign country? A new place with a different culture, language, and living with a family who can’t even understand half of what you’re saying (let alone what you’re feeling)? That makes for a long four months! And that should be life changing.
When I first started reflecting on my experience this semester, I was worried. I couldn’t see any direct changes in myself (other than the dreaded Abroad 15, of course). Then, I realized that parts of me did change, it just was not in the way I had expected; I was anticipating to have some specific impact from Spain.
Studying and living abroad taught me to rely on myself more than any amount of college, travel, or work could. I became my own translator, personal navigator, planner, friend, and even my own parent. Of course I made some of the best friends abroad. But, studying abroad made for so much quality alone time, too.
Taylor and Ali are some of the many friends I made abroad
Simple tasks became tests of independence abroad. Getting money from the ATM in Spanish? Sure. Filling out gym membership paperwork? Okay. Navigating the metro system? One wrong train and I never made that mistake again. While abroad, I became a lot more comfortable asking for help. My first day in Spain I was panicked by how little Spanish I knew. But I learned to format the little vocabulary I knew into questions and statements that portray almost exactly what I originally meant. I thought asking for help made me weaker, but it really made me less reliant on my friends and family.
While I stayed close to home for college, studying abroad gave me the confidence that I can move away from Denver after school. During these four months in Spain, I could not call my family for a pep talk before my first Skype interview. I did not have anyone to take care of me when I was sick. And perhaps the worst of all, when your suitcase gets lost at the beginning of your trip; you have to handle these things alone.
A picture of the National Palace from my first solo trip to Madrid
Everyone who went abroad this semester overcame things on their own because there was no other choice but to do just that. As for me, I am finally the independent girl I thought I was before studying abroad, and I have no regrets about following the crowd in order to get there.
DU Abroad 