I did not realize how close I would become with the friends I met in class at university and through my CEA program. I went to Prague not knowing a single person and am walking away with lifelong friends. My friends from study abroad and I have traveled the world and been there for each other in times when you are vulnerable and in another country alone. I never would have thought that the friendships I would make would be so close but I think that having friends from around the country and the world is such a valuable aspect of study abroad. The memories that the five of us shared are countless and will stay with me forever. I would encourage other people to make connections and fully throw themselves into getting to know the people they meet as they travel.

How fast it goes! I feel like I finished my application, got my visa and by the time I was sitting on the plane to go I had a "this is really happening" moment. Being there for four months was the longest I have been away from home. I was worried about missing my family and just daily life without American luxuries. However, once you get there, you are immersed in a new culture that's totally different than the one you have experienced before. I was so glad I was there for four months because if I hadn't been there so long, I wouldn't have been able to have the feel for the city that I had. I became a regular at the cafe down the street, the florist on the corner knew I would get flowers for weeks when we weren't traveling, and I could get anywhere on the city using a combination of any or all three forms of public transit. All these things are experiences that seem mundane but they are things that really make you feel like you are living in another country.

People should know that they are never going to have the opportunity to study abroad like when they are studying in college. Being able to experience a new country while being able to take classes in a new environment and teaching style is such a cool thing. College is a time for exploring and being able to enter an environment so different and for a period of time where you truly begin to feel like a local is so special. The saddest part of study abroad is the ending because you know you have experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think applications for programs, visas and the logistics can sometimes scare people from studying abroad but even though there are some applications it is so worth it. Salve Regina has great resources and it was not a crazy process, especially with support so I really think that there is no reason not to study abroad.