1. Becoming Independent
Before coming abroad, my main goal was to become more confident in myself. I have never been to Europe before and my family doesn't travel often. I was coming into this new adventure blind and more nervous than I had ever been in my life. The transition was not easy, and I can't even pin point an exact amount of time it took me to adjust. Just when I thought I was adjusting, I would have waves of homesickness and insecurities. I used to think that becoming independent meant I had to be able to handle anything that came my way smoothly and without any problems. It wasn't until now that I realized that being independent doesn't mean I can't have flaws and make mistakes, it just means I have to have the confidence in myself to work through those moments. When I first came to Europe, I thought I would never be able to do things on my own. Now, I can say I've traveled by myself and have become more comfortable being alone. Sure, things still go wrong, but I now have the confidence to know that I can get through it.
2. Experiencing a Different Culture
I don't know why it didn't occur to me before coming to Maastricht that the Dutch are different than Americans. I didn't expect the language barrier to be so prominent and their way of life to differ as much as it does. Even little things that seemed so bizarre to me at first are now so normal. For example, the Dutch bike everywhere- no matter the weather. At first, this was something hard to get used to. Now, I look out the window and see it's raining and I hop on my bike anyway! I also find that Europeans in general are just so much more relaxed and live life at a slower pace than Americans. They don't rush through each part of the day, and I really like that about them. I think this is something that I will take with me when I go back to the U.S. It's important to take time for yourself and not feel like your life needs to be on such a strict schedule. Going abroad has allowed me to experience so many different cultures and learn about different countries that I never would have been able to learn before. I've been to 10 countries, and 22 cities and each one is unique and charming in its own way. I've definitely caught the travel bug, and won't let going abroad be my last time traveling.
3. Meeting New People
It has been so amazing being able to meet new people from different backgrounds and cultures than my own. I have made international friends that I never would have met before coming to Maastricht. I think it's important to meet people from different countries because it allows you to learn more about other ways of living than your own. Maastricht was a perfect University to meet new people because it has such a huge international student population. Taking classes with students from all over the world has been such a cool experience. Never again will I be able to say that I am the only American in my class. I am grateful for the people I have met abroad, and the impact they had on my experience.