Sh*t I'm glad I did

2. Study abroad

The middle rock in the upper left-hand corner is Aphrodite's birthplace! 

One year ago today I was preparing to go on the greatest adventure of my life. If I haven't totally gushed to you about my trip to Cyprus then we might not be good friends because I swear I tell pretty much everyone I meet.

I remember when I first entered college, they tell you that a lot of people chose to study abroad, whether it be for a month during the summer or a whole semester. I also remember wishing that I was brave enough to drop everything and go to a foreign country. At the time I was afraid of what I was going to miss out on back home, along with the fear of leaving my family. But by the time I knew I was ready to go abroad I had nothing to lose, no boy I was leaving behind, and college had made me used to be apart from my family. Why Cyprus? It's totally random (a lot of people don't really know much about it, and I admit I didn't either) but my sorority sister (and big!) had done the same program the year before and absolutely loved it. Plus it was studying health sciences, so the program was something that was actually applicable to what I wanted to study in the future.

Cyprus is so rich in ancient history and has tons of archeological ruins. 

I took 2 classes (anthropology of Europe and Management of Healthcare) at the University of Nicosia during the month of June. We lived in apartments in the country's capital during the week and on the weekends they took us to different cities throughout the country, giving us an awesome beach vacation at the same time. I made great friends and had the time of my life; I turned 21 while overseas and the owner of a restaurant who we befriended threw me a great birthday party, I really couldn't have asked for more. It was life changing, and I still find myself missing that island.

My birthday party! Stolen from Michael :)

So moral of the story, if you're at all interested, study abroad. There are plenty of programs in countries all over the world, and don't worry about the cost, there's financial aid and scholarships that are available for those who qualify. It's a life changing experience and a true confidence booster to be able to travel by yourself and successfully live/function in another country. I credit my study abroad experience for giving me the confidence to go to grad school in a different state away from my family. Don't let your fears hinder the great life experiences that are waiting out there!