On the day I received an email from the University of Utah Learning Abroad Office notifying me that I had been accepted into the German study abroad program, I literally started screaming.
Like, out-loud.
I had been back and forth for months trying to decide if I should apply, weighing pros and cons, trying to figure things out. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening.
Fun fact: the above picture was from a class trip to the Freilichtmuseum Molfsee in Kiel, Germany…and wound up on one of the Germany study abroad fliers at the University of Utah!
A few years ago I decided to go back to school to get a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate, where one of the requirements at the University of Utah was to take a foreign language that I had no experience with. The hope was that as TESOL students, we’d be able to find ourselves in a similar language situation as our potential students would be with English.
With my work schedule and other classes taking precedence, I realized my language class would have to be at night. The only class options that I had were Arabic, Portuguese, or German, with classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8pm.
I was devastated. I had been singing with the Salt Lake Symphonic Choir since I moved to Utah, and would now have to leave the choir since they rehearse on Wednesday evenings.
At first, I was whole-heartedly against quitting. I loved the choir, the music, singing, my director, and being a part of something consistent. Plus, I had responsibilities in the choir as the wardrobe coordinator. I spent numerous nights driving my friends crazy as I considered the class.
Finally, I rationalized with myself and said, “Hey, it’s only for one semester. This class isn’t going to change my life.”
In the end, I wound up signing up for German. Aside from the fact that my family is German, I had access to numerous German-speakers, both native and returned missionaries, so I knew that I could practice as often as I needed and could ask questions frequently. I also didn’t know any Arabic speakers in Utah and Portuguese is waaaayyy too close to Spanish for me…and I knew I was going to have issues the way I did when I tried to learn French.
(During my undergrad classes, I took a semester of French. Not only did I get super-frustrated with the language, I would often switch between Spanish and French subconsciously during my oral exams.)
From day 1 of my German 1010 class, I fell in love. I loved my classmates and simply ADORED my teacher. It felt so good to be learning a new language again (and finally be able to understand what those evil Nazis were saying in the Indiana Jones movies). I worked hard all semester and earned an A in the class.
Towards the end of the semester, my professor’s son came to our class and talked about the study abroad program in Kiel, Germany. I politely listened as he recounted his experiences, thinking that a study abroad would have been fun during my undergrad years.
At this point I was closing in on 30, worked full-time, and didn’t have study abroad on my radar.
After the semester was over, I did a lot of soul-searching. I loved learning foreign languages and wasn’t ready for my love affair with German to end, so I signed up for the next semester German 1020 class.
Gasp! This next course was not a requirement and my signing up for it was simply for pleasure. What am I doing to myself?! Now that I was enrolled in a second semester, the idea of going on the study abroad program was constantly on my mind…and my professor “helped” by mentioning it all. the. time.
Stop it. I’m not going to study abroad.
I suddenly found myself immersed in German: I was in a German choir. I started attending a German ward on Sundays. I mainly listened to German pop music (my favorite group is Revolverheld – go check them out). I was learning German recipes. I even started up a pen pal correspondence with a friend-of-a-friend in Leipzig.
What was happening?
Every day I found myself talking about my love for the German language, my class, everything that I was doing to immerse myself in the language…and yet I still maintained that I wasn’t going to study abroad. I had family obligations, a stable job with great benefits, and I thought I was too old.
I came up with every excuse to NOT go, and in return I received the “you can make money later” and “it’s a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity” from amazing friends and coworkers.
I don’t remember what happened or what triggered my decision, but I suddenly heard myself saying that I was going to apply to the study abroad program.
Huh?
How did this even happen? Not that long ago I was saying that I was too old, didn’t want to disrupt my life…and then all of a sudden I was writing essays, applying for scholarships, and gathering letters of recommendation.
Once everything was submitted, I waited impatiently to see if I was going to be accepted into the program. And boy, once I heard that I was accepted and would be spending a summer in Kiel, Germany, that was it. I mentally checked out from everything going on in my life and couldn’t wait to start my next chapter!
Isn’t it funny how life happens? I have a quote that used to be on my wall that has become a part of my personal creed:
Sometimes, we are so attached to our way of life, that we turn down a wonderful opportunity simply because we don’t know what to do with it.
Paulo Coelho “Like The Flowing River”
As I look back on my decision to study abroad, I realize that I am forever grateful that I took a chance and stepped outside of my comfort zone. This study abroad program, coupled with a pivotal girl’s trip to San Francisco, marked a turning point in my life – one that is now filled with adventure and confidence!
So, if you’re thinking about whether or not to study abroad, GO! Do it! You’re never too old, too done with school, too anything. Whether it’s a week-long jaunt to London and Paris, a semester in Prague, or, like me, a summer in Germany, you’ll find that the benefits outweigh the doubts!
Have you ever gone on a study abroad? What was your experience like? Have you always wanted to study abroad?
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