It first happened after an eight-hour flight. I got off my flight, rushed through customs, found my suitcase and headed straight to the train station.
It happened again only a few weeks later, a different train station, but we weren’t alone, we had each other and we had practiced all the way there.
“Bonjour Madame, je voudrais un billet à…” “Hello Ma’am, I would like a ticket to…”
And then I did it again, and again. After nervously buying my first train ticket in Paris to Avignon, you could now consider me a pro.
Arles, Nîmes, Aix-en-Provence, Grau-du-Roi.
Now I face the ultimate test: booking bus tickets and hostels in Barcelona.
Travel abroad experiences really make you more adventurous. In the time we’ve spent here, some have seen mountains, others have seen beaches and a few have seen both.
Within the next week, our group will have people in four different countries: Germany, Spain, Italy and France.
The benefit of studying abroad is that you constantly feel like you’re racing the clock; the inevitable end is just around the corner, and you need to do everything you can before you board that plane back to the United States.
It’s inspiring, really, to think about all the things one can accomplish in such a short amount of time.
It’s important to learn more about the cultures of the world. And exploring different cities, different countries and different continents is a great way to learn about those cultures.
It’s also important for students to learn that it is relatively simple to travel and explore other places.
Studying abroad offers many opportunities for students to broaden their horizons, but these programs can only take students so far. Students must also take it upon themselves to take full advantage of the opportunity abroad.
That’s not to say that one should spend their entire time abroad traveling; it is much more beneficial to become familiar with the area that you’re in, and with the people, customs and culture of that area. But there’s nothing wrong with taking a long weekend here or there to find ancient Roman ruins or a sandy beach on a Mediterranean coast.
With the world becoming smaller and smaller, there are many benefits for students who choose to study abroad. Not only does it help with language skills, although those do improve a lot, it also helps with one’s own independence.
That independence can lead to opportunities opening up upon your return too.
For example, I know I, along with many others, have considered doing more traveling in our own country, something that many students don’t take advantage of like they should, myself included.
So take the chance, travel abroad, or at the very least, take a road trip to a new city. Whatever happens, you’ll learn something and become more independent. Who doesn’t want that?
Danielle Limon is a freshman studying journalism and a columnist for The Post. Do you have any legendary experiences riding trains in Europe? Email her at dl119510@ohiou.edu.
