In my last undergraduate summer, I had the privilege of studying at Yonsei University for six weeks. It was my first time out of the country alone and I was across the world. 

As a result, I left with a much fuller perspective about myself and the world around me. While I would urge you to go if you have the chance, here are the things I learned that are very applicable wherever you are. 

The world is far too big to wait for someone to see it with. 

One thing I took for granted was the ease at which I had people to see the world around me with. My favorite memories in the past four years have always included my closest friends. Without that safety net, I was forced to figure out how I wanted to engage with the world. From finding the heart of Seoul in various jazz clubs to seeing the rich contemporary art history in countless museums, I saw so much culture in places unfamiliar to me. I was shocked at how easy it was to enjoy my time when I was the only person I needed to cater to. I could go wherever, eat whenever, and move at my own pace.

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. 

While being alone was beautiful, I had a wonderful time with countless diverse groups of people. From seeing tourist sites with the British students I met on my first day, to studying at random cafes with classmates from UCLA, to seeing nightlife with random solo travelers I had met that day, there was so much value in every experience I had. The best part? Almost every relationship I had came from just approaching people I found cool and wanted to get to know. It was impossibly difficult at first, but I found that people are far friendlier than I had made them out to be. This didn't mean that every person I met was open to adding an extra person to their plans or interested in friendship, but I'm so glad I took the risk and put myself out there. 

Being a picky eater is ruining your life.

If you're like me, you found comfort in your cultural cuisine and rarely stepped outside of that bubble to try something new. In Seoul, I had no choice but to fully immerse myself in the food scene around me. There was even a two week stretch where every single meal I had was at a different restaurant. From Korean inspired versions of Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Japanese food to trying tteok-bokki from a street vendor (I even had octopus for first time!), food became primary to my experience abroad. Since coming back, I've even noticed that I'm less averse to trying new foods. 

Communication across a language barrier isn't impossible.

Finally, while it's crucial to make an effort to learn even a few words, I found that there was so much more to communication than language. It would take 2-3x as long to make conversation, but I really came to value the non-verbal ways of getting ideas across to people. I definitely benefited from being in a tourist-centric environment with very friendly people, but I'll often think fondly of my awful attempts at "chatting" with shop owners and those who didn't speak English far more than any conversation I had in English. 

I can't thank Harvard enough for giving me this opportunity and South Korea for showing me an amazing time. The memories I made will stay with me for the rest of my life. I cannot stress how important it is to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad should it arise.