Studying Abroad was a dream come true for me. But I must admit that not every moment there was full of happiness.
While researching about study abroad, I was only ever told about the wonderful experiences I’d get and how exciting it would be. I wish someone had been open about the occasional less-than-happy feelings I would inevitably experience.
Be Okay With Mixed Feelings
Let me be blunt. You won’t be happy every single minute of every single day. In my experience, the classroom adjustment was difficult. There were times I was not sure what instructors wanted from me. I also had difficulty making close friendships in my study abroad cohort. It seemed like I was a little too different from others in terms of interests and we had almost nothing in common. Additionally, homesickness will hit you. You’ll call your family and friends, but sometimes it will not be enough. And that’s okay. These feelings are normal and expected. I encourage you to find methods to let yourself feel these feelings, but also find hobbies that bring newer happier feelings.
One of the first cities I explored in Oaxaca was Tlacolula. It was a small little town with a delicious food market. Daisy Gonzalez
Missing Your Day-to- Day Life is Normal
I cannot tell you how many times I wish I would’ve stayed on campus. I felt like there were many classes on campus I was missing out on. Not to mention when my friends would post on social media apps I would get severe FOMO (fear of missing out). Ultimately, I realized that it was okay to miss my daily life in the States. I missed being able to see my friends more consistently and I missed being in the same time zone as my family. However, I then realized that studying abroad is an incredible experience that I could not waste. I knew that one day, when I left my program, I would get the same feeling of missing what I once used to take for granted.
One morning before heading to work, I was able to capture this beautiful picture of the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad. There were so many churches in Oaxaca. I could never keep track of just exactly how many. Daisy Gonzalez
Be Open Minded and Challenge Yourself
One of the pros of studying abroad by yourself, or with no one else from your same institution, is that it’s a time to reinvent yourself and take on new interests without feeling self conscious. There was no one there to judge me or make me feel limited. There’s a new sense of freedom. I challenged myself to fully explore the city, whether by myself or with my host family. I visited museums to learn more about the city’s history. And while. at first, I was not enjoying my time abroad, this simple mindset shift allowed me to leave the city feeling fulfilled.
This is an image I captured after a thunderstorm. My friend and I were walking to a restaurant by the Zocalo in Oaxaca City, Mexico, when, suddenly, I turned and saw the most gorgeous sunset. Daisy Gonzalez
Ultimately, studying abroad gave me the opportunity to find a part of myself that I did not even know was missing. Before leaving the states, I thought I was running away from my reality. After leaving the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, I’ve learned that maybe I was running towards this new mindset and knowledge to differently interpret my world. Thank you Harvard for this opportunity.
