Study Abroad 2020

When I was informed of this study abroad program, I became very interested and excited. I have been interested in studying abroad because I wanted to learn how to become a better traveler for my future careers. This program was attractive to me because the course that would take place was related to the environment. Although I enjoy more natural aspects of the environment, the unsustainable cities course interested me because of its capability to expand my idea of environmental conservation. Upon being informed of this trip and knowing I still had a second experience to fulfill, I filled out the forms and submitted them for an interview. I was qualified for an interview which was in an interesting setting. I had never been in a group interview, so it felt uncomfortable being in a room with lots of people I did not know but I enjoyed the time where we were given a scenario to solve as a group. When I was accepted into the program, I had mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. I was excited to be able to experience a new culture, see a new part of the world, and learn more about the environment. Although, I was very anxious to leave my friends and family for a month because I had never been gone for that long. Over time my anxieties fluctuated as I attended more meetings and learned more about what my travels would consist of. Something that was helpful in preparing for my trip was the Facebook group my instructors set up. This social media platform helped me keep in contact with my group; we shared interesting articles and asked each other questions. Even though I went through all the planning and meetings my study abroad experience was cut short due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Since my trip was canceled, I will not be able to share experiences of me traveling Europe, but I can talk about the meetings I attended which are in the subtabs of this subject.