My largest travel Regret

My largest travel Regret -

I sat down on my journey regrets writing and realized I only have one. I've never studied abroad, when I was in college

Studying abroad is the annual ritual for thousands of students. You travel around the world to get away from home to experience something new, the classes take place overseas, meet new people and party in foreign countries. Most American students seem to flow toward Europe, where cheap transportation just makes weekend trips to exotic cities.

When I was in college, I never began to study abroad error. At this point in my life, I was not big in travel. Studying abroad sounded cool, but it sounded like an annoying administrative process - and I was lazy. I liked my life on campus; It was easy. Forms and papers got in the way sleep late, four-day weekends and fraternity events.

But what kept me really was again one idea that seems to keep most of the others back. It is the belief that something might be overlooked while studying abroad. What would happen if I left home? What changes would happen to my friends? Which parties I'd missed? What gossip? What if there was at school some big event and I was not there? What if the President came? What if this ? What if that ?

With all those "what ifs" in my mind, I never went abroad because I never wanted to miss anything. I did not know what the "something" was, but I knew I would not miss it. But I was naive in thinking this. I never thought that would study abroad mean new memories, new friends and new adventures. I was too attached to the fear in my mind, to let me go.

flash drive forward to 06 when I went with my friend Mike. We discussed how I was going to leave for my round the world trip.

"I wonder what will look like life, when I come back?" I asked him.

"Nothing will change," he said. "It will be exactly the same as if you to the left."

"How come? I'll be gone for a year!" I gave back. "A year is a long time. Something is happen."

"Matt," he said to me, "when I went to England to study abroad, I thought the same. But when I came back, were all still doing the same thing, the same thing to study, act in the same way. It was as if I had never left. I melted right back in. It is the same for you be. "

At the end Mike was right. I came back 18 months later and life was still the same. My friends had the same jobs, had the same hobbies, and went to the same bars. I had not missed any world-shaking events. Life was in exactly the same way it went in my absence ever had. In a way, it felt as if they had 18 months is never really happened. My old life was as if time had stood still, waiting for my return.

And it was then that I realized I had never made a big mistake, to study abroad.

I missed out on an opportunity that comes along only once in your life. The semester abroad was put to me by my own unfounded fears. Now I regret, hold that I let myself worry about life experience overseas. Who knows what kinds of experiences I could have had to study abroad, what friends I had made, or how my impression of travel might be different, I started at a younger age. I took my chance because I was too scared to leave my comfort zone.

I know that many college students read my blog. I know because I receive emails from students all the time. This post is available for all students who are afraid to take a chance.

To you, I say study, go abroad! Do not worry about what you might miss at home again. Your friends are still your friends, the parties will still be there, and campus life will not change. You do not need to be at home, to learn all the juicy gossip. You can do that on Facebook. Do the Foo Fighters for a concert coming Compare explore the gelato restaurants in Florence? Would you weekends at the beach in Australia trade just so you can find out there that a friend made a fool of himself at a party?

I know from experience that you are missing out more go by staying on campus as overseas. This is your chance to live abroad and most of your expenses paid for you. This is your chance to see if you like the world outside your borders in relative comfort and safety.

Do not be nervous. Do not let that fear hold you back. You are still in school safety be bubble ... just at a different school. There are many other students as nervous as you well. It will be to connect something over. In addition, if you really do not like it, you can always come home

But do not be like me - be .. With a lifetime of regret filled just because you too much anxiety, were what would can

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