You read the travel blogs, attend the meetings, poll your friends, and research on your own. You have a solid plan. Great! From my experience though, the best things happen outside those comfort zones — the parts you can’t prepare for. I think it’s best when you set intentions for what you want to gain from the experience of studying abroad, not your expectations.

The first couple days you learn to adjust to new schedules, people, languages, food, and you name it. Bread and other carbs are celebrated here with every meal while vegetables and fruits are hard to come by. Americans are used to A/C and driving everywhere but when here, we rely more on the breeze and our own 2 feet.

It’s interesting that a foreign city with buildings that look so much alike can be so easy to navigate and feel much safer than home. The biggest adjustment has been living with a host family. As an adult, you sort of get used to not having house rules. Adapting to when you can shower, wash laundry, etc may take a little more effort but it’s all part of the experience. Learning to embrace each day as it comes has been fun.