While I was a high school junior, I spent a glorious academic year in France.

After I returned from France, I jumped right back into all of the typical American teenage activities – high school course work, sports, proms, parties, movies, and other extracurricular activities.

However, I knew that what I experienced as an international exchange student was very unique. I was bombarded with questions from friends and family members.

So I decided to create a website about study abroad in general – and about my year in France in particular. Yes, I did experience many of the benefits of studying abroad.

I have formed friendships which, I believe, will last a lifetime. They have already lasted more than six years, and they are still going strong. My relationship with my host family is equally solid, and I have returned to visit several times in the past few years.

I have been bitten by the travel bug – racking up vacations to Morocco, the Bahamas, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, and Canada – all since returning from France. I have managed to do this on a college student’s budget by connecting with friends and like-minded people throughout the world. 

Study Abroad is transformative. You will change in many ways. But, I’m certain that – from the beginning - you have to be a special person to want to live as a native in another country for a year. I certainly became much more

tolerant and attuned to international issues and much more welcoming of cultures and habits different from my own.

My self-knowledge increased exponentially. I became much more self-confident. I always thought I could do whatever I set my mind to, but after living successfully in another country as a high schooler, I felt tremendously empowered.
 

I am much less apt to be harshly judgmental when confronted by something new or out-of-the-norm. I adopted the exchange student’s mantra. “It’s not right or wrong, just different.”

I decided to minor in French and to indulge my love of foreign languages. Throughout the years, I’ve dabbled in learning Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.

I love meeting new people. Even in college, many of my friends are the international students.

I would have loved to study abroad while in college, but I just couldn’t work that out with my heavy, science-based curriculum. I am a molecular biology major and I just couldn’t spend a semester or year abroad and still complete my graduation requirements. But, I have many friends who did study abroad during college.

You’ll probably enjoy learning about their experiences during my one-on-one interviews (podcasts) with them.
So, sit back, relax, and learn about my academic year in France as well as a number of great international study abroad, intern abroad, work abroad, and volunteer abroad experiences.