Marry Gomez – England – Fall 2015

My best memory from my study abroad experience has to be my first Thanksgiving away from home – a day that I thought would be difficult because I wouldn’t be with my family. Myself and several other American students wanted our English and international classmates to experience an American tradition so we organized a Friendsgiving. We ended up having over 50 students from all over the world and one of the biggest potlucks ever! Everyone cooked and brought traditional dishes from their home country and we spent the entire night meeting new people, chatting and dancing the night away! 

Studying abroad increased my self-confidence and taught me how to adapt to new and unfamiliar situations. I would meet someone new every single day and would sometimes spend time by myself getting lost in the city… I didn’t have my car to go sit in during breaks, my dorm mates became my “family” as they were the only familiar faces I would see every day. I always stood out and drew attention as I had an American accent that everyone found fascinating. It sounds frightening but this experience pushed me to be confident when I’m outside of my comfort zone. I returned home as a different person. I was more confident and independent than ever and I felt as if I could do anything and nothing was out of my reach. It’s something that has tremendously helped me start my professional career as I transitioned from being a student (a role I’ve known and been comfortable with for my entire life.)