Italy: Abby Opsahl

Program: UW in Florence, Spring

Major: Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies; Psychology

What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?

I learned a lot throughout this experience, both about myself and about the world. The biggest thing I learned about myself is that I am much better equipped to handle challenges and new things than I originally anticipated. Coming into this experience, I had never left the country, and was terrified of all the obstacles I would encounter. I also was scared I simply would not be able to handle everything. However, this experience taught me that I was stronger and more independent than I thought, and has instilled a sense of confidence in myself that I hope to maintain. Studying abroad has also opened my eyes to the world in new ways.

As aforementioned, I had never left the country before this experience. So, Italy and all the other countries I was fortunate enough to visit were entirely new to me. The culture, the social norms, and such were all fun to pick up on and compare from country to country. As a psychology major, this whole experience has inspired me to look into the subfield of cross-cultural psychology, which I hope to continue to explore in my senior year (and maybe post-grad as well)! All in all, I am thankful for all this experience has taught me, and hope to apply my new knowledge of the world and myself to all my experiences back in Madison.

What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad and/or during your time abroad? How did you work through them?

One of the biggest challenges I faced both before and during my time abroad was dealing with the fear of the unknown. Before leaving, I had never been out of the country before, so everything about the experience felt challenging to me. I was especially nervous about navigating a new culture and language, traveling independently, and simply handling everyday situations in a place entirely foreign to me. I also worried that I would become overwhelmed by it all, as sometimes it was hard for me to handle stressors in my day-to-day life (let alone in a new country). During my time abroad, there were definitely moments when I felt really stressed. So many things felt out of my control, such as transportation issues that always seemed to pop up. I faced various strikes, random cancellations, and construction delays that all made traveling even more difficult. However, I worked through these challenges by pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and reminding myself why I wanted this experience in the first place. The more situations I handled on my own, the more confident and independent I became.

Another challenge was managing the financial part of my experience. Studying abroad was something I had wanted to do for a long time, since high school, but it also came with many expenses that added up quickly, especially since I wanted to prioritize traveling outside of my home base of Italy. Between flights, housing, transportation, food, excursions, everyday spending, and more there were definitely moments where I felt stressed trying to balance everything financially. I worked through these challenges by trying to become much more conscious about budgeting and planning. I learned how to prioritize what experiences were most important to me and was able to find ways to travel and live more affordably. I stayed in cheaper hostels while traveling, booked transportation well in advance when able, and tried to be mindful about unnecessary spending in my day-to-day life (which was difficult for me as I love to shop). Although it was sometimes stressful, I think learning how to manage my finances independently in another country helped me grow a lot personally and taught me important real-world skills that I will surely need post-grad.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

My biggest piece of advice for someone considering this program would be to embrace every opportunity that comes with it, even the ones that feel intimidating or far outside of your comfort zone. Going abroad can feel overwhelming at first, especially if you have never traveled internationally before, but that is also what makes the experience so fulfilling. Some of my favorite memories and biggest moments of personal growth came from experiences that I was originally nervous about, whether that was traveling independently, navigating new cities, meeting new people, or adjusting to cultural differences. I would also encourage students to take advantage of how easy it is to travel and experience different places while abroad. Some of my most memorable experiences came from weekend trips and random adventures with friends. At the same time, I think it is important to balance traveling with actually immersing yourself in the city you are living in. Florence quickly felt like home to me, and I loved simply walking around the city and trying my best to find new parts of it to explore.

Finally, I would say to go into the experience with an open mind. This is obviously easier said than done, but it is important to try not to let preconceived thoughts on how you might envision study abroad cloud your experience. Yes, there will definitely be challenges that will come up along the way, and yes, it may not always go to plan, but those moments are also where personal growth happens, which is (in my opinion) one of the most rewarding parts of studying abroad. Overall, studying abroad was perhaps the most meaningful and life-changing experience I have had, and I would absolutely recommend taking the opportunity if you are able.

What is the moment you are most proud of?

The moment I am most proud of during my study abroad experience was my solo trip! I had wanted to get up to Lake Como and Switzerland, and knew my roommates and study abroad friends all had previously established plans for a certain weekend in February. So, I planned out a long weekend, staying in Como, Italy for a night, then going to Lugano, Switzerland for two more nights. Initially, I was very stressed going into this trip. I had to handle trains, buses, hostels, and excursions all by myself – a huge challenge to face, especially in a country where the main language was almost entirely foreign to me. But, I knew it was a trip I wanted so badly to do, so I did it. And I am so very glad that I did! Lake Como and Lake Lugano were both absolutely beautiful, and it was fulfilling to handle the trip myself. I came across challenges, especially with transportation, but it was worthwhile in the end. Now, I can look back on my study abroad experience and know I went outside of my comfort zone many times, but most so this specific trip. This is a trip I am proud of myself for taking, and an experience that was important in my personal growth as well.