Seeking New Experiences, But Finding Myself
An opinion piece by Sophie Sares, Springfield College
Umbra Rep for Spring 2026
There are many things that studying abroad has taught me. Many new experiences, adventures, faces, relationships, and even challenges, in just four months. Four months. Four months that I never realized would be such an important chapter and turning point in my life. Amongst all, my favorite part of studying abroad has been the personal growth I’ve gone through. I’ve lived through my own development of a new sense of confidence and independence that I did not know was possible to have.
The Challenges You Don’t See
In my time abroad in Italy, I’ve visited new countries and cities, all showing me new scenery, culture, and ways of life. While experiencing all of these new places was incredible, traveling can be hard, and tiring. Planning trips, lining up transportation, and maintaining relationships in your own home city, all while doing school can be stressful. At fi rst, at the beginning of the semester, I felt overwhelmed. I felt as though I kept making mistakes, and I wasn’t “doing enough,” all while trying to adapt and missing home. Missing home while missing trains, running through airports, it was a lot. However, there came a day not long after, when I embraced the challenge.
Trusting The Process
I had to remind myself that these feelings are all a part of the process – and that studying abroad is HARD. Not only do you do it to live in a new place overseas, but you do it to grow. Once I came to terms with this, it all suddenly became easier. I soon became a more spontaneous, relaxed person. I was shown that not everything needs to be immediately figured out, you don’t always have to have an answer, and that there’s beauty in taking your time and enjoying experiences. For example, aperitivo slowly became a part of my weekly ritual abroad in Perugia, and through aperitivo, hours of conversing and enjoying time with others, I learned that simple things are what matter most.
Practice in Patience
The sense of patience that I developed – I even had to practice it in the hardest of moments abroad, including those moments where I felt so extremely homesick, and couldn’t necessarily reach my family at my convenience. Calling family members at home back in the United States is like playing chess, especially with the time difference. The act of calling someone and talking to them on the phone while abroad is difficult – feeling so connected but SO disconnected at the same time. You may feel super connected with your new peers at your new school, but disconnected from what’s going on at home.
Confident, Content, and Capable
Being on my own for me. And only me, which was tough! Being on my own gave me a lot of clarity, and getting to have the experiences I had changed my life. With this growing sense of confi dence and independence came joy. The joys of waking up every morning to the sunshine beaming into my bedroom. Going to class and seeing friends that I’ve just met but somehow feel like I’ve known for a lifetime. Coffee in between classes, aperitivo and walks around the city to start the evening. Dinners and laughter. Late nights and funny stories. Crazy travel experiences, living out of a backpack. Thousands of photos. Three journals of memories to read back on. But this, this power, this fire I now have, is something that is now within me, a feeling that I’ve never had before and no one can take away from me. If I could sum up my study abroad experience in one sentence, it would literally just be “I can do this.” This time though, I can repeat this sentence over and over, and actually mean these words.