Why everyone should study abroad

You are going to be abroad for four months with 12 other honors students who you don’t know, what do you expect?

Maybe Clash of Clans or naming everyone after super heroes or something lame like that?

What if I told you that even though those things have happened I have also spent my time abroad doing things like hiking through thunder storms, running across train tracks and killing Opium (the club not the drug).

After four months of voyaging our way through Europe, with Virginia Tech’s Steger Center in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, as home base, I am here to tell you that everyone needs to make time to study abroad. But- you don’t need to take it from me. I am here to expose you to the fun of being abroad from three very different students with very different perspectives.

Daniel in Barcelona

Daniel Rubin is a junior from Leesburg, Virginia, who is majoring in Economics. When asked about the craziest thing he has done while studying abroad his response at first was, “Traveling- every single weekend… it’s very taxing on the brain”

But then he said, “If you want to know something like CRAZY I guess I jumped off a rock into a waterfall (laughs) I guess that’s a different type of crazy .But I think..yeah..those two. The traveling and then the rock”

Daniel jumping into the waterfall in Melano, Photo credit: Will Shelborne

So, background – on a group hike to a waterfall in Melano, Daniel decided to jump off of a rock right in front of the waterfall. As the rest of the group screamed, “NOOO” he hit the water and quickly swam back to shore, suffering from a mild allergic reaction due to a pollen allergy.

He said, “Well I kind of like jumping off of r-like stuff into water. I was on a dive team when I was younger. So I was just sort of expecting to get wet really…”

When the most important question of all was asked, “Do you recommend other people study abroad?” Daniel responded, “Yeah, absolutely, wouldn’t you? I think its really fun and it’s a cool change of pace that my friends back at Tech haven’t really had the chance to experience. And I think they’re missing out and I think they should go abroad if they get the chance”

Next, there’s Garrett Prisinzano, a junior majoring in International Studies with a minor in French from Virginia Beach. Garrett is always giving people hugs/ picking them up and spinning them around and he has befriended some of the kids at the local elementary school. You can find Garrett climbing on any/every thing and saying/doing whatever he feels necessary to cheer others up.

Garrett in Rome

“I really enjoy going to the school at 4 o clock after the elementary school gets out and playing basketball or soccer with other people studying abroad with me and then sometimes the local kids,” he said.

I asked Garrett the same question as Daniel about his craziest experience abroad because I felt like this really shows both the differences between the two of them and also what types of experiences can be obtained from studying abroad.

Garrett’s response was, “when I was in Istanbul a suicide bomb explosion went off, off of the street I was staying at and I was basically a decision away from being at the wrong place at the wrong time. So it was pretty crazy trying to cope with that. But it was also pretty insane going to the jungle and also the refugee shelter in Northern Africa, in Melilla Spain.”

When the rest of us found out about the bombing in Istanbul we were terrified. The worst thoughts were running through our head, but luckily he was okay along with the other two students he traveled with. This isn’t something that I thought would be an issue before coming abroad, but we have learned that we really have to be careful.

Garret climbing on a tower in Bellinzona

Also, his experiences in the refugee camps are notable when thinking about studying abroad, this was a cultural experience you wouldn’t be able to experience elsewhere.

On whether or not others should study abroad he said, “Mmm.. Absolutely, especially to Americans because most people have a very Amer-I-centric view on the world so I think it is important to go to other countries and experience their culture their way of life and its not something that you could just read in a book for open up your BBC app and listen to the news from places abroad but its its another thing to be there in these countries like living in these within these cultures of people and it offers a once in a life time experience I don’t know if I will ever get again, so yeah I recommend it.”

Garrett getting comfy on a bus ride in Sicily

Putting this set of students together has been a super interesting social experiment, or in the words of Leah, our student life coordinator, “worthy of a reality tv show.” Our group brings an interesting set of experiences and personalities to the study abroad experience. I have enjoyed every second of it though, and although I am happy to call Blacksburg home, Riva San Vitale will always have a special place in my heart.

As you can see, studying abroad is super beneficial in many ways. So, all you Hokies who are coming abroad next semester should be prepared for the time of your life, and if you don’t plan to study abroad I would reconsider.

PGS album cover, expect our mix tape to drop soon Photo credit: Andy Becker