Longing for the Study Abroad Experience

Some of you who have met with me may be intrigued by my title. I have already studied abroad and already had the experience. Why would I be longing for the study abroad experience?

I knew that I wanted to study abroad before I came to college. In fact, I knew that I wanted to study abroad long before I knew which college I wanted to attend. I was intrigued by the idea of living and studying in another country. There seemed to be literally another world waiting for me to come and study it. I did not hesitate to share my interest with admission counselors as I visited colleges and met with representatives. I got an idea of where and how I could study abroad and dreamed of which countries I might eventually experience.
When I came to Valpo, I originally planned to study at Oak Hill Seminary in England in my junior year. I was a pre-seminary student in my undergraduate studies at Valpo and thought that the Oak Hill program would help me to discern a great deal about my future and my vocation. Incidentally, the program ended after my freshman year because they no longer had space for our students. It was up to me to find another program to travel to. I had it narrowed down to four that Valpo offers; Cambridge, England; Reutlingen, Germany; Athens, Greece; and Windhoek; Namibia. There were many draws to each of these programs. Each of the countries had distinct, appealing cultural elements that beckoned for my presence with each program respectively. It was a difficult, drawn out decision process that I will not bore you with now except to say that I finally decided to study in Namibia.
During my Namibian experience, I lived with three different families in two different countries on the other side of the world. I learned parts of four different languages, lived in three distinct cultures, and made friends with 18 different Americans from all over the United States. I was able to study history, politics, reconciliation and Southern Africa in new and unique ways that were not available to me here. I climbed the two highest sand dunes in the world, saw where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic, and felt the sun beat down on the oldest desert in the world. I met people from Europe, Asia, South America, and people from all over the continent of Africa. None of these opportunities were available to me in quite the same way while I stayed in the United States.
Sure, I could have read up in an in depth manner on the history of Apartheid, but I could not have met survivors from the Robin Island prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for over 25 years. It was possible for me to have talked to people from Southern Africa in my home country, but I could not have been a part of their homes in their country. I could have imagined how other people on the other side of the world might perceive me, but I could not have asked them myself unless I had traveled to their country, eaten with them, and taken the time to hear their stories and see the world through their eyes. All of these opportunities and many more were unique to my study abroad experience and all have changed my life forever. I am a better man for having traveled to South Africa, lived in Namibia, and come home to share these experiences with the world around me.

So why do I long for the study abroad experience? I long to have the formative cultural immersion experience that I once had. To see the world through another country’s eyes is amazing and, I assume, it is the most unique the first time that you are really able to do it. More importantly, the first time that you are effectively able to view yourself through another country’s eyes is a priceless experience that I would relive again if I could and I hope to do so in the future. That is the study abroad experience I long for.