For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to study abroad. My mother studied abroad in Rome when she was in college, and to this day she tells stories about how she had some of the best times of her life while abroad. When beginning my Freshman year at Indiana University, I started planning for the opportunity to embark on an amazing experience abroad. Because of this, I have made sure that studying abroad will not extend my time at IU, and I have also made sure to complete each of the eligibility requirements.
While I always knew I wanted to study abroad, it wasn’t until this semester that I decided I wanted to spend a semester in Budapest. The decision on where I wanted to travel to was a hard one, and it made me do a lot of reflecting.
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I think one of the most obvious obstacles will be language. I am under the impression that English is not commonly spoken in Budapest, so I will need to adjust to that. Luckily, I know that one of the courses I am required to take in Budapest is Hungarian 101. One of the skills I am lucky enough to have acquired is that I am a fast learner, so I don’t believe I will have any detrimental issues learning Hungarian quickly. Also, over the course of my years at IU I have learned to swallow my pride and ask questions when there are things I don’t understand. This skill will be very beneficial abroad. I will need to ask a lot of questions, especially my first few weeks in Budapest, to get a handle on the culture as well as my surroundings. In general, I think a challenge many people studying abroad face is the inability to connect with the locals of the city they are in. While I do see this being a challenge in Budapest, one of the skills that I pride myself in is my ability to find common ground with all types of people. I think being able to find common ground comes from my experiences with many different people through sports teams, internships, volunteer experiences, and club organizations. To me, being able to find common ground is what studying abroad is all about. It is about being able to take people from