1. Germany: 58 Days of beating expectations, eating new food, and learning a different way of life.

2. Hi ! Hallo! Willkommen! My name is Laurin Billings, and I just got back from a 2 month study abroad trip that truly changed my life. It was everything I expected it to be and so much more. I am really excited to finally write something down that will document my adventures and that I can show my family and friends-along with anyone else who will pay attention- what an amazing trip I had. I also hope to encourage future or perspective study abroad students to take the leap and go on a new and exciting adventure. I want to encourage parents of college students to be supportive in their children’s study abroad endeavors. I also want to publicize how much studying abroad can help your future in more ways than one. But most of all, I hope that everyone who reads this feels like they took a little part of the trip with me, it was truly worth sharing. Safe travels, Laurin

3. Take the Leap and Hope you Fly… There are moments that you question life and begin to wonder why There are moments that you smile a lot and laugh until you cry There are moments that you don’t think you can but you go ahead and try And there are moments that you are terrified but you take the leap and hope you fly…

4. The desire to study abroad had been strong for me since I first found out it was an option. As a teenager, I took a trip to Europe with my high school and that only further solidified my eagerness for exploration. I had been bitten by the “travel bug” and was looking for opportunities ever since. I spent months, even years, researching ways to explore the world. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I couldn’t wait to get there. When the opportunity came about to study abroad in Germany I was one of the first ones to jump on board. However, the idea of traveling and actually going through with it were very different. Studying Abroad: Laying the Mixed Emotions on the Line…

5. I got all the forms and money in on time and was thoroughly excited to get the trip truly in the works. As the days went on, however, it began to really set in that I would be leaving my boyfriend behind. That idea was hard to fathom. I started getting more and more uncomfortable with leaving as the days got closer. However, I knew that this was something that I had been wanting to do forever, and an experience that I couldn’t pass up. Although it was hard, truthfully one of the hardest things I had ever had to do, I told my boyfriend goodbye with tears in my eyes and boarded the plane for a whirlwind of adventure. I couldn’t believe the time had finally arrived, the time for me to truly explore the world. My heart was racing, my eyes were red from crying, and my mind was filled with so many crazy thoughts. “What if I can’t do it?” “What if it is not as much fun as I hope it will be?” “What if it is so much fun that I don’t want to come home?” “What if the Germans hate me?”….really, it was too much for my brain to handle. So I settled in on the plane and went to sleep instead.

6. After 10 long hours, and a few panic attacks, we descended into Stuttgart, Germany and my new life began. I took a deep breath, stepped off the plane, and began to realize that I wasn’t in Charlotte anymore. This new place was full of languages I had never heard and customs I had never experienced. I tried to click my heels together 3 times, but unlike Dorothy, I couldn’t go home. Luckily, I was only days away from loving this adventure, right after a good nights sleep…

7. Studying Abroad: The Raw Facts It has been said by many college professors and past college students that studying abroad while in college has so many advantages. The truth is, they are right, and there are facts to prove it.

8. A longitudinal study was conducted where they took a group of study abroad alumni and studied their lives and benefits from their experience. From an academic viewpoint it was shown that “more than 80 percent of respondents agreed that studying abroad had enhanced their interest in academic study. (McMillan)” This is a strong amount of alumni who responded positively and believed that their academic strengths were heightened during their study abroad time. There were also a great amount of alumni who said that their experience studying abroad truly changed their life path and made them become lifelong learners. The studies presented that “Nearly 63 percent of students said that the experience had influenced their decisions to expand or change their academic majors. In fact, nearly 90 percent of students indicated that their experiences abroad had influenced all their subsequent educational experiences. (McMillan)”

9. Other benefits of studying abroad are the proven advantages to getting hired for positions over non study abroad students. Cooperate managers have said it time and time again ““Global corporations highly value study abroad programs, both due to the characteristics and personality types the programs foster in candidates, such as independence and self-awareness, but also the experience living abroad.” So many people consider study abroad alumni to be more culturally and worldly aware than other potential candidates. The benefits of studying abroad go way beyond getting to see the world and making friends from other countries. It also helps you gain experiences and intellectual advantages that you just wouldn’t get any other way. The importance of studying abroad is proven, and certainly something that every college student should take full advantage of.

10. Why You Should Study Abroad (Even if it sounds terrifying) These days it is more important than ever to get ahead in life. You want to go to the best college, get the best degree, and do everything to get that future job of your dreams. I could talk to you about all of the future advantages of studying abroad and how it can help you get that job of your dreams, but what I feel like is even more important is the personal gains you will receive from taking that leap and going out of the country. No matter where you choose to study abroad, you will learn a lot. Not just about the world, but about who you are as a person. For me, it was Germany. I went into it thinking that I would have some fun and maybe learn a little, but I didn’t realize that I would become a completely different person from my international experiences. When you get on that plane, I won’t lie, it is scary. You wonder if you made the right decision, but don’t worry- you did. For me the benefits were beyond everything that I had ever dreamed they would be.

11. Within the first few weeks of my experience I learned to stand on my own two feet. I also learned the importance of trusting in myself and believing that I will be ok. Studying abroad gives you an entirely new perspective on things. You will see that the world is a lot larger than you ever even realized. I know what you are thinking- “Laurin, I know the world is big, I don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to prove it.” However, you don’t understand how truly large it is and how many experiences are waiting to be had until you get out there. You will learn who you are, you will learn what you love about where you are from, and you will learn how others view the world.

12. Don’t get me wrong, the benefits of studying abroad on your future endeavors are tremendous. You will get better job offerings, have more to say in job interviews, and have a resume that speaks for itself. However, what was more important to me was that I truly found myself during my study abroad experience. I learned who I am, what I stand for, and what the world outside my country truly has to offer. I wouldn’t trade the experiences that I had during my study abroad experience for anything, and I found one thing to be of absolute certainty: every college student, every single one, should take advantage of any opportunity they can to study abroad.

13. Dustin, The time is coming closer for me to board the plane and get home to you! I just want to say thank you so much for being so amazing and loving me even though I had to leave for two months. You are the most amazing boyfriend I could ask for, and I cannot wait to be back home with you. This trip has been incredible, and I have loved every second, but getting back to you will be the icing on the cake. Thank you for waiting for me. I love you with all my heart, Laurin

14. I see Europeans everywhere I go, beautiful architecture, and adventurous people. I smell bakeries, the scent of the city, and types of perfume that you can only buy in Germany. I hear people speaking many different languages, laughter, water in the fountain, and music in the streets. I taste the soft, warm, textures that belong to the Bavarian donut. I feel excitement, love for the country of Europe, and pure happiness that I was able to take this wonderful trip.

15. I wouldn’t have traded this experience for anything.

16. Sources: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/blogs/thene xtgreatgeneration/2012/02/go_abroad_get_h ired_corporate.html http://www.iesabroad.org/study- abroad/news/study-abroad-lifetime-benefits