Are you heading off for a stint studying abroad and wondering how you’ll find it? Having some nerves isn’t unusual. Moving to a new place is always going to be stressful: there might be distinct cultural differences you need to navigate, a different language to grapple with, or just new surroundings to settle into. The best thing to do is try to channel those feelings into making sure you make the most out of your opportunity.

Maria Castello is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English writing and literature. During her time in college, she spent a semester studying in London, where she interned with a small publishing company. She loved her study abroad experience so much she is now planning to attend graduate school and pursue a career in international education. She loves classic novels, tortoiseshell cats, and green tea, and is currently learning to speak Italian.  

An introvert is a shy, reticent person. I did not readily accept my fate as an introvert until I went abroad. I knew I often needed time away from the crowd to recharge, but I thought everyone did that. My freshman year of college, I was explaining this to a friend (an extrovert, oy) and she said “Oh. You’re an introvert, Steph.”

What?

Is that bad? Is there medication for it?

“It’s all goood,” she said loudly, a typical extrovert answer.

Eliza Wick is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a major in the History of Art and Architecture and a minor in Museum Studies. She originally attended the University of Kentucky, but changed majors in the middle of her time there and other factors led her to transfer to Pitt. Eliza recently completed the London Field Studies Program with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Study Abroad and she is currently an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Pamela Douglas Webster studied European history while traveling in nine different countries at the end of her college career. After working in private historical societies and nonprofits, she learned how to sail. She now lives on board a 34 foot sailboat with her husband and dog and cruises the Chesapeake Bay and eastern United States. She works and plays at pet-friendly travel and blogs about life on board with her dog at http://www.somethingwagging.com.

Olivia Darr is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Communications. She’s also in the process of completing certificates in Global Studies, Community/Corporate Relations, and Nonprofit Management. Throughout her time at Pitt, she’s been lucky enough to participate in five study abroad programs, all of which have helped shape her into who she is today. 

Sydney Dydiw is an Industrial Engineering senior at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. She completed three co-op rotations with Connors Group and is the Outside the Classroom Curriculum [OCC] Director of Brand Ambassadors; Additionally, Sydney is the National Organization of Business and Engineering [NOBE] Vice President- External as well. She loves spending time with her dog and reading. 

Katie McGovern grew up outside of the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Communication Science and Disorders, with a minor in French, certificates in African Studies and American Sign Language, and a concentration in Psychology. Katie plans to become a Speech Language Pathologist for a children’s hospital, while also being an advocate for the deaf community. Of course, Katie loves to travel and hopes to encourage everyone to travel, as well! 

My hair looks different, my backpack is always open, and I have a medium brown complexion. I'm sun-kissed. I am kissed by the sun. Now, if you live in Boston or in Medford, where I go to Tufts, and you saw me walking down the street, you'd probably make nothing of it. 

I was waiting for the ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires with my friends a few weeks ago. A long way from Boston. I was charging my phone when a kid walked up to me and asked in Spanish "Why are you brown?"

"You're brown all over. You look like soil."