Back in the States

A beautiful sunset on the last official day of the program. Taken in Phuket, students were taken to nearby islands to explore the landscapes of Thailand.

Now that I have returned from the program, I have come back from this experience a new person with a more open mind. Before I left for this trip, I did not know what to expect from this experience. However, I am grateful for what I have learned so far.

Although I had traveled before participating in this program, I did not travel as far as I did on this trip. Because Asia is vastly different from the rest of the world, I felt that it was important to see how people from that region lived. I also think that being able to see the wide variety of languages and cultures provided me with an expansive range of what Southeast Asia is like in regards to social conventions and business operations. It has been several days since I have come back to the United States, and I still think about this experience everyday. Every day, I have a new story to share with my friends and family. This, I think, is what is so great about studying abroad–you always take a piece of that country back with you, whether it be with a souvenir, a photograph, or a story.

To anyone who is still on the fence about studying abroad, my advice to you is to take the leap. I am very happy that I was able to participate in this program and would not hesitate to embark on another adventure like this again.