I remember I was torn between studying abroad in Germany and staying in New York City. I was struggling with the decision for a few months. I wanted to welcome a change of pace and countries that are a little bit more pleasing to the eye. I needed to figure out a career path for myself in the long run. I wanted to broaden my experience abroad and more than anything I wanted to learn. There were definitely more pros than cons but I never traveled to unfamiliar countries on my own. I was born in Israel and I am currently studying in New York City. I was really scared to travel independently and be away from everyone in New York City. I was worried that the change would have been too drastic for me and beyond my comfort zone since I was not sure about my ability to be self-reliant for those couple of months. There was a little voice inside me that told me that I shouldn’t travel to Germany and instead invest my time in applying for jobs in New York City. However, the other tiny voice told me to go. Even though my parents had always supported me in every decision, they are getting older and I needed to learn to be more independent. I was truly scared.
And here I am back in the States, seven months after my journey abroad. Time just flies. I honestly can say that studying abroad in Germany was one of the best journeys I have ever taken in my life. People were very welcoming and I got to travel every other weekend. I constantly met a lot of interesting people everywhere and had some fascinating conversations with extraordinary people whom I didn’t know existed. It is quite hard to describe it, but when you travel, and often alone you learn so much about yourself. Throughout that adventure I felt that I was a witness to my own behavior and feelings, and learned on my own what is good and what is not good for me. I have learned that we move and change along with people. I have grown and I am much more focused now than ever. This is the best gift I could ever have gotten during my bachelor at Baruch College and I strongly recommend each and every student to do this.