Are Long-Distance Relationships Possible?

Are Long-Distance Relationships Possible?

When studying abroad, keeping contact with those you love at home can be difficult, especially if you are over 5 hours apart in time zones. What do you do? Is it even possible? It may be stressful at times, but rest assured that relationships are possible, and no, I am not just speaking about significant others. This also resonates with relationships with family and friends. People change, that is essentially inevitable, but working through that change and communicating can make all of the difference.

Family

Family is the easiest and most difficult relationship to navigate while abroad, but why? It is because while you may not lose family like you lose friends or significant others, distance can put a strain on any family. At its worst, distance can tear families apart, which is why it is so difficult. On the flip side, it is the easiest because your family will always be there for you and can be there to support you in times of need. You cannot suddenly become unrelated to family, genetics are a thing!

But the question remains; can a long distance familial relationship work? Absolutely! Remember, they will still love you and support you. BUT, the key to maintaining this relationship is through communication. Even a message here and there or a video call once a week (or even month!) can keep families from not drifting apart.
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Friends

Friends, the ones that are always there for you.. Are they there still? Or do you still want them there? While studying abroad or just coming back, friendship dynamics can change because you yourself have changed during that time. This is completely normal; people can grow apart. And yes, that means even kindergarten buddies can grow apart as they get older. Remember to be kind but be honest with them too. Friends can talk though tough situations and be able to find some common ground.

So my answer is mostly yes. It really depends on the friendship dynamic you have before you even leave. If it is a toxic friend, it may actually be better to part ways. If this is a friend you do not ever want to lose, communication is key. Be sure to talk to your friend, good times or bad. Even if you are struggling with the friendship, talk it out. They may have some insight into what is going on too. It may be easy to give up on all of your friends at home, but do not do that either. Call them, text them, send them goofy Snaps, whichever. Your best friend from elementary can still be your best friend for life. 😊
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Significant Others

Ah yes, significant others. Leaving them to study abroad can be a struggle, you do not ever want to leave their side. But remember, you wanted to study abroad, so do not let someone hold you back on your dreams and goals. If they love you truly, they should still support you through it all. They do not have to agree with what you do, but they should still support you. Being away from your significant other can be challenging while abroad, and you may feel lonely a lot. Plus, there is the chance you may find someone else abroad.

The question lingers, is it possible to maintain a romantic relationship while apart? Absolutely! The same factor is involved here: communication. You cannot keep a significant other if you never speak. Also, be honest and open with them. If you feel the relationship is taking a different turn than what you would like, be sure to speak up. Even a text once a day can make a difference. They are possible, but you will just have to work to keep the spark going. Love will always find a way!


Coming home- Friends from Abroad

What about coming home and missing all the friends you made abroad? This happens all of the time too, and it can be quite challenging to overcome. Even just seeing someone who looks like them can send you through a whirlwind of emotions. These relationships are just as important; keeping international friends opens your life to multiple perspectives.

So like the rest, these relationships are possible, but please please communicate with them! If you never talk, chances are these relationships will deteriorate the quickest out of all of the relationships listed. If you want to keep a friend from abroad, all you have to do is talk to them. Or even tag them in a post on social media, anything to keep correspondence.


Based on your personal experience, are these relationships strong? Can they work? Comment below with your thoughts! If you disagree, be sure to leave a comment too, but remember to please be respectful.

-Steph

10 Reasons to Travel Alone

Fears. People have countless, strange and irrational fears. Ones that are unexplained. Like myself for example, I fear chickens. You might wonder why, but that is a story for another time that has to do with being traumatized by them as a child. One of the greatest and most common fear people have, even if they won't admit it, is being alone. I think this is one of the silliest fears, but also one of the greatest to overcome. As the great Oscar Wilde once said, 

 

“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.” 

 

These words have always spoken to me. You need to learn how to be just Kate, just Alex, just Mary, or just magnificent, just outspoken or just adventurous. Whoever you are, you need to find out who that is without someone else, without your family, without your friends or without your boyfriend. WHO ARE YOU? Just you. This is also one of the most crucial times in your life to develop and find who you are, your college years. One of the most rewarding, self-finding,and self-fulfilling things you can do with your time in college, is spending some of it abroad. I have created a list of ten reasons why traveling alone is one of the best things you can do.

It will boost your confidence. 

When you travel alone you only have yourself to turn to. There is no one to rely on but yourself. So if you are traveling in a country you are not familiar with at all and you can not only survive, but get around well, it's hugely liberating. You fly alone, take buses alone, talk to locals alone, while possibly being in a country with a language you do not speak.   

 

It will make you adaptable.

Traveling is never perfect, but that adds to the magic of it. There will be times you miss a flight, a train or a cab. There will be times you lose luggage, don't understand the language or have to eat something you are not familiar with. All of this will make you adaptable to situations, adaptable to change.

It will allow you to meet more locals and immerse yourself in the culture.

When you are traveling alone you are more observant of everything going on around you. It opens you up to meeting more people and truly immersing yourself in the culture. If you are alone, you are not relying on someone else and you look more approachable versus if you are in a group. Traveling alone, you will be the only one from your culture versus being in a large group of say, Americans. You will be able to recognize more aspects of the culture and immerse yourself in their way of daily life, acting and living.

 It will make for more meaningful experiences.

When you travel alone the memories you make are simply your own. The experiences you have are only yours to share. Every decision you make will be your own so you can't go back and be upset because you did what your traveling companion wanted to do instead of what you really wanted to do. 

 It will make you assertive.
It is up to you when traveling alone to make all the decisions, so if you are indecisive this might also make you a more decisive person! When you are abroad and have to complete tasks you've never done before, like taking a bus in Spain, any accomplishment makes you feel on top of the world. You learn how to assert yourself in a variety of different situations and with a range of people.

  It will help give you direction.

Sometimes getting lost helps you find yourself. In college many of us have no idea what we want to do with our lives. Sure, we know people we love, hobbies we like to do and maybe changes we want to make in the world. Many of us struggle with deciding how to find a career that makes our soul happy. Travel will help you find that passion and it will lead you to it. You might be lost when you start your journey abroad, but I promise when you return you will have a much better sense of where you're going. 

It will inspire you.

It's hard to explain exactly how travel makes you feel, but the one word that comes to mind is alive. It allows you to break out of your comfort zone and it feels like a breath of fresh air. You will come back feeling inspired. Inspired to travel again, inspired to be the best person you can be and inspired to find happiness in the little everyday things. Never again will you feel like what you're doing has no purpose. Going abroad is achieving such a huge goal and it inspires you to achieve anything you set your mind to. 

It will make you independent.

If you can travel the world solo, you can do anything on your own. You won't hesitate when you return home to go get coffee solo or to go to an event alone and make new friends. In fact it's activities like those that you will be excited for, that you will part-take in more. You will have a greater appreciation for doing things alone, more so then ever before. 

It will give you perspective. 

We all have perspective, but when you travel alone that perspective changes drastically. You meet people from other cultures and they show you a way of looking at the world you never knew. You become aware of new issues that the world faces and even learn to have a new way of looking at issues you already knew of. You realize through travel what a small place you occupy, but what a large difference you can make.

It give you adventure.

One of the best words to ever grace language: adventure. Adventure is all about having exciting and unique experiences. When you travel alone very step you take will hold an adventure in itself. Traveling alone will also help you realize how to create adventure out of the simplest things. 

There you have it, the ten reasons to travel alone. There are countless more of course! Don't you feel a little fearless already? Being alone should not be something people fear, but something rather they should embrace. You can do it, I know you can. Come into the Education Abroad Office today and start your solo travel journey. This is one decision you won't regret. So throw off the bowlines and sail away from the harbor because there is a whole world out there to get lost in. So tell me, who are you?

A Student's Perspective-Brittany in Australia

This week we have a blog from Brittany, a fellow intern and friend in the Education Abroad Office. Brittany studied abroad Fall 2013 at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. I know from all of Brittany's stories, just how much Education Abroad changed her life and the amazing memories she made. Australia sounds beautiful and has endless opportunities. If her experience doesn't make you want to go abroad, I don't know what will!

With so many places to study abroad how do you know what program is the right one for you? I’ll give you a little insight on how I made my decision. I was a freshman and I attended the Education Abroad Fair where you can see and hear about amazing places to study abroad. I walked into the fair not knowing what to expect and I left with a passion to study abroad. While walking through out the fair I came across the poster for Newcastle, Australia and became intrigued. It was so beautiful and everything about it seemed so wonderful. I was sent more information on this program and set up a meeting with one of the interns in the office. We talked about Australia and I knew it was the place for me. My parents travel a lot and a few years before I came to Platteville they took a cruise to Australia and New Zealand. After returning they showed me pictures of their time and I fell in love. I knew I had to go there someday and studying abroad was the perfect chance. 

I decided to study abroad in Newcastle, Australia in the fall of 2013 (1st semester of my junior year).

I was so excited! My dream of going to Australia had finally come true. Leaving my friends and family for 4 and a half months was hard, but I knew that the experience I would get in return would be the time of my life! I was greeted in Newcastle by Rayna and Jason; our coordinators (also known as my Australian parents). Upon arrival I also got to meet the other 13 individuals I would be spending the semester with. Throughout my time in Australia I had the opportunity to do so many amazing things. I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, went jet boating on the Sydney Harbour, traveled to Melbourne, Cairns, New Zealand, and Whitsundays, and most importantly I got a different view of the world. I met so many great people and I now have friends all over the world. I loved learning about new languages and cultures. My passion for travel was born in Australia and never left me even though I came back to the states. It’s the little things that make your experience a great one; like having your roommate become your best friend, spending every weekend exploring new places and meeting new people, attending classes in a new setting, and having the people that your study abroad with become your Aussie family. I left my heart in Australia and I knew that when I left I would return someday.

 

Upon returning from Australia I had the opportunity to be a Global Amigo, be an International Orientation Leader, and most importantly become the Marketing and Outreach Intern for the Education Abroad Office. My last year and a half on campus has been great and I am so glad that I have had the chance to be involved in so many great opportunities. During my intern position I had the opportunity to talk with heaps of students about studying abroad. Not just in Australia, but everywhere. It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the job. I got a chance to talk with people about my amazing experience and my life changing time. Talking about my experience with students made me realize how much I missed it and how much I really wanted to go back. I graduate in May and I have decided to work/holiday in Newcastle Australia. I have decided to go back because studying abroad changed my life and I love the country. 

My heart is still in Australia and I can’t wait to make more memories. You have the world in your

hands and you can do anything and go anywhere you want, why not go discover what is out there. Do it while your young because you don’t know where life to is going to take you. Studying abroad taught me to take risks and to do things that are out of my comfort zone. Moving to Australia is a big risk and is a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I see an opportunity in it and I am going to go for it. I don’t want to go through life always asking myself, what if? In the end we always regret the chances we never took. If not now, when?

Your Fellow Adventurer,

Brittany

So as you can see from Brittany's time abroad she  truly admired her time in Australia so much that she is moving back! It really is a beautiful experience to fall in love with a country. Once you get the travel bug it never goes away, but rather becomes a lifetime love affair. The University of Newcastle is one of UW-Platteville's main six Education Abroad Programs. Our office knows endless information about it and if it sounds like the right fit for you come into the office today to learn more! Every country, not just Australia, has so much to offer and it's own unique experiences. It doesn't matter what country you start your journey in, just as long as you do.

Go Abroad, Then Land the Job

We all know Education Abroad is a great overall experience for an individual, but for your future it could also land you your dream job. Today in the job market, employers are realizing how important it is for their employees to have knowledge of the world and be aware of different cultures. Education Abroad really just makes a person more self-aware and willing to break out of their shell. It is a truly unique experience that really makes you stand out from your peers. The number of bachelor students who went abroad in 2012-2013 was only around 14.3% and the total of US students who went abroad, this includes all college programs, is just a slim 1.5% of students. You could be a part of this number.

I haven't gone abroad yet...
Well my first question is are you crazy?! There is whole world out there for you to experience! You need to get on the bandwagon now and look into some different options for going abroad. I know students don't go abroad or think they can for a lot of reasons. More often than not students don't end up going abroad during their college years because they face financial or time restraints. Be sure to really plan ahead and decide when is the best time for you to go. There are endless opportunities and if leaving during the semester isn't a choice, then look into going abroad Summer, Spring Break or during Winterim. If you can't afford going a whole semester or year then just shoot for a short-term option. That way, you still get the international experience and you don't have to miss a semester on campus. Even having that two weeks of international experience will put you one step above someone else who didn't spend any time abroad in their undergrad, when applying for a job.  

I kind of look at it like this, you spend the money at your home campus to go to college, why not spend the money and study in a different country. When it comes down to it, Education Abroad is an investment in yourself. Who doesn't want to invest in themselves, believe in themselves and truly better themselves in all aspects? It's also an investment in your future and like I said earlier, an investment in one day helping you land that dream job. We are human, we never stop growing and Education Abroad is one more of those experiences that really promotes personal growth. Think of the world as your textbook, you will learn more from it than any other textbook you have ever had. The possibilities are endless and I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

I've gone abroad, how do I market that?
Great, I am so glad you took that step outside your comfort zone and lived, saw and breathed a different part of the world! Welcome to the club, you will never forget those memories you made abroad or the friends and that country will always be your second home. However, now you are home and maybe you're a little confused at how to market your time abroad when applying and interviewing for jobs. I hope I can help you out and set you in the right direction!

You need to be specific on your resume in what you did exactly abroad: volunteered, worked or studied. Getting involved while you're abroad can also be a great idea, just one more thing to add to your resume and to your experience. Really emphasize on not only your resume, but your cover letter what you did, learned and how these skills will benefit you in the work field. You can highlight all the ways it made you grow as well. Whether that be your confidence, ability to adapt, independence, your problem-solving skills, complex thinking skills or your flexibility. How did your experience improve your leadership skills? Having leadership skills in the workforce today, as we all know, is huge. These are some points you could use to really sell your Education Abroad experience to employers. Also, make sure you really emphasize the learning experience and don't make it sound like a big vacation, anyone can take a vacation.

So Education Abroad not only gives you the chance to grow personally, but it also gives you the opportunity to one day land that job you've been dying to have. It's all about how you market your experience and how that time abroad makes you more unique than the other applicants.  If you have not gone abroad yet I hope this blog opened your eyes to what you are missing and just how much Education Abroad can influence your life. If you already have gone abroad then I hope you took something away from this blog that will help you in your future when applying for jobs! I know I am closing in on the ending of my college career and I want more than anything to express how much Education Abroad changed my life in hopes of getting a job I love.
 
Even First Lady Michelle Obama realizes and stresses the importance of Education Abroad. In the words of Michelle Obama, "When you study abroad, you are help making America stronger."

View more about Michelle Obama on Education Abroad at the link below. Great read!

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/19/first-lady-michelle-obama-when-you-study-abroad-you-re-helping-make-america-stronger