Most Study Abroad blogs would have you thinking that every moment of every waking day of these trips are happy- that there are no melancholy moments, no brief seconds where you miss something, no seconds where you feel any tinge of blue… and they’re right, for the most part. The only time that really trumps the happiness you feel while studying abroad is when you say your goodbyes. Goodbye to your homestay family, goodbye to your friends from different countries and states whom you may never see again, and goodbye to the countries themselves.
In the words of our amazing Study Abroad trip coordinator, “The hardest part is going back.” And you weren’t wrong Milly. I know that I am going to miss so much about being in Antigua- the way that the volcanoes rumbled in the night, the beautiful people of Antigua who wore traje and represented their Mayan culture, the storefronts on every building that confuse the heck out of you because they all look the same- and most of all, I will miss my study abroad friends and faculty that helped me to adjust to these whole new worlds of Guatemala and Belize. As sad as this blog post may seem, it is only the reality of what many study abroad students must face. We have to adjust and come back, whether these homes be in the States or on a whole other continent, the fact of the matter is that students always come home. And as much as I hate to say it, study abroad broadens your horizons, but it always leaves you wanting more. Seeing parts of the world that some people have never seen, things that are not in the textbooks, people that have never been asked these questions… it really changes you. So, although every study abroad student must face returning home to the familiar, you never really return home the same way you left it. And to me, that means much more than any textbook or lecture ever will.
Author: Cheyenne
My name is Cheyenne! I am a freshman and the 2017 Bridging Cultures program is my first study abroad experience with UT. I am spontaneous, impulsive, and above all, open-minded. You may see why I might have my nose in a book on the beach of Monterrico or my legs dangling off the crown of the Volcano Pacaya. As someone who is obsessed with personal identities, you may also find me interviewing Guatemalan locals to analyze the social structures that influence its people and differ from the ones that exist in my own life.
The Time I Faced My Fear(s)
It was from five feet away that I could see the scales of the Boa glistening in the sun. The adrenaline from hearing my friends gush about the Belize Zoo had me excited to explore, but I wasn’t expecting to face one of my biggest fears in the yellow eyes. From a zookeeper’s neck hung a green and brown Boa Constrictor, stretching about five feet long. My friends who had been talking to me suddenly became unintelligible voices in the back of my mind as I realized that I wanted to hold the boa. As you can imagine, my instinctual internal voice was screaming “NO! DO! NOT! HOLD! THE! DEADLY! REPTILE!”
The sweat on my forehead and the clamminess of my hands were reinforcing this, but my mouth was doing something completely different (as usual) “Can we hold the boa?” I said to the zookeeper breathily. He looked at me surprised because I was one of the first to walk in from our group. I guess people don’t normally ask to hold the dangerous reptile before observing the zoo. “Uhh.. sure.” He replied while beginning to remove the neck scarf of a snake. He placed it gently on to my shoulders and I felt its scales against my skin. She (the constrictor) tightened her tummy muscles around my neck to adjust to her new perch and there was a hissing sound near my right ear as she expressed her dislike for me. “shh shh shh” the zookeeper whispered at her and pet behind her head like she was a dog. I felt the blood leave my face as I tried to remain calm under the weight of a snake that was not liking me. “Just relax.” The zookeeper said to me more so than to the snake. I took a few deep breaths, counted to three, and let my shoulders and neck relax. “Not so bad, huh?” The zookeeper said to me as I held the snake more confidently. After about twenty seconds, I had relaxed fully and decided to pass the snake off to the zookeeper. I left with my thoughts a blur.
Many people think that study abroad is meant to make you learn a new language or study in a classroom setting in another country but the reality is just like the one I had – you are abroad to make new experiences and learn from them. Holding a Boa Constrictor, petting a stingray, and climbing to the top of the second largest point in Belize are some of the things that have taught me a lot about who I am, as a person and a student. I understand more than ever what it is that American life has me taking for granted and I see how this trip has already transformed my life path. As grueling as the process can be and as costly as the bill is, Guatemala and Belize were two of the best countries I have come to see in my lifetime and I hope that anyone reading this gets the curiosity to go and see parts of the world some people never have before.
