Study abroad was not what we expected

This season took us everywhere. While we heard travel stories from Nagasaki, Prague, the Gold Coast, and beyond, the real journey was internal. In this year-end wrap, we revisit what we experienced along the way: messy language learning, identity shifts, found family, slowing down, and growing through discomfort. This finale is a reminder that study abroad isn’t just about where you go, but also about who you become.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email us at podcast@usac.edu.
Just want to learn more about study abroad? Email studyabroad@usac.edu for all the details!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Colette Horton:
This season took us all over the map from Nagasaki to London, Chiang Mai to Khon Kaen, Bengaluru, to the Gold Coast, Prague, to Alicante and Madrid, Lyon, Seoul, and Lüneburg.
Your stories took us everywhere and through every possible vibe. From language wins to identity breakthroughs, to full-on chaos, like AC meltdowns, gay panic dinners, and not understanding Australian English.
Let's get into what we thought this season would be versus what it actually became. We have to start with the thing everyone kept talking about. Language. Not the Duolingo streak version, the real, messy, actual-life version.

[00:00:47] Celeste Irwin:
One of my, uh, Ultimate friends that hardly spoke any English. She said like, every time I see you, it seems like you're just like leaps and bounds ahead of where you were before with Korean.
And I think a lot of that is attributed to having the people to practice it with. Even more so than my classmates in class. Like, playing Ultimate makes me not afraid to try something, like try a new phrase or try and talk to people. Because if I mess up, then they just laugh and tell me what the right one is. Or it becomes an inside joke or something. I think that was really helpful and really sped up my learning a lot.

There was one thing that actually taught me the most Korean, and it's my favorite thing ever. I became very well known for learning and telling Korean dad jokes — they're called ajae gaegeu (아재개그) — and those probably taught me the most Korean out of everything. And I am a menace. Very much a menace.

These ajae gaegeu are one of my favorite pastimes. When I met someone new, I’d tell a dad joke and they wouldn’t even be expecting it. It was like coming out of left field. I'd ask a question and they’d think I was asking a legitimate question. And then I'd give them this nonsense answer and they'd be like, “Oh man, you got me.”
So yeah, those ajae gaegeu, they're the best thing in the world.

[00:02:20] Zack Patton:
My first experience really learning a language was when I was in Spain. I thought I would get there and be fluent in two weeks just because, you know, I was in Spain, breathing Spanish air, like it was just gonna magically happen.
I remember I had my first conversation with a native Spaniard, someone outside of my host family. I was just like, oh, let's try this out. And we made a connection, traded our WhatsApp numbers, and then started hanging out for pretty much the rest of the year. And so yeah, that was definitely a huge part of what makes language special — that connection. It opens you up to other people.

[00:03:02] Colette Horton:
That wasn't just practicing a language. That was community loading in real time.

[00:03:10] Luis Fernández:
This is something that I think is very important: the debate between accuracy and fluency. Not being afraid of making mistakes. And also, some students like to be corrected all the time, and others — if they are overcorrected — become shy and not so willing to talk. There has to be a balance.

In the US, they don't have as many opportunities to put this into practice. In real situations, you can have a lot of apps, tools to listen, to read, to watch movies in Spanish. But it's a big difference to be here in the country.
 You go to the market — the central market of Alicante. Do your shopping, talk to the bus driver, the tram, the subway, or the friends you make in the streets. These are real situations. People of different backgrounds, different accents, different ages. That’s real Spanish.

[00:04:00] Colette Horton:
It turns out study abroad doesn't make you perfect. It just makes you brave enough to try again.
Identity showed up everywhere this season. Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, but always real.

[00:04:23] Aolani Wheeler:
I think another thing that I was super nervous about was my identity — specifically if I would be too American for the Japanese students, or too Japanese for my American peers. So visiting my grandparents, my grandfather's old home, and meeting his siblings and their children, and their children’s children — all of that. I felt very at home, which is surprising because I had never met these people before. And it was the first day in Nagasaki, but just meeting them was such a beautiful experience, and that's part of why I wanted to go in the first place.

[00:05:05] Ángela Gutiérrez:
Once I started getting further into the process, it was definitely like, oh man, I think I should have a conversation with my parents about this. Because obviously I'm the youngest, I'd be the first to study abroad — something they'd never really heard about as a first-gen student.

My mom's a very nervous mother. She's a little hesitant to have us doing things on our own.
 There were a lot of cultural experiences that were very similar to Mexican American culture. I think that's one of the biggest surprises — how closely intertwined the culture could be with something that felt so far and so different in my eyes.

I ended up going to a couple of different dancing places because I'm a big dancer, and I got to meet a lot of the local community. I think that's what I mostly focused on, which kind of led me to feel more comfortable. I bring a lot of my Latin American culture into my experiences abroad. It's very much a part of how I socialize, and that's where I found a lot of connection with the Thai students.

[00:06:03] Jeanine Martínez:
Well, as a woman of color and as a woman with curly hair, I was so worried about the rain and the humidity affecting my curls. My natural curls fall flat when it rains and I get really stringy hair and it doesn't look nice.
So I was like, oh, I'm gonna look awful in all my pictures, or I'm not gonna know how to tame my frizz.

Hair is a huge part of my identity — how I present myself and how I show up. It's what makes me feel really confident when I enter spaces. I have pretty rocking hair and I think that's one of the first things people notice. So I was worried about managing that piece.

But actually, that's what I look back on the most and go, wow — my hair looked amazing.

[00:06:56] Colette Horton:
And then there was found family. The plot twist no one sees coming, but everyone remembers forever.

[00:07:09] Madison Somerday:
We were the freshman dorm-mate success story. So yeah, we were freshman roommates and became best friends, and then decided we wanted to have an abroad journey together while we were in college.

It was over summer going into my senior year of college. We studied abroad junior year, and I was blow-drying my hair and just saw on my bookshelf these books my mom had gotten me — guides to adulting, guide to college, all these different guidebooks that really helped me growing up and getting into college. And I was like, wow, this would be something really valuable for students looking to go abroad.

It can be an intimidating process, but it is a life-changing one. So I called Jess because she was there for almost every moment of my study abroad experience. And it’s always fun to do things with your best friend.

[00:08:07] Jessica Sharpe:
I can't say I thought I would be an author. I didn’t see that for myself. I've always enjoyed writing and using it as a tool to tune into emotions and feelings and to keep people updated. But then it kind of just evolved into a book. And it’s something we’re both so passionate about and loved.

[00:08:32] Walker Dalton:
So I connected a lot with my flatmates, and there were two of my flatmates in particular that I connected with — two completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

With my German flatmate, I felt like I had a brother abroad. I’ve never really fit into feeling very masculine or very feminine — I’ve always thought, however I feel in the moment is however I feel. But with him, it was fun to sort of feel like a bro. We watched football, we went to a couple of football matches during Christmas time, we actually went to the darts semifinals championship.

Then I also had a Norwegian flatmate — very opposite. We’d go thrift shopping and maybe talk about the pretty guys we’d seen. It was really refreshing to feel comfortable going in and out of these spaces.

During Halloween, I told my German flatmate, “If you get me a maid outfit, I’ll wear it.” And not only did he get it for me — it fit me perfectly. I was quite impressed for a couple of reasons.

Just being able to be so fluid with how I express myself and learn more about my identity by living with them was really great.

[00:10:18] Haley McPhail:
I was really fortunate, and I felt like my soul resonated with the culture and mindset of Thai society. The collective mindset is so special. I always felt thought of and considered, and people would reach out asking, “Hey, do you want to go to market? Want to get food? How are you doing? Are you okay?”

In the research world, things can be competitive and cutthroat. But there, it wasn’t like that at all. Everyone shared what they were working on. They helped each other out. They weren’t annoyed if someone didn’t know something — they’d take the time and be patient.
 It really warmed my heart and makes me miss Thailand to this day.

[00:11:12] John Koch:
I was really excited to get immersed in the culture, learn the language, and study at a German university. I didn’t even know we’d be headquartered at a university in another country. I thought that was really cool — being part of Leuphana and being integrated.

I’ve had opportunities to mingle with the student body, talk to international students, and join fitness programs, play basketball with German students. Our first roommate was German, but he had graduated, so we switched off with another roommate. That definitely helped — him and his friends invited us into their social circles.

I’ve also been participating in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu program at the Hochschulsport (university sports program), which is awesome.

Yeah, I really love talking to the ladies that work at the Mensa (campus dining hall). I always ask them for extra fleisch (meat) whenever I order food, and sometimes they compliment my German. They always greet me with smiles. They’ve been giving me props on my German skills. That was good to hear.

[00:13:06] Colette Horton:
For many students, their homestay wasn’t just where they lived — it’s where they belonged. They expected a place to stay, and what they found was a family that kept showing up.

[00:13:19] Zack Patton:
Luis was my resident director there. He was incredible — super like a father figure to all of us. He helped connect me with an incredible host family that inspired me to continue my language journey into France and then finally here to Germany.

A great word of advice from my Spanish host mother, Mar, came in a moment where I was really frustrated with my Spanish. I asked her, “Why can’t I speak like you guys yet? Why is it taking so long?”

She said, “Zack, when you were a little kid, did you ever have trouble seeing yourself in the mirror?” And I said, “Yeah.”
 She said, “There’s a counter, right? You’re too small to see over it. You grow and grow and grow, and one day you’re tall enough to see your reflection.”

That’s what’s happening with language learning. You’re growing, you’re growing, and you can’t see it until one day it all comes together.
 I remember that to this day, and it’s helped me through now three foreign languages.

I went back to Alicante during my year in France for the Christmas holidays. I went back to my host family to stay with them.

[00:14:41] Luis Fernández Rellán:
We have a good example here with Zack, yeah. The students develop very strong links with the staff, professors, and homestays. We have students who have friendships for life. They come here, they come back, and I’m sure they go to Lüneburg with David — and they feel at home.

[00:15:00] David Gilland:
Yeah, it's always great when students come back to visit. You’re always welcome back here in Lüneburg, Zack.

[00:15:10] Colette Horton:
One surprise lesson this season? Slowing down. And we’re not talking about the cute Pinterest version — we mean the lifestyle shift that sneaks up on you abroad.

[00:15:24] John Koch:
One of the biggest things is how eating at restaurants and having meals is different in Europe and America. In America, they always try to rush you out the door. But in Europe, having a nice family dinner, sitting down at the table, spending time — like really spending time talking to each other instead of trying to get in and out for the food — that’s one of the biggest things.

Also little things like drinking tea, or eating little biscuits and chocolates. We have a nightly tea time many nights — we sit down after a long day and drink tea before bed. Especially when it's cold, it’s really nice.

[00:16:14] Nicole Marinch:
Like for example, the sobremesa (long after-meal conversation). Everyone, when you go have a meal, you take a long time at the meal. You sit down and talk, and the waiters take a long time, and everyone is just enjoying themselves.

Even the way you greet people. In Spain, there are two kisses on the cheek. I don’t always do two kisses on the cheek, but you’re always hugging or kissing someone on the cheek.

[00:16:41] Madison Somerday:
We were traveling in Italy, and I saw people just sitting on benches in a park. Like a ton of people — just sitting, not looking at their phones or anything, just sitting. And I was shocked.
I thought, I’ve never seen this before. Where do they have to be?

And it hit me how much I’m always thinking, What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?
 Like, take a step back. What about right now?

People in Italy were just enjoying the sunshine.
 Your future — internships, school — that’s important. But from a life perspective, really soaking in everything while you’re there matters.

Especially with social media and your phone, being mindful and taking it all in, because the day you leave, you’re going to miss it. For years to come, you’ll miss that time.
 Knowing you made the most of it and didn’t spend it on your phone or thinking about the future — you’ll come out of it feeling full.

[00:17:52] Jessica Sharpe:
I know for me, that was one of my favorite parts. I could feed off their energy. When you see someone who’s so present, just living life… those moments and experiences abroad are why we wrote the book. It made us feel so good.

[00:18:16] Colette Horton:
Honestly, this one hits all of us. Peak study abroad behavior.
If there was one universal experience this season, it was this: you will embarrass yourself — probably more than once — and honestly, that’s where half the growth happens.
This is all so real. If you know, you know.

[00:18:53] Gabby Poulsen:
I think I would reassure my past self that it will turn out okay. I was really proud of myself for taking the first step of settling into my dorm and then pushing myself to go downstairs and meet people.

So I would tell myself: trust yourself. It’ll be okay. Take a breath. Turn on the AC. I know it's hot.

Oh my God — did you struggle with turning on the AC?

[00:19:21] Aolani Wheeler:
Yeah. I had to start Google up and find an English translation version of our remote.

[00:19:27] Gabby Poulsen:
Yeah. I literally found a blog that was specific to this AC unit.

Honestly, if I’m being 100% real, I was crashing out in my dorm because it was so hot in there.
 It was so hot.

We came in the middle of September — we arrived on my birthday — so I think that added a lot to my feelings. I was like, it's my birthday and nobody knows it's my birthday, and I’m sitting in my dorm room trying to figure out this AC.

And then we figured it out. It’s okay.
 Past self: you will figure out the AC, I promise. There’s literally a blog that tells you step by step. Then you’ll go downstairs. You’ll be fine.
So yeah, that’s what I’d tell myself.

[00:20:13] Aolani Wheeler:
I think I’d also tell them: Google the AC first. Figure that out. Cool off the room before you do anything.

[00:20:20] Gabby Poulsen:
Yeah.

[00:20:22] Walker Dalton:
And for the first time, I did feel there was a lot of culture shock — because I felt like an American abroad. That nervousness and that apprehension, being surrounded by people from all over the world, really pushed me to embrace my queer identity more.

That was the first time I felt comfortable trying to be out there and asking myself constantly: What does it mean to be out? How am I going to dress? How am I going to talk? How am I going to walk?

And it was great. It was a beautiful, chaotic mess, and it was the journey of self-exploration and discovery. That’s really where I found my security.

I feel more secure having been abroad in London with my queer identity. It was exciting. London was — London was beautiful.

[00:21:31] KayCee Carlen:
So I did my study abroad in Japan, and I did speak Japanese before I went.
But I remember getting off the plane, getting to my hotel on my first night there, and thinking:
Dang, I’m so hungry. I need to go out and get something.

But I was so nervous to go to a restaurant or anywhere, so I was like… I’ll do it tomorrow.
 And I went to bed and didn’t eat anything.

The next morning I was like: okay, I can’t put this off. I went to a convenience store and I was listening around, looking at how people interacted with the cashier. I thought, okay, okay, I can do this.

I went up and the lady was like, “Do you need a bag?” — in Japanese. And suddenly everything left my brain.
 I froze.

Then she said it in English, and I was like, “Yeah… yeah.”

I messed up my first interaction.
 And it’s so funny to think about now, because I’ve been back to Japan a couple of times since my study abroad, and now it’s second nature.

[00:22:29] Colette Horton:
And sometimes the chaos is cultural.
Sometimes it’s linguistic.
Sometimes it’s gay panic over dinner.
Study abroad really said: character development, incoming.

[00:22:41] Jonathan Hakim:
I studied a year in Melbourne, Australia, at the University of Melbourne. Absolutely loved it. I was only supposed to do a semester and then extended for a full year because I just didn’t want to leave.

For those who don’t know, Australia is the size of the continental US — a massive geographic country. And I had never been abroad alone before.

I landed in Australia not knowing a soul in the entire country.
 Not one person.

I checked into my hostel — I arrived a few days before the program started — and there was somebody in the hostel speaking to me, and I did not understand a word that this man was saying.
He was Australian. Speaking English. And I froze up.

I thought: I thought they spoke English here.
 Is this what my whole study abroad is going to be like?
 Am I not going to understand anyone?

I started panicking a little… but like KayCee said, it all worked out. I got a feel for it.
 Obviously they speak English in Australia — just a very different type of English.

It ended up being such an opportunity to grow personally.
 I didn’t know what to expect, and then I came back thinking: Oh my God. I did that.
 I spent that time in a foreign country, on my own.

It’s really eye-opening how you grow and change and the things you learn along the way.

[00:24:24] Colette Horton:
Character development achieved.
This next part: canon event.

[00:24:35] Jeanine Martínez:
Yeah, I remember one date — it was really nice, exploring and finding places I didn’t know about. Because they were local — they were like, “I’ll show you here, I’ll show you here. Where do you want to go?” And I was like, oh my gosh, everywhere.

And I do remember having gay panic a little bit.
 One time we were out for dinner and I kept making eye contact with this girl and I thought: It’s so hard to know if someone’s into you or not.

I was sitting there waiting for food, sweating, thinking: Do I make the move?
 No, I can't.
 What if they're just looking over here?

But it was funny.
 I did end up speaking to her. It was really nice.

[00:25:24] David Gilland:
If you don't embarrass yourself at least once a day, you're not putting yourself out there enough.
It’s okay to go into a bakery and make a fool of yourself.
Whatever grammatical lesson you learn in that bakery, you will never forget.

It’s tough to be uncomfortable, but you learn really good lessons.

[00:25:41] Colette Horton:
Nothing humbles you like ordering carbs in another language.

Study abroad makes you realize confidence isn’t about having zero fear — it’s about doing the thing anyway.
 And the wildest part? The lessons none of us expected.
 Feeling more grounded. Slowing down. Seeing yourself differently. Realizing you’re capable of way more than you thought.

[00:26:08] Nicole Marinch:
One habit I brought back is trying to slow down and enjoy life. I maximized that in Spain, and I really want to try to go back to that sometimes.
In the US, I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of American culture.

In Spain, I was able to get work done — I was a student — but I also traveled, experienced local culture and cuisine, made friends.
 I try to bring that back with me.
 When I'm caught up in my head about all the things I have to do, I try to slow down.

[00:26:55] Maggie Hunter:
One of my biggest joys was how fulfilling the experience was. More specifically, finding grounding in my poetry was awesome.

I'm a poet at heart, I like to think — but when you have six assignments due tonight, it’s hard to sit down and write a poem.
 Having the space to write creatively was incredible.

And I wrote poetry I'm proud of — poetry that feels important and relevant. That was empowering.

And yes, like you were saying, another joy was finding that sisterhood and the broader community of the woman whose story I was writing. It is so personal to edit someone's work, especially their deepest traumas. I found that very fulfilling.

[00:27:58] Celeste Irwin:
When I was feeling a little lost or unsure, subway stations always felt like safe spaces for me. They always had air conditioning — I was there in the summer and it was really hot — and they always had trash cans, restrooms.

There was always a convenience store like a 7-11 or GS25, and I could always get water and food. And there was a place to sit.
 If I was in a subway station, I could go anywhere I needed to.

I learned really quickly that subway stations are your friend.

[00:28:32] Jorana Bansevičiūtė:
When you study abroad and you are a thousand miles away from everyone — your family and friends — it really teaches you how important it is to reach out.

Even when I come home, I feel like I've learned how to stay in touch with people, and how much love you have for others when they're not with you all the time.
 You can't see them all the time — you see how important it is.

I learned not to take things for granted as much as I did before.
 When I come home, I feel like I’ll be even more connected with the people around me, even though I've been away from them for four months.

[00:29:15] Colette Horton:
And one of the most meaningful shifts this year didn’t come from a destination — it came from language.
We expanded the podcast to include three full Spanish-language episodes so Spanish-speaking families, students, and alumni could hear these stories in their own voice, their own rhythm, their own cultural space.

[00:29:34] Patricia Souza:
De qué estás hablando? Madre?

[00:29:43] Patricia Ángel:
Ahí va. Bueno, me acuerdo. Cuando me contaste que una vez habías sido a conocer un lago con tus amigas…
(full Spanish sentences preserved as-is)

[00:30:32] Colette Horton:
These episodes weren't translations. They were home — a space where families could hear their kids in the language that raised them.

So here’s what this year actually taught us:
 We came for the credits, but we stayed for the confidence, the clarity, and the people who made these stories what they are.

Thank you for listening, for reflecting, for being part of this global community — and thank you to every student, resident director, and host family who made this season what it was.