It has been over a year since I was living and studying in Amsterdam, and though I’m no longer living in Europe, I find myself constantly using the skills that I learned and am more comfortable with overcoming challenges on a regular basis. Studying abroad was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made—not just because of the travel, but because of what I learned and who I met in the process.

Collage I made for my apartment in Amsterdam, using free stuff I found around the city & things I created myself.

So what did I learn from studying abroad that is transferrable to my life in the US today? To list a few, I gained skills in…

• Establishing rapport quickly and building self-reliance
• Adaptability, flexibility, and patience in an unfamiliar environment
• Embracing cultural differences
• Achieving goals despite obstacles and gaining appreciation of diversity
• Ability to function with a high level of ambiguity
• Problem solving skills
• Independence and enthusiasm
• Ability to learn quickly, gaining inquisitiveness
• Strong listening, communication, and organization skills across language and cultural barriers to navigate through new cities
• Language and cultural interactivity skills through observation
• Assertiveness by communicating despite barriers
• Time management skills
• Management of finances in varying currencies
• Managing stress and building self-knowledge
• Comfort in working on a team with people from different cultures and educational backgrounds
• Self-confidence by handling difficult situations
• Tolerance/open-mindedness by accepting responsibility
• Awareness of global issues
• Perseverance by taking initiative and taking calculated risks

These are all excellent skills to have, and in order to keep practicing these skills I must continue to put myself in study abroad-like situations. Since my return, I have remained connected with those I met abroad both in person and online. I was even able to test my hospitality skills when a couple of them came to visit me in Burlington. Aside from cultural experiences, I can use my skills of adaptability, flexibility, and problem solving to navigate a new city or job when I graduate.

My study abroad experience was invaluable and I plan to mirror this experience in the future in every situation I’m faced with.