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If I have to listen to one more person tell me how they finally “found themselves” during their study abroad semester, I’m going to submerge myself in the Barnes’ S-shaped hot tub. We get it, guys. Paris was beautiful and Madrid was a movie and you just can’t wait to talk about what happened in the red-light district of Amsterdam.

However, please, for the love of God, be mindful of the rest of us, and maybe don’t talk about your semester abroad for like one second? There are so many more interesting things to discuss—like the weather, the upcoming tax season or even inflation!

Besides, some of us don’t feel the need to study abroad. I mean come on—the city of Syracuse already has so much to offer. Why travel thousands of miles to Florence when Pastabilities exists? And don’t get me started about the so-called “City of Love.” I don’t get why people choose to call Paris the “city of love” when everyone knows Syracuse should hold that title. I’ve fallen in love multiple times in Syracuse and only four out of five of them cheated. Take that, Paris!

If you happen to come across one of these overly enthusiastic former abroad-ies, there are a couple ways to avoid discussing “the happiest time in their life.” Here’s one suggestion—act like you’ve never heard of the place they traveled to and accuse them of lying.

“I’ve never even heard of Florence. Are you sure you actually went abroad?”

If that doesn’t work, try one-upping them with your own travel experiences. Tell them about the time you went to Orlando when you were six and how you truly “found yourself” there.

I will admit though that after some self-reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe I’m just salty that I never got to skip through the streets of Amsterdam absolutely inebriated, or tongue dive into a stranger’s mouth in front of the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps my dislike for study abroad stories stems from my own disappointment in my choice of study abroad. God, I can be so self-aware sometimes.

Like many self-aggrandizing Newhouse students, I chose to go to one of Newhouse’s satellite campuses. Instead of frolicking in Europe, I was in Los Angeles thinking about what plastic surgeries I’ll get once I make it big.
Do I regret going to LA? Absolutely not! Where else in the world can you spend 15 dollars on a smoothie just because a model said it was good? And LA is the only city where you can sit in traffic for four hours to arrive somewhere that’s 20 miles away.

I guess if I’m allowed to go on and on about LA smoothies and traffic, I should let those who actually traveled outside of the US talk about their experiences. Alright. Here it goes—how was Prague?

Published on January 23, 2023 at 9:17 pm