VD (VIOLET DATERS): Hello! Willow, how have you been doing?
WD (WILLOW DATERS): Good. I just got off a nine-hour shift, so I’m tired.
VD: I’ll just get right into it then. Did someone or something influence your decision to study abroad in Europe?
WD: Yeah, I would say that because I was going into my senior year of college, and I’d pretty much finished all my credits to graduate early, I was like, okay, I’m just going to go since this was my only chance to be able to explore without having the baggage, essentially, of becoming an adult. I just thought that I would go my senior year and have an amazing time.
VD: What do you think you struggled with the most when you were abroad?
WD: The language barrier was difficult. Even though Italy and Rome had people from all over the world there. I was working in an environment where they weren’t used to Americans and had to translate every conversation. Totally understandable though. I was the one coming into their space.
VD: Conversations must have lost their meaning in translation, though?
WD: [They] did. Especially when they translated it in plain terms. My coworkers spoke a little bit, but they were considerate of me and still tried their best to translate.
VD: You had a group of friends you were traveling with. Would you say that amongst them, you were the leader?
WD: Absolutely, I was the oldest person there, and I’m also very social. I got really close with my roommates when we first moved there, and then the other groups. So I was that bridge that was able to communicate with everyone. I also planned stuff for the group. It was scary to take charge, especially when I didn’t know them. It was my last hurrah, so I put myself out there. I wasn’t the self-proclaimed leader; it just came naturally.
VD: Yeah. That kinda reminds me of dad.
WD: I was definitely like Dad. Every family trip, he always plans out, and he’s just so eager to make the most out of every trip. That was me because time would go by fast, so I wanted to live every day to the fullest.
VD: Final question: Would you recommend that other people study abroad?
WD: Absolutely. I would say everyone, if they get the opportunity, should go abroad because you’ll see a million things, but you’ll grow as a person and mature a lot. For me, I’m taking what I learned and I’m implementing it through my adult life. But I would say that if you do go abroad, my personal philosophy is to get out of your comfort zone and pick a place that would force you to adapt instead of picking a place out of comfort. You’ll thank yourself in the long run when you put yourself in that situation.
