I have many reasons for why I chose to study abroad but want to highlight some of the main reasons. First, I wanted to see the world. I’ve always grown up in Alabama, and have never been overseas, so it was a step out of my comfort zone which I think would be great for me. In addition, I think studying abroad gives people a chance to grow as a person and have self-realization of what they want to do and what type of person they want to be. I was scared about the language barriers and Russia-Ukraine War and COVID, but it has always been a dream of mine, and I wasn’t going to let anything stop it. I’m nervous about what can happen to me abroad, but even more excited to go. To deal with stress, I just like to plan things out. So, to prepare, I researched all of the places I was going and made itineraries of things I wanted to see and do. I don’t know what to expect while studying abroad, but I expect to see some beautiful things I've never seen before. I’m interested to see if I meet any new friends, because I don’t know anyone on my trip. I think it will be great for me to go solo and meet new people. While I’m in Berlin, I want to spend a lot of time studying the history of WW2 and the Berlin Wall. While I’m in Italy, I want to focus more on seeing beautiful landscapes and churches. I’m interested to see how days will work, with people all wanting to do different things. I’m super excited and look forward to leaving!