My study abroad journey definitely didn’t begin the way I imagined. I had planned to fly from Atlanta to Amsterdam, then catch a connecting flight to Brussels before meeting my professor and the class on a coach bus heading to my hotel in Ghent. But things quickly took a turn when my flight from Atlanta was significantly delayed by an hour and a half, causing me to miss my connection in Amsterdam. To make matters worse, my checked suitcase was in the airport, however it was pulled aside and I had no way of getting to it. I found myself alone in a busy international airport with no luggage, no clear way to get to Belgium, and no idea what to do next. I ended up having to fill out a lost baggage form through tears and accept that I’d be without my things for a few days. It actually took four days for my suitcase to be delivered to the hotel, so I had to make do with just the essentials I packed in my carry-on. With no remaining flights to Brussels that day, I arranged a car service to drive me all the way from Amsterdam to Ghent. It wasn’t how I pictured starting my time abroad, but looking back, it taught me a lot about staying calm, adapting quickly, and learning to problem solve in a completely unfamiliar environment. It was a stressful and overwhelming situation, but I learned that I’m capable of handling more than I thought, and that even the rough starts can lead to meaningful experiences. I spent the first 2 days in Ghent shopping for new clothes since I only had the one outfit I wore to the airport, and luckily all of the new clothes I bought was able to be compensated back from the airlines.
