An Experience of a Lifetime: Living, Learning and Exploring Out of the Country and on Their Own.
Aubrey Herbst
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Opinion
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"Just go," was the repeated remark of the students who went abroad. They didn't waste time trying to explain how fantastic, changing, enlightening, brilliant, phenomenal, and indescribable their trip was. Nor did the students offer to show their gazillion pictures. Their response was to, as enthusiastically as possible, encourage others to go abroad as well, and experience the voyage for themselves.
Even though everyone has probably been told or heard that they must experience the travels and sights of the world, only handfulls of students take the plunge every year to leave the comforts of their home, their friends, and the familiar faces of Wittenberg in order to get on a plane and travel to a different country, culture, school, language, people, and entirely new environment.
"Go anywhere!" said junior Christine Jackson.
"Just go," said senior Jessica McClish.
"Definitely go," said junior Kristen Ritter.
"Go into it with an open mind and enjoy every second that you have there," said junior Ali Johnson.
Everyone who went abroad seemed to have one very important thing in common: the excitement to encourage others to go abroad and to take the risk of leaving the familiar behind.
"I chose Africa because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone," said McClish. "You're going to learn a lot more about yourself if you're living out of your comfort zone."
After leaving behind what they were familiar with, the students took advantage of the opportunities placed before them; and many chose to explore the cultures and countries all around them.
"The world is meant to be explored and life is what you make of it," said Johnson.
Johnson chose to travel and study in Vienna, Austria. "I was unsure where to go but I wanted to go somewhere where no one else from Wittenberg was going, and I wanted to be able to travel a lot."
Similarly, Christine Jackson chose to explore Europe by studying in England. "I wanted to go somewhere in Europe because of the opportunity to travel to such a variety of places," she said.
Even though everyone has probably been told or heard that they must experience the travels and sights of the world, only handfulls of students take the plunge every year to leave the comforts of their home, their friends, and the familiar faces of Wittenberg in order to get on a plane and travel to a different country, culture, school, language, people, and entirely new environment.
"Go anywhere!" said junior Christine Jackson.
"Just go," said senior Jessica McClish.
"Definitely go," said junior Kristen Ritter.
"Go into it with an open mind and enjoy every second that you have there," said junior Ali Johnson.
Everyone who went abroad seemed to have one very important thing in common: the excitement to encourage others to go abroad and to take the risk of leaving the familiar behind.
"I chose Africa because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone," said McClish. "You're going to learn a lot more about yourself if you're living out of your comfort zone."
After leaving behind what they were familiar with, the students took advantage of the opportunities placed before them; and many chose to explore the cultures and countries all around them.
"The world is meant to be explored and life is what you make of it," said Johnson.
Johnson chose to travel and study in Vienna, Austria. "I was unsure where to go but I wanted to go somewhere where no one else from Wittenberg was going, and I wanted to be able to travel a lot."
Similarly, Christine Jackson chose to explore Europe by studying in England. "I wanted to go somewhere in Europe because of the opportunity to travel to such a variety of places," she said.
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