Guest Blogger: Ruchi Tekriwal Before applying for a study abroad program, I researched every option and picked the one that best suited my needs. Before arriving to my host institution, I read everything from books to blogs about Morocco to get a basic understanding of the culture. While I was abroad, I enrolled in multiple language classes to better communicate with my host family, of which no member spoke English. Along every step of the way, I was reasonably prepared and I knew what to expect. What I was not prepared for was coming back home. The first few weeks after returning from abroad, I was hopelessly nostalgic. Every little thing reminded me of my time abroad, the friends I had made there, and the strangers that had come to be my family. I didn’t know that a semester apart would create a distance between me and my friends. I didn’t know that Arabic classes would no longer be as fulfilling. And I didn’t know that from that point on, I’d have a permanent itch to return abroad, to the Middle East, to speak a language other than English on a daily basis. Of course I planned to return abroad after graduation, to study Arabic in the Middle East and maybe even work there…but that didn’t help with the three semesters I had left to graduate. Three long semesters, during which I was filled with a longing to somehow reconnect with my time abroad. When I returned from abroad, I applied to be a Peer Advisor in the campus Study Abroad Office. I liked the idea of being constantly surrounded by study abroad talk and the chance to mentor students before their term abroad. More than a year after returning from abroad and in my third semester of working at the Study Abroad Office, I can say that this was undoubtedly the best decision I could have made. Through this position, I have been able to revisit my experiences abroad and constantly reflect on them and interpret them. Although studying abroad is very important, realizing and analyzing its effect on yourself is just as important. Because I am in constant contact with the study abroad process, I am always rethinking my opinions about my own experience and challenging my original conclusions. One year and two and a half months after leaving Morocco, I am still learning from it. I can’t imagine an experience more powerful than that. If you have returned from studying abroad, or will have in a few months,

I encourage you to think about what your feelings will be and how you will cope with them. Whether you apply to be a peer advisor, join International Illini, or continue on your own, make sure you take the time to reflect on your experiences abroad, how they changed you, and how they will effect you in the future.