Growing up on Global May Hungary

1. I went on the Global May Hungary study abroad program with 25 other Ohio State students. We stayed in a hostel for the majority of the time in Budapest, Hungary and traveled as a class on the weekends to Bratislava, Slovakia, Warsaw, Poland, and Vienna, Austria. Our professor, Daniel Pratt, taught us during the week for about 2 hours a day about the history and culture of Central Europe. In addition to that, we went on many walking tours and museum visits as a group.

I arrived in Budapest with one other girl from my trip, nervous and unsure of what Central Europe’s culture, food, and people would be like. I wasn’t sure if I would bond with the people in my group and my knowledge on the city was minimal. Despite my nerves, I was incredibly excited to begin my month long adventure.

2. Throughout the month, I learned so much about myself. I conquered so many social hurdles that I originally was not sure I would. However, the group of OSU students I was with made me feel so at home and comfortable, so I began to explore Central Europe with people that I think will be my friends for a very long time. Traveling to Slovakia, Poland, and Austria on the weekends gave me a broad understanding about the culture and daily life of Central Europeans. Seeing all of this with people I truly love was such an incredible experience.

Anytime I travel, my perspective broadens. It shows me how big the world is, and I take up a small part of it in Ohio. There is so much out there. So many cultures, languages, and people just like me, but they live in Hungary or Slovakia or Poland. This travel experience really showed me how similar we are to someone that lives thousands of miles away in the middle of rural Hungary. We all love good food. We all want to be loved. We all want to have fun. We all want to feel fulfilled in life. We may come from very different places, but our hopes and desires are very similar. It is mind blowing to me.

3. As I mentioned above, I met some incredible people on this trip. Having those friends by my side gave me the confidence to try so many new things and go to so many new places. Without the right people by my side, I can not say for sure if my experience would have been so fulfilling. Our professor, Dr. Pratt, was also a crucial part of my experience. His passion and knowledge of Central Europe is incredible and his lectures and willingness to answer any and all questions were a major part of my experience. His excitement about the cities we visited made us excited, and that made me want to learn and see as much as possible.

My motto on this trip was, “Say yes to every new experience”. Should I go climb a hilltop at 3am to watch the sunrise in Budapest? Yes! Should go check out this neighborhood even though I’m so tired? Yes! Should I try this traditional Hungarian meal even though it looks weird? Yes! Should I try to learn the local language? Yes! Having this positive and willing attitude was essential for me to make the most of my time abroad. Without this attitude, who knows if I would have become so close with the people on my trip or if I still would have walked away feeling full of new knowledge and a passion for travel.

One of the best moments on the trip was when we were all in Vienna, Austria. We had just finished eating a schnitzel dinner and decided to walk to the river. We got there just in time for the sunset and decided to walk down to the lower level where we could sit right along the river. It was so peaceful and serene. That moment was incredible because I realized how far we had all come along the course of the trip. We began as timid tourists and ended as true travelers, able to navigate a new city with no hesitation. Sitting along the beautiful Danube River with the people I had grown so close to was an amazing experience.

4. This experience is valuable to my life because I now feel confident traveling on my own, and taking advantage of any opportunity that could be a new experience or help me to learn more about the world. Traveling has made me more curious about everything around me and I think that is so important. I’m glad I question things and seek out experiences that will make me a well-rounded person.

Whatever I do with my life, I want travel and experiencing other cultures to always be at the core of it. This transformational experience has shown me that I have the tools to do anything and that I am capable of absorbing more information and sites than I ever thought possible.