Study Abroad: Hardships and the People Who Helped

Words and photos by Ally Parkinson, who studied with ASA in Florence, Italy, during the spring semester of 2025.

Studying abroad was always a dream of mine, but when people think about studying abroad, they often overlook the challenges that come with it. Many people travel with friends to study abroad, which I did not have the option to do since none of my friends were interested. So, I decided to embark on my own, which brought lots of learning about myself, but also a lot of hardship.

LONELINESS AND FRIENDSHIPS

There were times when I felt lonely even when surrounded by people. This made it difficult to break out of my shell in the beginning and really immerse myself in the experience and the country. But ASA could not have paired me with better roommates. My roommates were also looking out for me when I was down, and always included me in everything they did, even if it was just a trip to the grocery store. Through their comfort, I was able to branch out and make more friends in and outside of my ASA program. These friends I traveled the world with, and I would never have met them without the program and attending group events by ASA. My biggest advice on loneliness is to not be afraid to reach out to people. I would often stew in my room, and this would not help me shake the feeling. Walking around, getting a coffee, going shopping, and more with my friends made me feel happier and overall made me enjoy the experience more.

HELP FROM MY ASA ON-SITE ADVISORS

From the beginning, I felt very welcomed and supported by my on-site advisors. They were so kind and very quick to learn all of our names. Shortly after I arrived, I fell ill from what is suspected to be a virus I got on the plane. I was unable to get out of bed for the first few days and had a hard time eating. This was a bad start to my experience, and I was already anxious to arrive alone. One of my advisors went above and beyond to help me acclimate to this new experience. Chiara helped me set up doctors' appointments, visited my apartment to bring me food and medicine, and when I was feeling better, she took me to get gelato to get out of my apartment and start acclimating. As the program continued, she would reach out almost every week for the first month to see how I was doing. I don’t think I would have lasted without ASA’s support, and I couldn’t be happier that I chose the program with the right people. To anyone studying abroad, I recommend reaching out to your advisors; it’s what they are there for!

LEAVING STUDY ABROAD

I noticed people around me were very upset to leave the program. I was sad the experience was coming to an end, but I also felt accomplished and ready to come home. At the end, I felt very proud of myself for fighting through the loneliness and general difficulties throughout the semester and overall finding a way to break out and enjoy everything. Something I would always remind myself of was how lucky I was to have so much to miss and come home to. So, when the time came, I was happy to come back to the people I love and share my stories.

Thanks Ally!