Study Abroad Goals

As I sat in my dorm room checking my email on a cold January morning, little did I know that my dreams would soon come true. The email was the Maryville College newsletter and the words that caught my eyes read, "NEW: Take PSYCHOLOGY courses abroad this summer." I clicked the link, not knowing that this link would lead me to my dream trip. Now as I sit here writing my goals for my very real trip to Finland, I am overwhelmed with emotions. 

I am feeling many emotions as this trip draws nearer. I am so excited to travel to the place from which my great-grandparents immigrated from, and see the beautiful country that I have heard about all my life. With all this excitement, I am also feeling nervous. I am nervous to fly out of the country by myself for the first time and be completely independent. As a lifelong dancer and (hopefully) future physical therapist, I am extremely excited about the courses I will be taking during my trip, specifically Intro to Dance Therapy. 

A goal of mine is to learn more about the culture, and learn as much of the language as I can. Although I grew up knowing my family history, I did not learn as much about the country as I would have liked. To maximize my experience I want to learn as much of the culture as I can by going out and experiencing it first hand. To aid in my learning I am also taking a class on the culture to obtain as much information as possible. 

Another goal of mine is to meet as many people as I can. I would love to form long-lasting friendships during my time in Finland. I would also love to meet some of my relatives. I am extremely nervous to meet people I have only ever heard about, but super excited because they are family! 

Along with these goals I also want to grow as a person. I tend to be a very shy, introverted person. This trip will force me to be out of my comfort zone and allow me to be open to change, which would help maximize my experience as well as help me grow into a strong, independent person. 

I am so excited for this trip, but also nervous that I won't take every opportunity to learn and experience the Finnish culture. With these goals in mind I am going to do everything I can to prepare myself for the best trip of my life. I am excited to take as many pictures as I can to share with my family at home, and experience as many Finnish activities as I can, including taking a sauna so I can say that I have experienced a real Finnish sauna!