Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder So my best friend went abroad this semester, and to say that I am lost is an understatement. Being in a fraternity, Im surrounded by dudes all the time, and thatss great because I usually hangout with guys, but my friend abroad just happened to be that female friend that understands every single thing about me. She knows my insecurities, my strengths, what makes me happy, what makes me sad, and she knows how to FIX it all. Thats the thingâ€"shes a huge rock in my life. You come to college, and you meet amazing people, and you are with them every single day, so when she left to go to Vienna, Austria I was excited for her, but I was also scared of what a semester without her would look like. It sounds really selfish, doesnt it? The truth is, it really is. Shes doing so many amazing things, and I have to say, Im pretty jealous. She has been there almost two months now and she has already travelled to Prague, Brussels, and Dublin. She will also be going to other countries in the next month or so. She is really living out her dreams right now. The University of Illinois has so many study abroad options and the Vienna, Austria program is definitely one of the most popular. My best friend has met so many other University of Illinois students while she has been studying in Austria, and they all travel to different countries together. Our university may hold 40,000 students, but theres never a stranger here at the University of Illinois. Even abroad, we are still a family. My biggest advice to anyone that plans to study abroad is DO IT! I have not personally experienced any study abroad programs as of yet, but I have been living vicariously through my best friend, and I think she would agree that studying abroad is the opportunity of a lifetime. Your friends will understand and eventually be happy for you, I promise. After all, distance makes the heart grow fonder! More questions about study abroad options? Leave a comment in the box below and one of the bloggers will get back to you as soon as we can! Alec Class of 2019 I'm double majoring in Economics and Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I'm from a small town across the river from St. Louis called Waterloo, Illinois.