COLUMN: Across the map: Thoughts of a student preparing to study abroad 

As someone born and raised in north Idaho, the idea of leaving my hometown to chase my own adventure has been on the forefront of my mind for years. When I became a teenager and life post-high school suddenly became much more tangible, one of my goals became to move far away. 

Though I didn’t move far away for college, studying abroad felt like the chance for ultimate freedom. It provides the opportunity for students to experience the world in a unique and immersive way, and I have longed for this experience since the time I turned 16. 

Now that my time has come to leave for my own semester abroad, I’ve had to acknowledge what it truly means to do this for and by myself, and the implications that come with packing my life into a suitcase and moving away from anything I’ve ever known for months. 

Though people do it every day — study abroad, attend college far from home, move to a new city after graduation — this is entirely new for me. 

This semester, I’ve chosen to study abroad at the University of Stirling in Scotland, where I’ll be continuing to pursue my degrees in journalism and film. 

From the highlands and historic monuments to the sprawling coastlines, Scotland is home to an array of lush landscapes. It’s been a country that has captured my attention for a long time, which is just one of the reasons I’ve chosen to study here. 

The opportunity to practice my craft somewhere new to me is another part of what I look forward to. 

I was lucky enough to have a fantastic first year at the University of Idaho. I had the privilege of learning from many dedicated professors, working for The Argonaut as my first real newsroom experience and a handful of other opportunities that came from being an active member of the School of Journalism and Mass Media department. 

That being said, as a journalism major, something I’ve come to know is the importance of global connections and awareness. Though Moscow was perfect for me last year, this year I felt it necessary to push myself into a more global setting, and to gain a greater worldview through studying abroad. 

Beyond the excitement of all that I’ll encounter and learn while studying abroad, the packing process and mental preparation of it all has been a feat of its own. 

Forcing myself to travel light, I limited myself to a travel backpack and a suitcase. That means taking only what I find most valuable on my journey; my needs and a few of my wants. 

My needs include the obvious: clothing, a pair of shoes, my laptop and my camera. My wants, however, speak to the more sentimental side of myself. Pictures and postcards of the many wonderful memories I’ve made riddle my bedroom floor as I decide which ones will make the cut. 

No matter how light I packed, or at least attempted to, it didn’t keep me from pulling the move of a packer’s ultimate desperation: putting my entire body weight onto my luggage in an effort to zip it up. This, I’m sure, is a moment many travelers and fellow study abroad students can relate to. 

Though this journey is only just the beginning, I can confidently say that my applause for students who choose to earn their degree in a foreign country far from home has grown immensely. Those who graduate high school and only two months later move to immerse themselves in a new culture and new lives will forever amaze me. 

Ultimately, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this process already, it’s that any act of independence, no matter how small, is critical to self-development. 

The choice to leave your hometown at some point is one I feel to be incredibly important. Though I’m only now doing it for the first time myself, I can only imagine the impact it’ll have on my future. 

No one can ever be certain of all the possibilities life has to offer by staying in one place. If all paths lead back to your hometown, that’s wonderful. But if they don’t, the paths to your new life won’t appear right in front of you, they need to be discovered first. 

Paige Wilton can be reached at [email protected].