Turning Youth Travel into Study Abroad: Sarah's Story

My name is Sarah Shorter and I’m really excited to be a content writer and curator intern with EdOdyssey this summer! During my first three years at the College of the Holy Cross, my double major in Anthropology and Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean studies has increased my appreciation of global cultures. This interest led me to study abroad with EdOdyssey in Lima, Peru, where I matured academically, socially, and personally.  

Me competing in Austria!

Photo Credit: Synchrophoto.eu

PASSION FOR TRAVEL GROWING UP

Since my youth, I have had the privilege to travel throughout the U.S. and to numerous parts of the world. A large portion of my travel, particularly internationally, was to competitions with my synchronized ice skating team. The main focus of these trips was always the competition, yet my team would often have a few opportunities to explore the city we were visiting before the competition began. 

For five years, I was incredibly fortunate to compete on behalf of Team USA in 7 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America, expanding my global perspective. Visiting and competing in other countries not only enabled me to view different cultures and societal differences, but it also was a unique opportunity to connect with people around the world who share the same passion as me. At competitor parties and banquets, the love of synchronized skating connected people from very different backgrounds.

Having extensively traveled for skating and taken some family trips to Europe and other regions of the U.S., I was ready to channel my inner anthropologist and plant myself during my junior year of college in a completely new country, not as a tourist, but as a global citizen. 

My goal was to not only SEE the differences and similarities that Peru has with my home of Lexington, Massachusetts, but to actually LIVE and UNDERSTAND them. I wanted to truly become a part of the community. 

Visiting Machu Picchu with EdOdyssey!

STUDYING IN PERU

Having learned a lot about other cultures and various aspects of Latin America through my two majors, I was drawn to the idea of studying abroad in Peru. The well organized and supportive program which EdOdyssey has in Peru made my decision to study abroad in Lima much easier. It also helped me convince my parents that I should spend a year

I distinctly remember my pre-departure phone call with the EdOdyssey team in Lima. I hadn’t spoken Spanish in about 6 months and I was sweating from nerves as I got on the call. Yet when the call ended and my Dad asked me how it went, I was enthusiastic, excited, and confident that I would be totally fine when I got to Lima the next month.

The Lima team: Patty, Luis, and Narda, are the absolute BEST! 

Celebrating my host parents’ 50th anniversary

THE PERUVIAN EXPERIENCE

Once I got over some fears and embraced all the unknowns and unfamiliarities that defined my new home of Lima, Peru, becoming a global citizen is exactly what I did! During my 7 months in Peru (before COVID unfortunately frantically had me packing to come back to the states), I learned to dance salsa, to use Peruvian slang, and to embrace “Peruvian time”. 

I became friends with Peruvian classmates, and bonded with my host family. Having had this incredible experience, in large thanks to the EdOdyssey team, I am immensely grateful to be able to continue to work with EdOdyssey. Traveling and engaging with different cultures, peoples, and places is an invaluable privilege and opportunity. 

Enjoying the Sand Dunes during EdOdyssey’s Ica excursion!

One of the greatest things I learned in Peru was that being courageous, taking chances, and following your passions will lead to some of the most rewarding experiences. As I look ahead to my future after college, I hope to get the chance to live abroad again. I am still discerning what my future plans will be, yet I have no doubt that the lessons I learned in Peru will be an integral part of anything I pursue. 

Do you want to learn a bit more about the special EdOdyssey team members who made my experience in Lima a brilliant one?

Be sure to check out the blog Q&A: Meet EdOdyssey’s Local Team in Lima, Peru to learn more about the amazing team that supported, guided, and challenged me throughout my time abroad!

Why Your International Friendships Will Last A Lifetime

As you look to study abroad, you might think that making friendships abroad might seem like a daunting task given your destination, but the long-term effects are worthwhile! Developing lifelong connections with other international students and your local peers will provide you with a deeper understanding of other cultures, after interacting effectively with people from cultures besides their own. If you’re coming back from being abroad, you’re probably thinking about how your new friends from abroad will play into the rest of your life.

In 2015, a research study measured 571 adolescents from Germany regarding their interpretation to intercultural competence and characteristics that matter most in various friendships. Intercultural friendships are defined as, “a friendship in which the friend is perceived to have different cultural affiliations than oneself” (Schwarzenthal et al., 63).

Researchers within the intercultural psychology community examined the aspects of intercultural situations that influence adolescents toward cultures beside their own. Essentially, studying abroad presents students with windows of opportunities to expand their views of the world and reflect on the impact of acclimating to an unfamiliar culture.  

In today’s blog, we’re going to examine the specific ways that connections abroad can last a lifetime!    

The Wellness Perspective 

Why should you, as a student, care about your wellness when it comes to relationships with your peers abroad? 

Students should consider the connection between their wellness and relationships while they’re abroad because it will drive your experience abroad and once you come home. Researchers from The Research Center for Internet Psychology and School of Psychology in Canada explored the dimensions of friendships and determined how the wide-spread usage of technology affects the features of friendship.

This study, in particular, validated why friendships enriches one’s personal life, primarily because “friendship is essential for wellbeing” (Amichai-Hamburger et. al 38). In this context, wellbeing regarding friendships, refers to the concept that human beings receive companionship through meaningful interactions with one another, from rewarding and mutually positive social situations. 

Moreover, the implications of friendship directly relate to one’s emotional and psychological being. According to a research study conducted in 2012 regarding the variations in offline and online friendships and the impact it has on one’s mental health, an important benefit of friendship is, “[the] ability to provide various forms of support, social and material, at times of stress” (Amichai-Hamburger et. al 36).

One could even argue that a critical component of survival includes maintaining friendships, due to fulfilling relationships playing a major role in physical and emotional well-being. It’s important to also acknowledge the improvement in one’s happiness, as a result of a close bond or friendship. To summarize, the contribution that human connections have are significant, everywhere in the world! 

Developing Friendships During Programs 

The variety of friendships abroad get planted and nurtured from your first days and weeks that eventually blossom and form into different, life-long connections. For instance, homestay families create an initial bond with peers and adults within a home in a host country that later extend outside of your home, and EdOdyssey supports you along the way. 

EdOdyssey’s own custom designed programs and study abroad terms afford students the advantage of staying in homestays, meeting local students, and feeling connected to the culture. One of our high school students did a homestay in southern Spain, and he mentioned that he liked engineering and trains. We matched him with a family, and his homestay father worked for the Spanish train company and took him to the local train station and told him about his work. When there is potential for connections, we seek to bring that connection together because it acts as encouragement later on to stay in contact with one another upon return home! 

A degree of comfortability and closeness directly results from insightful conversations with host families. Not only do they act a great resource for local culture and language skills, but being in daily proximity with one another grants a whole new level of appreciation one might not have had if they stayed in a dorm or hotel. Living with host families makes experiences abroad all the more rewarding, and prompts many students to continue keeping in touch for years to come. 

Keeping Connections Alive during Study Abroad   

Why is it important to maintain bonds abroad? 

A vital aspect of being abroad involves maintaining bonds with friends, whether someone currently studies abroad or has already returned home. Students can sometimes focus too much on the fear of missing out (FOMO) when they can’t spend time with their friends from home. Instead, it’s wise to be aware of the many possibilities to bond with local and international students within the host university and country. 

These particular interactions show evidence that these initial connections have potential to evolve into lifelong friendships! The German study determined that, “active engagement with diverse cultural perspectives can promote intercultural learning” (Schwarzenthal et al., 70-71). This outcome supports the idea that intercultural socialization in friendships does offer opportunities to exchange cultural perspectives and valuable learning experiences (Schwarzenthal et al., 72).

Overseas programs, homestays, and service learning opportunities allow for personal growth. Intercultural friendships and interactions not only assist students by increasing intercultural skills, but also open up conversations with diverse perspectives (Schwarzenthal et al., 63). Overall, developing connections abroad generates a greater variation in values, beliefs, and worldviews, compared to friendships from the same culture. 

Upon returning home from studying abroad, a realistic piece of advice accommodates both parties by not forcing overseas friends to stay in immediate and direct contact every single day. Releasing pressure from one another will alleviate frustration when dealing with time zones and schedules, and allows ample room to cherish and appreciate the physical time spent together abroad. 

Technology has added immense value to today’s society, and the ability to connect with friends around the globe has created an incredibly convenient for study abroad students to develop and maintain friendships. With either scenario, whether it’s connecting with friends from home while abroad or vice versa, “electronic communication allows two people to interact without being present at the same time” and supports the idea that, “friends provide invaluable social support...at stressful times,” no matter the mode of the interaction (Amichai-Hamburger et. al 33). 

Though the ways in which friendships develop typically progress through close proximity and the amount of effort put into the relationship, “once this closeness is established it can be equally fulfilling,” irrespective of being online or in person (Amichai-Hamburger et. al 35).

When you create close bonds that can be sustained throughout life transitions, you truly make the most of the time abroad. These lifelong connections are irreplaceable and valuable because they remind you of your own power to overcome obstacles and challenges in a new place!

Developing bonds with others while overseas does not have to take months, sometimes the most spontaneous interactions become the most profound. No matter the amount of time you’ve been abroad, it’s important to give thought to past experiences.

Check out “Six Key Questions to Reflect on Your Experience Abroad” if you’ve already gone abroad and are thinking of going again, or if you want to get a sense of what study abroad might look like after you come home!

Si usted está interesado en leer o compartir este blog en español, por favor continue a "Por Qué Tus Amistades Internacionales Durarán Toda La Vida" que fue traducido por nuestros amigos de Travolución.

If you're interested in reading or sharing this blog in Spanish, please enjoy the translated version of this blog "Por Qué Tus Amistades Internacionales Durarán Toda La Vida" that was translated by our friends at Travolución.

Sources

Amichai-Hamburger, Yair, Mila Kingsbury, and Barry H. Schneider. “Friendship: An old concept with a new meaning?” Computers in Science Behavior, vol. 29, 2012, pp. 33-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.025 

Schwarzenthal, Miriam, Linda Juang, Maja K. Schachner, and Fons J.R. van de Vijver. “‘When birds of a different feather flock together’ - intercultural socialization in adolescents’ friendships”. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 72, 2015, pp. 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.07.001 

Four Keys For Having The Best Homestay Experience

During study abroad, one of the places where you will spend a considerable amount of time is at your homestay. In order for your experience to be as amazing as possible, it is also important that your homestay experience is an amazing one too.  

Living abroad can be difficult at first, but making a positive connection to your homestay can impact your experience for the better.

From my personal experience in Lima, after having done a homestay through EdOdyssey, here are four keys for you make the most of your homestay:

1. Embracing Common Spaces

In your homestay, you should not feel like a stranger!  You should spend as much time as possible in common spaces with your host family.  Avoid locking yourself in your room all the time!

In a homestay, you are essentially becoming a member of your homestay family.  Therefore, you should want to spend time in common areas, ask your host parent or parents questions, and make conversation.

2. Creating Connections

Creating a social and natural environment in the homestay is what lended to myself enjoying every second of my homestay experience.  I would have long conversations (all in Spanish!) over meals about Peru’s history, my hosts’ lives, and life in general. It was very comforting to me that I could come back after a day of classes to a place that felt so much like home.

Your host family is always there to talk to you!  Let your host family know what is going on in your life.  This could include your plans, travel plans, or anything as personal as you so choose.  It is understandable if you want your own space sometimes, but interaction is encouraged for everyone to have a mutual understanding and respect of one another.

3. Fostering Mutual Respect

Remember that you are staying in another person’s home and you’ll have the best experience if you treat their house that way from the start.  If you had a student from another country staying at your house in the United States, how would you want them to treat your home?

It is completely fine to make yourself comfortable, but not too comfortable.  You should always ask permission if you want to have friends over the house.  It is unreasonable to expect the luxuries and services of somewhere like a hotel. Keep your spaces clean and always be respectful of the home you are living in.  

4. Finding Balance During Your Homestay

During your time abroad, you’ll enjoy your time if you strike a balance between alone time, time with your homestay, and activities outside of the home.  If you constantly are spending time by yourself or locked in your room, you’ll probably develop cabin fever and feel less connected to your new home.

At the same time, you shouldn’t spend all of your time at your homestay, as it is important to go outside and experience the city, but the time that you do spend there should be valuable.

Your homestay family is there for you with whatever you may need and EdOdyssey is there to help you if you have any questions as you get settled in your home away from home.  As you build a good and respectful relationship with your host parents, you’ll find that you’ll always have family in a new part of the world.

Three Benefits of Hosting Foreign Exchange Students

Has your high school hosted exchanges with other schools, or would your high school would be interested in hosting students from another country for the first time? EdOdyssey works with schools from around the world. For schools wanting to travel, we facilitate short-term immersion programs tending to last 7-10 days. For schools that want to host students from abroad, we've had students stay short term for 2-5 days and we can also arrange longer stays.

Over the last five years and counting, we’ve built strong connections/relationships between schools in the US, China, Peru, Spain and more. Our program wants to empower young people taking classroom knowledge and applying it to real world settings abroad.

At EdOdyssey, we value opening doors to new cultures through home stays with local families in conjunction with a host school to build and develop a deeper ties between local schools, their communities and visiting schools.

Why do we believe so strongly in the importance and value of immersion program exchanges between schools from different countries?

Here are three major benefits to hosting foreign students for a short-term immersion program:

1. Show The Best of Your Local Culture

The best part about people visiting is that you get to show them the highlights of your city and the surrounding area! In our daily lives, we get too busy or tied up with our day-to-day activities that we sometimes don’t enjoy the beauty of our local places and spaces.

When was the last time you saw a local show or went to a nearby museum? Wouldn’t it be fun to meet a new friend from another part of the world and give him or her a look into your daily life at home, at school, and in your community?

When we collaborate with schools from around the world, we look to build an educational program that’s mutually beneficial for both host and visiting schools. For our visiting schools, we build our home stays around 3-5 days in the host city so the visiting students can visit the school, get a sense of the school day, and participate in classes to see what a day in the life of a local student looks like in another country. For both host and visiting schools, we find activities that are both educational and fun with local musicians, artists, athletes and notable local personalities. 

We take the time for our host brothers and sisters, and their visitors, to visit a local famous place of interest. You have an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of your own home and culture, and you get the chance to show a new friend how great your hometown is as well. 

2. Make Life-Long Connections

We see the importance in bridging culture gaps through hand matching our host students with their visiting brother or sister based on their mutual interests. Despite each homestay lasting for only a few days, their connections and the lessons learned during this period can last a lifetime!

From the start, we ask both host students and visiting students to complete a survey. After they submit questionnaires with their likes and interests to EdOdyssey, they are matched and put in contact through us so they can connect through email with the option to share their social media and phone number!

These short and intense experiences allow both schools to see the beauty in differences and the importance of mutual respect!

In the past, we’ve worked at a local food bank organizing food donations!

3. Share School Communities & Missions

In both visiting and host schools, we like to organize different events in the community. In our past programs, we’ve focused on developing four aspects of the exchange involving (1) a service opportunity (2) a local visit, (3) a local event (4) a big dinner with host families and their visiting brother or sister.

For service, we’ve organized an event with a local non-profit, charity or organization, such as a food bank in Spain, providing value to the local community. We set up these events out of solidarity - ultimately both locals and visitors gain a better appreciation for programs that provide assistance to an underserved part of the community.

In our past local visits, we’ve found a museum, or a local event, that meets and matches the respective missions and objectives of both of our schools.  When we continue speak and collaborate with both host schools and visiting schools, we want to align their missions and objectives.  When we’ve created events, such as flamenco shows in Spain or volunteer events in Peru, we coordinate with both schools to create a cohesive and coherent plan for all of us to learn from each other. If the visiting school wants to focus on a specific classroom subject, or a specific topic (like history or art) we work with host schools to coordinate events that mutually benefit both schools and communities.

In the past, our local event has brought in local artists and musicians that highlight an aspect of local culture and community. We’ve hosted local musicians and artists to come and put on a show at the local school.

During our previous immersion programs, we’ve worked to create a cultural event in conjunction with the host school to provide a big finale for host families and the visiting students and teachers.

Ready to see if your school is the right fit for our homestay program? We’re open to your ideas and we want to hear them! If your school has volunteer centers, local museums, or businesses, we want to facilitate sharing your community with a visiting school from abroad!

Please send us an email at info@edodyssey.com for more information and we’ll be in touch with next steps on planning your unique journey.

Student Immersion Experience in Lima, Peru: Liam Grady

My name is Liam Grady, and as I prepare to graduate from Saint Rose in New York this May (2019), I’d like to give you an idea about how my summer immersion trip to Peru changed my perspective, challenged beliefs/possible biases, and just opened my mind to the beauty that is present throughout the world. I went to Peru as a part of Summer Term and it was a great month for many reasons.

Some of these reasons are the culture, educational classes, and immersion. There was so much information and the experiences I got to be a part of in just one month made me forever grateful.

How My Mentality Toward Language Learning Changed Abroad

A big highlight of my trip was taking classes at EdOdyssey’s partner language school, El Sol, because the language came alive. As someone who took 4 years of high school Spanish and 3 in college I had never really enjoyed Spanish class.

Before I arrived in Peru, I had been studying Spanish for a practical, real-world application as I plan to work in law enforcement on the West Coast. I never really had a huge passion for the Spanish language.  My mentality toward Spanish changed at El Sol because I was constantly feeling engaged and eager to learn.

The teachers there do a terrific job of keeping the classes interesting, albeit they have people of all ages and from all parts of the world. It was truly a rewarding experience going to class Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm every day and really learning and working on my language skills.

Outside of the classroom, I was really able to work on my Spanish. I also really got to see Peruvian’s in their native culture and habits. In my month there, I went to numerous museums, the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Rain Forest, and Peruvian restaurants.

A Look Back at My Experience

I learned how all of these places provided me with an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish, as well as have some of the best experiences of my life. That, on top of speaking and hanging out with my wonderful Peruvian host mom, Charo, every day, provided me with such an appreciation for Peru, the culture, and the language.

While no one can predict the future, I know that I will be more open and eager to learn about all different types of people and places for the years to come because of the experiences I was lucky enough to have in Peru. I hope to continue to be able to go on trips because my trip was truly life changing!

Definitely don’t miss out on this great opportunity and start your summer term application today!

How Study Abroad with EdOdyssey Prepared Me for Harvard

One of the world’s biggest Buddhas behind me!

My name is Jake Leary and I am currently a freshman at Harvard University, but the journey to get on campus has taken me from Massachusetts, around the world, and back home. I do not know my concentration (Havard’s fancy term for a major) yet, but I am very interested in Government and East Asian Studies. I am from Brockton, Massachusetts and attended high school in Boston. I was very involved in our writing club, jazz band, yearbook publication, and running cross-country for four years in high school. In the fall of 2016, as I went into my senior year, I had no idea that I would be taking gap year after graduating and travelling the world to countries like China and Peru. I did not really even know what a gap year was, nor that a gap year was possible for me. However, looking back on it, this became the best possible path for me to take.

During the final month of my senior year in high school, I decided I wanted to take a gap year. After thinking long and hard about it, I knew that I needed to give myself a break. This was not only a break from the routines of school and school work, but a deep breath to slow my life down.

How I learned breathing techniques and how to meditate in China.

As I look back on my senior year of high school, it turned out as the most stressful year of school for me and it didn’t allow me time to consider the next step after college. If I went straight into studying in college, I would have felt the burnout from high school, but luckily, I felt supported when I told my close friends, teachers, and mentors at my high school. However, I kept getting asked the same, repetitive question: “So what are you going to do?”. I had not given much thought to this which I probably should have, but I responded: “I might want to travel, but I will figure it out.” This simple, general response probably scared a bit those who asked, especially my school’s principal and president, when their valedictorian essentially had no clue what he was doing with this year off.

Despite the little worry I had about my future plans, I knew that everything would work out. This self-assured feeling became especially true when I found out about EdOdyssey after graduating. I had an inkling that I wanted to travel, and EdOdyssey’s several travel destinations for students intrigued me. After talking with EdOdyssey about possible plans for my gap year travels, I became very excited to embark on this journey.

Loved the Chinese tea!

Prior to my gap year, I had never travelled outside of the United States and felt something missing from the experiences in my life. With a desire to learn Mandarin for the first time, my first destination that I decided to travel to was China, halfway across the world. At 18, if you told me that I was moving to China, I would have never believed you. After arriving at night in Beijing, I was a little intimidated to say the least, since I could basically only say 你好 (hello) in Mandarin. After arriving in China, my hosts referred me to a breakfast that I later found because I was starving after 19 hours of travel. Now it was time for me to order something to the best of my ability which turned into an unforgettable experience.

Luckily, when I went to the counter of the restaurant, a boy around my age who spoke some English helped me order my soup and baozi--a steamed bun filled with meat-- which felt strange eating meat at 9am. Despite my reservations, I took my food and sat down at a communal table and started a conversation with a woman and her parents, from what I could tell. Although the meat tasted great, they noticed that I did not love my soup so they handed me a warm piece of bread. I told them my story through Google translate and then asked them where I could buy bottled water. After finishing eating, they walked me all the way to the grocery store. Despite a language barrier, it was these complete strangers’ natural instinct to help me. This kind of hospitality and friendliness I later continued to experience and encounter throughout my entire trip in China.

One of my favorite experiences in China was when I studied Mandarin for the first time in my life in the small city of Guilin (population of 5 million, a small city for China standards). At the language school recommended by EdOdyssey (Chinese Language Institute), it was extremely valuable to have one-on-one classes with my Chinese teacher, and solely focus on my study of Mandarin. Since I did not take Mandarin classes in high school, it made a tremendous difference studying a new language in its native country. I took what I learned in my classes and practiced persistently when I asked locals questions, went out to eat, and explored the city. My experience with Mandarin challenged me, but I did not feel as intimidated as I first thought. Even though I studied hard, I met tons of new and incredible people and had loads of fun simultaneously.

After teaching high school students in China about culture in the United States!

Reflecting on my experience in China, I now realize how valuable it truly was because of all of the amazing people I met, my newfound interest in Mandarin, and personal growth. If I had not received all of the help and guidance from EdOdyssey for my trip to China, I would never have met such amazing friends that brought me back to China this past summer to visit. I also would not have decided to continue my study of Mandarin here at Harvard. As I entered my first Mandarin class this fall at Harvard, I felt very prepared and confident in my foundation of Mandarin that I had established abroad. Within my first week of Mandarin class, while some of my peers struggled to introduce themselves, I could hold conversations with my teachers. After my travels in China, I thought about improving my Spanish, which I could not speak and hold a conversation a year ago.

Soon after my trip to China, I decided that one country would not suffice for my year off, and through EdOdyssey, I headed south to explore Peru. Initially, I felt worried about traveling to Peru because I thought about how I would essentially start from scratch again in a new country. I wanted a new and fresh experience in Peru, one entirely different from mine in China. This fear quickly disappeared as I fell in love with Peru’s numerous destinations, diverse culture, and delicious cuisine.

Papa a La Huancaína is a must-eat!

My homestay experience shaped my entire time in Peru. Living in Lima, with a central location close to all of the restaurants, shops, and downtown area was very convenient. I was only a walk away from one of Lima’s central parks Parque Kennedy with numerous restaurants and shops and the area that overlooked the Pacific Ocean Malecón de Miraflores where I enjoyed morning runs. My helpful host family got me acclimated to this new environment and showed me around to their favorite spots in Lima several times. In my unique homestay experience I only spoke Spanish in the home, forcing me to significantly improve it. I loved sitting with my host parents during meals while eating some of the best food I’ve ever eaten and learning more about Peru, South America, and my host parents’ lives. A cultural difference that I realized, the affection exuded by everyone I met, I soon came to love, with constant hugs and kisses when greeting someone. This speaks volumes to how much love and passion Peruvians truly have in their lives.

I loved most in Peru when I had the opportunities to give back in the form of volunteer work. Going to the community of Pamplona Alta in Lima exposed me to the hardships of many living in Peru, but also the great sense of perseverance and strong-will that its people possess. I helped in constructing concrete stairs, as the citizens of Pamplona Alta must climb the mountain-sides daily. After my experiences in Peru, I learned that life does not have to be so constantly fast-paced as we sometimes make it. This has helped me in how I go about living my life, in handling any stress and managing my time in the best way possible. I have learned to approach life with a more easy-going attitude that I know will stay with me.

In summary, the opportunities to travel because of EdOdyssey have changed my life in a very positive manner. Before my gap year, with a shy and timid personality, I mainly stuck to routines. Through travel, I have grown to become more independent and adventurous. I have also in the process become a strong advocate for students taking a gap year. An amazing chance to learn more about yourself, outside of the comforts of what you are used to, a gap year is transformative. It is a time to take a risk, but a risk with infinite benefits. Nevertheless, I would give the idea of going abroad with EdOdyssey serious thought and you may find yourself reflecting on it, and maybe even writing a blog about your experiences, in one year’s time!

The day before I left Peru, I enjoyed seeing all the places where I visited during my time in Lima from above!

Learn more about studying abroad in Peru with EdOdyssey.