Semester Abroad, Global Correspondents Letter to Myself

Danielle Miles-Langaigne is one of the Semester Abroad Global Correspondents, writing and sharing her experience abroad during the Fall 2019 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents here on our blog and check out the student takeovers on the @pennabroad Instagram.

Semester Abroad
University of New South Wales

Dear Danielle,

Congrats: you are four days away from spending four months 10,000 miles away from home. You, however, are also four days away from going back home–truly a double bind, I know. I just wanted to remind you of all that you have done, and all that is to come.

You left everything that you knew for a place that you understood little to nothing about. You made friends with people from all over the world: Singapore, Colorado, Indonesia, Australia, Louisiana, and more. You learned about Indigenous political activism across time by leaders such as Vincent Lingiari, or Oodgeroo Noonuccal–two people who advocated for Aboriginal self-determination, land rights, and recognition. You went to CAPs for the first time, each session being difficult but ultimately so worth it. You drove a quad bike over sand dunes on Worimi country, you tried world-famous coffee in Melbourne, you cried in the middle of Luna Park after attempting a ride (one that you’ll never ride again), and you hiked to and swam in the Infinity Pools of the Royal National Park. Can’t forget about taking a picture with a living, breathing, sleeping koala!

This time away is no small feat, especially considering how terrified you were of this opportunity. Nonetheless, that is exactly what it was: an opportunity to show yourself that you can do so much more than you think, no matter how uncomfortable or unknown.

Now, for the “all the things to come” part: I’m not entirely sure what that looks like. Your next big adventure is implementing your new knowledge and transformed self into the context of home–specifically, Penn. Learning means nothing if you don’t utilize it, yes, but also if you don’t share it. Encourage people to push boundaries, to take the road less traveled, and to unsettle aspects of life and society that they’ve questioned. Know that the challenges of returning are unknown, yet not impossible. Also, for everyone’s sake, try to keep the “study abroad references” and picture-showing to a minimum (if you can).

I’m rooting for you. Make sure you root for other people on their journeys, too.

Peace and love always,

Danielle