Making Friends When You Study Abroad

A very common phrase to hear before you study abroad is, “You’re going to make so many friends!” And there is definite truth to that statement. I made many amazing friends during my quarter abroad, many people that I still keep in touch with despite the distance. However, nobody necessarily tells you about the process of making these friends. In my experience, I spent my first couple months in Edinburgh either alone, or with my one friend from my home university, Violet. Although I really enjoyed my time that I spent with her, our different schedules didn’t always allow us to hang out every time we wanted to, resulting in a lot of lonely nights in my flat. It’s very easy to feel guilty about not making friends since there seems to be an invisible pressure hanging over you to have tons of fun while you’re abroad. I’m here to tell you that that’s totally normal and to share my experience so that you know you are never alone abroad, even if you’re lacking in the friend department. My experience isn’t going to totally mirror what you will go through or what others have gone through, I just hope that I can ease the confusion that comes with the potential loneliness. <a href="https://medium.com/@kedietz/making-friends-when-you-study-abroad-fe2ed3400d87">Read More</a>