Arriving on the island of Malta felt surreal. As I left the airport, I was greeted by sunny skies, limestone buildings with the most colorful balconies, and the clearest water I had ever seen. Surrounded by the Mediterranean, my island home and classroom taught me so much.

Hi, I’m Danielle (or Dani), and as I write this, I am currently a senior musical theatre major. I left for Malta in the spring of my junior year and spent five months abroad. I partook in various theatre and music classes at the University of Malta (L-Università ta’ Malta in Maltese) and a social work class in agreement with my global theme of Inequality and Human Rights. Beyond that, I traveled quite a bit, helped write and perform a short musical, and learned the ins and outs of the small island I called home.

Moving to college and learning to be on your own is difficult, but moving to Europe and learning to be on your own is a whole new level of independence. Adjusting to the new structure of schooling and meeting new people was a challenge, but it was so gratifying. Days were up and down, but I slowly became accustomed to this way of living. My local Maltese classmates welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. As I mentioned, I took this opportunity to do some traveling. While I saw beautiful places like Italy and Spain, traveling came with its own challenges.

While typical travel annoyances arise (hostel stays, airport security, etc.), the problems my travel partner and I ran into were much scarier. Our classes had ended for the semester, and while we had been to quite a few places already, we wanted to cover as much ground as possible. So we planned a long two-week trip. Our first stop was Spain; little did we know it would also be our last. On day four of our trip, my friend Anika got sick. We got her to a doctor, and it was very little help. Eventually, we ended up in the hospital, and after much testing, she was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Long phone calls with insurance and a language barrier made this scary experience even scarier. After the discharge, I played caretaker, and we spent two weeks in a Spanish hotel while I tried to navigate a culture and language barrier. We made it through, and the two of us got home safely. Now, we have a lot to make up for in the future. 

Overall, I am grateful and overjoyed to have had this experience. I learned so much about myself and have significantly broadened my worldview. I am still in awe of the beauty I witnessed, but truth be told, I never missed home more than when I was away.