Studying Abroad: How I Afforded a Summer in London and Paris

One word: loans.

This post could be that one sentence, but that wouldn't be very helpful, now would it? I know the general consensus for loans is to avoid them at all costs so you don't go into debt, which—believe me—I understand. But if you have an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity, and loans will help you get there, why turn that option down?

A little bit of background before I jump into it: my family lives in a wealthy area of Southern California, but after the 2008 recession when both of my parents lost their jobs, money since then has grown tighter and tighter. To this day they still struggle to make ends meet, but we have the incredible advantage of generous grandparents who help us out if we really need it. I wanted to clarify this so I can be honest about my background and the advantages I already had at the time, despite being tight on money.

Now, onto the moment I decided to study abroad. During college, the idea of going abroad to London and Paris only sounded expensive—not incredible, amazing, and a dream come true. But considering this would seemingly be my one chance to study abroad, I wanted to do whatever I could to do it. I had never been outside of the United States at that point, and I—like many a white girl—had dreamed of visiting Europe. The financial aid office at my school offered me a moderate scholarship, but the rest of the summer tuition (as well as the obvious plane tickets) needed to be paid out of my own pocket.

I spent phone call after phone call with my mom and dad trying to figure out what I should do to pay for it all; the only answer was loans. Neither of them could afford to take out that chunk of money, and I certainly didn't. Once logging into my financial aid account, I applied for a loan to cover the rest of the tuition for both the London and Paris summer programs. At that point I didn't care if I was adding on more debt; this was an opportunity that I refused to miss out on. I worked hard, earned good grades, was a passionate and curious student—why shouldn't I have the chance to study abroad? But then...there was the plane ticket.

"You'll have to ask your grandmother," my mom told me over the phone. "Call and ask her."

"I can't...I can't ask her to pay for that. What if she says no?"

"And what if she says yes?"

Within minutes I gulped as I pressed my grandma's name in my contact list. After a few rings, she picked up. Nervously, I scrambled together a plea for a plane ticket loan, to which she surprisingly agreed. "You're a good student, and a good kid", she reasoned. It was such a relief. I know I am incredibly privileged to have family members who are willing to pay for things like this for me, so my gratitude was through the roof. A week or two later my grandma sent me my flight itinerary. It was happening—I was going to Europe for two months!

If it wasn't for generous and able family members as well as loans, I would never have had the best summer of my life. It was the first time I travelled by myself, with a newly diagnosed anxiety disorder, to at least one country whose language I barely spoke. My confidence SOARED during this trip. I'll be writing a future post to detail the events that helped this happen, but in short, pushing myself far out of my comfort zone and trusting myself and my capabilities put me through a growth phase that I never anticipated.

If it hadn't been for this experience studying abroad, I would have never heard of the university I eventually attended for my graduate degree. I never would have met my best friend. I never would have seen the strong, resilient, and brave young woman who had been there beneath the tears and panic attacks. Every single penny of those loans were worth it.

Now I'm not saying to go take out a loan right now and go on that 3 month trip through Asia that you've always wanted; we don't always have that chance or time to do so. But if you're lucky enough to be in college, take advantage of your school's study abroad program and the financial aid packages they offer. Every person's financial situation is different, of course; so I don't want to sound like it's easy or isn't financially stressful. For me, I was incredibly lucky that it all worked out—especially with a wealthy grandparent.

Loans are not the enemy. Are they the smartest financial decision? Probably not. But they can be helpful if there's no other option and you need to get the task at hand done. My personal task was studying abroad (and school overall, but that's another story), and loans were the only answer. I didn't want to miss out on a life-enhancing journey just because I didn't have the money; most people can't start a business if they don't take out loans to jump-start their plan. It all comes down to priorities. If you don't prioritize studying abroad, that's totally fine. Look towards other ventures that you know would help you with your personal growth, whether that is starting your own business; volunteering; or leasing a car. My personal situation allowed for this experience, along with my own privileges and circumstances; it all seemed to fall into place. My point is that don't let money be the only reason you can't do something (within reason; don't go take out loans to buy a private jet).

I hope these ramblings provided some value for you, and that you look at your dreams and goals more openly knowing that not having money doesn't mean those goals aren't achievable. Get creative, look at your options, and prioritize. Thank you for reading, and take care of yourself! You deserve it.