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Ferris wheel in Switzerland Switzerland mountains Ginny with a friend Ginny with a group of friends

Ginny Petrovek

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Ginny Petrovek Location: Bulle, Switzerland

Time Abroad: Fall 2007

Major: HRTM

My most memorable experience when I studied at Glion in Bulle, Switzerland was the week I was left without my fellow DU friends. Not to say I was dependent on those four who rounded out "the American" crew in the 350-student school, but up until that point most of our day-to-day lives at Glion moved in the same path (eating together, hanging out with each other amongst other students, going to class together). We never excluded each other, so it was a test for me to be on my own. Much to my surprise, this was the week I fell in love with Glion and my entire study abroad experience. I grew close to a cluster of students from all over the world. Studying abroad in Europe brought incredible journeys from Amsterdam to Barcelona to Paris to Prague. But the first thing to come to my mind and heart when I think about my four-and-a-half months in Switzerland is friendship. Long term, forever a part of my life, friendship. Whenever I think about Switzerland, I think of the incredible kids who I spent my time with. Each conversation and laugh and adventure is simply unforgettable. I hate to sound cliché, but it's not the places I went it was the people I met that made my time in Switzerland so complete.

If anything, being in Switzerland opened my eyes to the world and unveiled an outgoing, determined, and confident persona I felt I had hid at DU. I loved interacting with new people and learning in and out of the classroom with each one of them. The life I led in Switzerland was so fulfilling. It brought incredible travels, friendships, and a refreshing new way to live. Those short four months changed me, and made me who I am and showed to me all the possibilities that life could bring.

I'll always remember the feeling I had and the exact moment in time when I first stepped foot into my dormitory, when I first viewed the Eiffel Tower, the beaches of Barcelona, and the mountains in Interlaken. My heart beats faster even now, just thinking of the overwhelming sadness hugging friends good bye and stepping onto the plane to head home. But most important, I'll have the experience--with the people who mean so much to me, and the moments that led me to who I've become. Leap into life abroad. It's bound to be rewarding in more ways than you know.